2023-24 Regular Season, Game 45: Hurricanes vs. Minnesota Wild (Pregame)

The Carolina Hurricanes returned to the win column on Friday night when they beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-2. The Wings and Canes traded early goals as Klim Kostin scored on Detroit's first shot before Jordan Martinook responded 47 seconds later with his fourth goal in as many games. The 1-1 tie held strong until late in the second period when Martin Necas, who returned to the lineup after missing the last five games, snapped a shot under the blocker of Alex Lyon to give the Canes their first lead of the night. This, too, didn't last long. Detroit earned the game's first power play late in the second period and wasted little time scoring as JT Compher buried a 2-on-1 to tie the game in the final minute of the period. The Canes got their chance to respond on the power play midway through the third period, and they converted. Andrei Svechnikov slid the puck between Lyon's pads to help the Canes restore their lead. Sebastian Aho added an empty-netter late to seal the win. Svechnikov, Aho, Necas, and Michael Bunting all finished with two points. The Canes' defense allowed just 12 shots to the Red Wings as Antti Raanta earned another victory. 

The Opponent: Minnesota Wild (19-21-5, 43 Points- 7th in the Central Division)

Minnesota can't seem to determine whether they're in the race or out of it. After recording 103 points being being eliminated in the 1st Round by the Dallas Stars, this season hasn't been kind to the Wild. After a 5-10-4 start, the Wild fired Dean Evason, replacing him with former Nashville coach John Hynes. The team responded well to the change, winning 11 of their next 14 games. It looked as if they were back in the hunt. Then, they proceeded on a 2-8-1 stretch to kill all the momentum they'd built. Injuries to key players like Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello haven't helped matters. Despite missing some games, Kaprizov and Zuccarello lead the team in scoring, while Joel Eriksson Ek's 18 goals pace the Wild. Their Achilles' heel has been defense. They're near the bottom of the league in goals per game allowed. Their penalty kill is the second-worst in the league. Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury haven't been the duo we expected them to be. It didn't help that Fleury left Minnesota's win on Friday against Florida early. So did Connor Dewar. The good news is that the power play was on fire. The Wild converted on five of their six attempts, getting two goals from Kaprizov and one each from Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, and Brock Faber. Hartman added a second tally at even strength as the Wild held on for a crazy 6-4 win. 

Last Season's Meetings- The home team won both times these two faced off last season, though the Canes held a 3-2 edge in points after losing the first meeting in overtime. The season series had already finished by this point last season. They first met in Minnesota in mid-November. Sebastian Aho scored in the first period against Filip Gustavsson, and the 1-0 lead held for most of the game. Sam Steel managed to break Potr Kochetkov's shutout with 2:37 left in regulation before setting up Alex Goligoski in overtime to help the Wild complete the late comeback. The defensive battle continued into their game in Raleigh two months later. Kirill Kaprizov finally broke the shutout on the power play in the second period before the Canes' offense finally exploded. Brent Burns, Brady Skjei (PP), and Teuvo Teravainen (SH) scored before the end of the period. Jalen Chatfield and Martin Necas (PP) added to the lead in the third period to make it 5-1. Matt Boldy got one back for the Wild, but that's as close as they got as the Canes won 5-2. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. Finish the Homestand Strong

With their win over Detroit on Friday, the Hurricanes ensured a winning record during their season-long six-game homestand, winning three of their first five games. There have been some highs and lows during this homestand. They came out on the losing end of a goalie battle in a shootout loss to St. Louis. Then, they put up six goals against the Ducks and got a thrilling win in overtime over Pittsburgh. The Los Angeles loss is going to be a stinger, but the 4-2 win over Detroit helped ease some of the sting. It's been said to death that the Canes are playing their best hockey of the season. Finishing strong before heading to Boston on Wednesday is essential. 

2. Necas' Encore Performance

Martin Necas returned to the lineup on Friday after missing five games by putting up a goal and an assist. He was easily the best player on the ice for either side. It looked like he had a little too much energy early before centering himself and playing his best game of the season. Now, he needs to string that into a few consecutive good games. It's been a tough start after his career year last season. This positive return brings another important forward back into the fold as the team looks to maintain its spot near the top of the division. 

3. Faber is Making a Solid Calder Case

While all of the love has been on Chicago's Connor Bedard in the Calder race, his recent injury has opened the door for other rookies to surpass him as the frontrunner. Brock Faber is squarely in the mix. Faber is tied for third in rookie scoring with 25 points, and he leads all rookies with 22 assists. He's been arguably the best rookie defenseman in the league and an important part of Minnesota's game. If the season ended today, I think Bedard would still be the leader for the Calder, but I'd have Faber easily in 2nd or 3rd. The longer Bedard is out, the more of an opportunity Faber has to assert himself at the top.