2025-26 Regular Season, Game 46 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings

Last Game: The Carolina Hurricanes kept the fun times going on Saturday night, though they didn't make it easy on themselves. They got the part started early, with Logan Stankoven scoring in his fourth straight game. K'Andre Miller picked off an attempted pass out of the zone before finding Stankoven alone in the slot. Seattle got it back late in the opening frame. Matty Beniers danced around Jaccob Slavin and slid his shot through Brandon Bussi's pads to knot it up. Neither team scored in the middle frame, keeping it 1-1 heading into the third period. Bussi made a big mistake, having his attempted clearing pass knocked down by Ryan Winterton. He slid it to Berkly Catton, who scored to give Seattle its first lead. The Staal line worked to tie the game. Jordan Staal confused the Seattle defenders, sliding a pass to an unmarked Jordan Martinook in front of the net for the tying tally. A little over three minutes later, the captain was at it again. He played catch with Jaccob Slavin, whose chip shot deflected off William Carrier's skate and into the net. Slavin's assist was his 300th career point. The Canes' defense kept Joey Daccord in the net longer than he wanted to be, salting away the clock as they held on for a 3-2 win.

Injury Report

Noah Philp: He's still in concussion protocol, so I doubt that he made the short trip with the group since it's only two days. 

The Opponent: Detroit Red Wings (27-15-4, 58 Points; 1st in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting: The Red Wings visited Raleigh for the first game after Christmas. They hopped out to a lead in the first period on a Michael Rasmussen tally. The Canes got it back and took control in the second. Jackson Blake redirected a shot from Shayne Gostisbehere to tie it early in the frame. Just 75 seconds later, Eric Robinson gave his group the lead. Late in the period, Gostisbehere got one into the back of the net, staking the Canes to a 3-1 lead after 40. Andrew Copp got one back on the power play early in the third, and it started to feel like the Canes were about to blow a multi-goal lead again. Instead, Andrei Svechnikov's pressure on Dylan Larkin caused the Detroit captain to blow a tire. He snapped the loose puck past John Gibson to restore the two-goal lead. Jordan Martinook finished it into the empty net, giving the Canes a 5-2 post-Christmas victory.

Since We Last Met: Their loss in Raleigh hasn't deterred them at all. The Red Wings have won five of their seven games since (5-1-1), including their last three games against Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal. During those three wins, the Red Wings have scored 14 times. Their only losses during this stretch were a home-and-home against the Penguins. On Thursday night, they got to be part of a little history. Patrick Kane scored twice in a 5-1 victory in Detroit over the Canucks. His second of the night, an empty-net goal to make it 4-1 late in the third, was the 500th goal of his career, making him the 50th player and the 5th U.S.-born player to reach the milestone. Not much has changed for them since the two met on December 27. The Red Wings still have a trio of 40-point scorers, including Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat, with a team-leading 23 goals. John Gibson's regulation loss to the Canes was his first of December, and he has recovered perfectly well. He's 4-1-0 in his last five, including a 27-save shutout against the Canadiens on Saturday. Their lead in the division remains slim, but they've put themselves in a very good position.

Stories to Watch

1. Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement

It's only a little coincidental that tonight's game will be preceded by a jersey retirement for a player with plenty of history with Carolina. The Red Wings will honor Sergei Fedorov, hanging his jersey in the rafters forever. Fedorov was almost a Hurricane because of an offer sheet, as Fedorov and Detroit struggled to find common ground on a new contract. Ultimately, it worked out between the two, and Fedorov went on to win a few Stanley Cups with the Red Wings' dynasty, including in 2001 against Carolina. I don't think there's any bad blood, almost 30 years later.

2. Carrying their play on the road

The Hurricanes were excellent at home this week, earning victories over Dallas, Anaheim, and Seattle. They've now won four in a row. The venue changes, but the goal doesn't. The Canes played a good game when the Red Wings were in town a few weeks ago. Now, the Red Wings own home ice. It doesn't change how they need to go about beating them. With it being the first half of a back-to-back for both teams, the goalie matchup shouldn't matter that much. Whether it's Gibson or Talbot, the Canes need to be ready.