2025-26 Regular Season, Game 37 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes are sliding right now, with each of their last three losses being incredibly concerning. The Canes held a 2-0 lead against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night through two periods. Eric Robinson opened the scoring by finishing a beautiful play in transition early in the first, and Andrei Svechnikov scored on a breakaway after being released from the penalty box. Things were moving in a positive direction. Early in the third, Niko Mikkola's drive hit Alexander Nikishin's skate and went into the net. This signaled the beginning of the end. Luke Kunin and Anton Lundell scored 43 seconds apart to suddenly give Florida the lead. Sam Bennett added another, and Seth Jones scored on the power play. Out of nowhere, the Panthers, who'd been largely outplayed by the Canes for 40 minutes, found their mojo and silenced the crowd. Their five-goal third period handed the Hurricanes their third straight loss, all three have come after they held multi-goal leads. 

Injury Report

The Canes didn't skate on Friday because of the league shutdown for Christmas, so this is all purely speculative.

Alexander Nikishin: He exited Tuesday's game and was icing his ankle in the locker room, so I'm hoping that it isn't anything major.

William Carrier: He missed Tuesday's game with an illness, making me optimistic that he'll be good to go after the break.

Jordan Martinook: He has missed three in a row but was listed as day-to-day before the game.

Seth Jarvis: Week-to-week, which likely puts him out until mid-January.

Jaccob Slavin: I'd just assume he doesn't play until April after suffering another injury.

The Opponent: Detroit Red Wings (22-13-3, 47 Points; 1st in the Atlantic Division)

Last Season's Meetings: The Canes were victorious twice in three meetings a season ago. They opened the series in Detroit in early March. The third line did all of the damage. Jordan Martinook scored late in the first, and Jordan Staal scored early in the second. Detroit got one back in the third, but it was more than enough on this night. Frederik Andersen made 24 saves in a 2-1 win. The only clash in Raleigh came ten days later. Alex DeBrincat scored the only goal in the first, but the Canes responded with a trio in the second, courtesy of Taylor Hall, Jack Roslovic, and Jalen Chatfield. Detroit, once again, climbed within a goal, but Eric Robinson put the finishing touches on it into the empty net in a 4-2 win. Detroit prevented the sweep with a pair of quick-strike spurts in early April. They scored 26 seconds apart in the first and 21 seconds apart in the second. The Canes pulled within a goal with 7:16 left, but the Wings went on to win, 5-3.

Since We Last Met: Detroit's return to relevance has been one of the slowest burns we've ever felt. After being one of the best teams in the league during the 1990s and 2000s, they haven't done much for the last decade. All of that has changed. Now, they're one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. They entered the Christmas break atop the division by a slim margin, winners of their last three, five of their last six, and nine of their 12 games in December since losing four in a row around Thanksgiving. They're rolling, and it's the usual guys who are doing it. Lucas Raymond has 41 points. Alex DeBrincat (40 points) and Dylan Larkin (36 points) each have 20 goals. Moritz Seider is the anchor on defense.  Patrick Kane, when he's healthy, is playing at a point per game (23 points in 24 games). They're getting contributions from their young guys. Emmett Finnie has nine goals and 19 points. Alex Sandin Pellikka and Simon Edvinsson are coming into their own. They made a big move in the net, acquiring John Gibson from Anaheim to pair with Cam Talbot. That's the one area that remains a sore spot for the group. While they're winning games, neither goalie has a save percentage better than .891, and both of their GAAs are 3.00 or higher. They remain a massive threat in the Atlantic Division, but that is one place they need more consistent play. 

Stories to Watch

1. Turning over a new leaf

There's no way around it. The three games the Hurricanes played before the break were simply unacceptable for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. You can't blow three multi-goal leads and avoid the "fraud" label. They're in the spot they are because of consistently good work, but all of that went away against Florida and Tampa. Maybe it was the moment. Maybe the team is mentally fragile. Whatever it is, they can't afford for that to continue to be the case. Against a Detroit team that was red-hot at this break, the Canes can't let another one slip through their fingers.