2023-24 Regular Season, Game 44: Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings (Postgame)

The last time the Canes were on the ice, they were thoroughly beaten down in the third period by the Los Angeles Kings as they spoiled Justin Williams' big day. After stewing on that loss for three days, the Carolina Hurricanes were finally back, hosting the Detroit Red Wings, who entered the game on a seven-game point streak. Along with the news of the Canes claiming Spencer Martin, the other big news for the team was the return of Martin Necas after missing the last five games. For the Red Wings, they'd enter the game without Patrick Kane, who left their win over Toronto early with an injury. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

DET (2:27)- Klim Kostin (3) (assisted by Joe Veleno (10) & Daniel Sprong (18))

CAR (3:14)- Jordan Martinook (6) (assisted by Brent Burns (18) & Jordan Staal (9))

2nd Period

CAR (16:25)- Martin Necas (10) (assisted by Michael Bunting (19) & Dmitry Orlov (14))

DET (19:17)- JT Compher (10) PP (assisted by Dylan Larkin (22) & Shayne Gostisbehere (24))

3rd Period

CAR (10:46)- Andrei Svechnikov (11) PP (assisted by Michael Bunting (20) & Sebastian Aho (34))

CAR (18:44)- Sebastian Aho (16) EN (assisted by Martin Necas (18) & Andrei Svechnikov (19))

My Thoughts

I, like most Caniacs, felt it was a bad sign when Antti Raanta allowed a goal on Detroit's first shot of the game. It was made worse when looking at just how the goal came together, barely squeaking over the line after Raanta got his glove on the shot. Fortunately, the Canes responded quickly to ease my troubled mind as Jordan Martinook extended his career-high goal streak to four games. This was a defensive struggle, though the 30 shots from Carolina might suggest otherwise. High-danger chances were few and far between. Neither goalie stood out as being phenomenal, either. Alex Lyon made 26 stops, but most of the saves felt routine, which is easy for me to say from my couch. Regardless, the Canes played a great third period, reversing their fortunes from Monday afternoon. 

In a 2-2 game with less than half of the third period left, the Canes earned their first power play. Detroit ended the second period by scoring on their first attempt, meaning they needed to respond in a big way. The power play, after being so great for weeks, had gone cold in the last two games, going 0-for-8 against Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. The top unit had been especially rough. In 31 seconds, all was forgiven. The play didn't quite materialize the way they wanted it to, but the result is all that matters. It looked like Sebastian Aho was looking to find Michael Bunting's stick for a redirection. Instead, the puck got to Andrei Svechnikov, and he finished the play. It's said all the time that big-time players need to step up in big-time moments. That's what the power play did tonight, helping the Canes to a win. Svechnikov and Aho each had two points in the third period, while Bunting added two assists. 

The biggest story of the night was the return and performance of Martin Necas. I felt like he was a little too hyped up to be back in the lineup. He had a ton of chances in the first period that he fanned on, yet he still finished the period with four shots. This morning, I touted Necas' speed and skillset as being one of the most important on the team. It was on full display tonight. His goal in the second period reminded me a little of the goal he scored in Vegas last season as he created space for himself to snap it past Lyon. He led the forwards in ice time tonight, playing nearly 19 minutes in his first game back. It was great to see him back on the ice and contributing. 

While he wasn't in Raleigh for the game tonight, I figured I'd close by giving my thoughts on the team's addition of Spencer Martin through the waiver wire today. This move, while not earth-shattering, is a smart move from the front office. Martin's numbers aren't great, but that's not what he's being brought in for. The Canes have two goalies out right now, with Frederik Andersen's return in question and Pyotr Kochetkov dealing with a concussion. Bringing Martin in costs the team nothing except his cap hit, which is currently lower than Yaniv Peret's cap hit. He's also a goalie with NHL experience, something Perets doesn't have much of outside of his 15 minutes on Monday. I don't think Martin instantly makes the Canes a threat to win the Stanley Cup, but he helps bridge the gap until Kochetkov is ready to return. It's a low-risk, high-reward move for the Canes, and I welcome it with open arms.

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Michael Bunting- 2 assists

While the other guys with multi-point games did it with more flash, Bunting's night went under the radar. Bunting picked up two primary assists in the win, getting him to 20 assists for the season. It was fairly obvious he was trying to redirect Aho's pass on the power play, but we'll take them however we can get them. 

2nd Star- Andrei Svechnikov- 1 goal, 1 assist

Svechnikov's goal on the power play proved to be the difference in the win. He led the team with three hits, tied for the most in the game, while also picking up two more points, including the game-winning goal. He continues to play his best hockey of the season since returning from his most recent injury. 

1st Star- Martin Necas- 1 goal, 1 assist

This was about as good of a return as the Canes could've hoped for, with Necas returning after five games on the shelf. He played nearly 19 minutes, picked up a pair of points, and led the team with six shots, including four after 20 minutes. He was flying all over the ice all night, playing his best game of the season. 

Up Next- The Hurricanes will conclude their six-game homestand on Sunday night when they host the Minnesota Wild. They'll play their first road game in weeks on Wednesday in Boston but will be back at PNC Arena on Thursday night with the New Jersey Devils in town for the first time since the Canes beat them in Game 5. Their final game before the game will be next Saturday, with the Arizona Coyotes visiting.