"No Call": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 46: Carolina Hurricanes at Detroit Red Wings

Division leaders took the ice on Monday night. While the Hurricanes' spot couldn't be overtaken, the Red Wings are fighting for their lives to stay atop the Atlantic Division, with Montreal and Tampa Bay breathing down their necks. Both teams have been rolling, with the Canes entering on a four-game winning streak, and Detroit winning their last three and five of their last seven. Both teams were also playing the first halves of back-to-backs. The Canes were without one of their hardest hitters up front, with William Carrier suffering an undisclosed injury between Saturday's game and Monday's morning skate. Former Ducks teammates squared off in the net, adding another interesting dimension to the contest.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

DET (1:32-PP)- James van Riemsdyk (12) (Moritz Seider (26) & Lucas Raymond (35))

2nd Period

DET (1:28)- Alex DeBrincat (24) (Andrew Copp (20) & Ben Chiarot (6))

DET (4:54)- Albert Johansson (1) (Patrick Kane (20) & Alex DeBrincat (24))

3rd Period

CAR (4:44-PP)- Jackson Blake (14) (Taylor Hall (14) & Alexander Nikishin (13))

CAR (7:56-SH)- Seth Jarvis (21) (Sebastian Aho (27))

CAR (16:59-PP)- Shayne Gostisbehere (6) (Sebastian Aho (28))

Overtime

DET (3:27)- Andrew Copp (8) (Alex DeBrincat (25))

My Thoughts

Hurricanes fans are rightfully mad about the ending of this game, and Red Wings fans are not the slightest bit sorry about it. Andrew Copp got away with a penalty, and there's no way around it. I don't care if I hear "Keep crying" or whatever. It's a call that should be made. It's only made worse that it happened in front of the net, away from the play, before the game-winning goal was scored. I don't know how you miss that call, and the referee who didn't call it won't face any repercussions for it. They certainly showed Shayne Gostisbehere and Sebastian Aho, though. Both got 10-minute penalties after the game ended for jawing at the officials as they left the ice. I've watched it about 20 times at this point. I'm waiting for it to end differently. Sadly, it doesn't. The Canes got a point out of it, but it really feels like they were robbed of it. 

Before we talk about the comeback that fell short, let's talk about the 40 minutes before it. The Hurricanes outplayed the Red Wings in the first period, but they found themselves in a 1-0 hole because of a tripping penalty and a goal by James van Riemsdyk. Otherwise, the Hurricanes owned the opening frame. The problem was that, for all of their dominance, they failed to put the puck in the net. Then, the Red Wings came out and dug the hole even deeper, scoring twice in five minutes to triple their lead. The Canes played a flat second period, and it really felt like the game was over. They shot themselves in the foot twice. While they managed to keep the deficit somewhat manageable for the rest of the period, they had a tough hill to climb. 

Climb it they did. The third period might've been their best special teams period of the season. Jackson Blake got the party rolling on the power play. Taylor Hall put it perfectly on Blake's tape, and his shot beat John Gibson cleanly through his pads. When Seth Jarvis scored his short-handed goal with 12 minutes left, the deficit no longer felt insurmountable. He started the play at his defensive blue line, and he finished it on the other end with Sebastian Aho's help. The tying goal, if you ask a Red Wings fan, only happened because Lucas Raymond was called for a "soft" slashing penalty. I'm not sure what you call a player hitting another player in his gloves with his stick, but I call it a slash, no matter how hard or soft the whack it. The problem got worse when Ben Chiarot was called for high-sticking Jarvis. With an extended 5-on-3, Gostisbehere used the time and space provided to snap it upstairs on Gibson to tie it. The penalty kill had one more job to do in the final 2:30, killing another trip to send the game to overtime and earn the group a point. We know what happened from there.

I'd be remiss if I didn't finish my thoughts by talking about the ceremony that preceded the game. Sergei Fedorov's jersey was retired, marking a big day for many Russian players around the league. The former Hart Trophy winner and long-time Red Wing was more than deserving of the honor, and that it came with the Hurricanes in the building was a nice touch. There was plenty of history between Fedorov and the Hurricanes organization. An offer sheet saga, stemming more from petty grievances amongst ownership, "almost" brought Fedorov to Raleigh. Was it really going to happen? No, but could you imagine if it had? My favorite moment was Andrei Svechnikov taking the ceremonial face-off with Dylan Larkin as Fedorov dropped the puck before the game. You could tell it meant a lot to Svechnikov. It was a moment befitting of the player Fedorov was.

First Star of the Game: Seth Jarvis

Honestly, as much as I liked the Canes' game tonight, it's hard to pick a first star. When in doubt, Seth Jarvis is probably a good name to pick. His goal tonight was massive, especially when it happened. Giving his team that much time to tie the game after his short-handed goal made it feel possible. Jarvis led the team with five shots, including his 21st of the season.

Next Up: The Canes complete their back-to-back tomorrow night by flying to St. Louis to face the Blues. They'll get a few days to rest and prepare before another back-to-back this weekend. They'll host the Florida Panthers on Friday night and visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. From there, the January schedule slows down a little. The Canes play just five times between January 19 and the end of the month.