"One More for the Road": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 59: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings

I hope the Hurricanes enjoy the ambiance they'll get tonight from the crowd at the Lenovo Center because it's the last time they'll have the crowd on their side for the next week. The Canes welcomed the Red Wings to town for the final clash of the season. Ideally, the game wouldn't be in the hands of the referees, like it was when these two met last month in Detroit. Neither goalie had taken a start for their teams in over a month, though the edge that Frederik Andersen had over Cam Talbot was his ability to play for his country in Italy, giving Andersen some much-needed reps. He was busy, too, with Denmark being largely overmatched by most of its opponents. The Canes came out of the gates hot on Thursday against Tampa, but they didn't keep their foot on the gas for the full 60 minutes. They won, but it was a lot closer than it needed to be after jumping out to a 3-0 lead. They would require a complete effort on Saturday if they wanted to get the job done against the Red Wings.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (14:05)- Taylor Hall (14) (unassisted)

CAR (19:52-PP)- Sebastian Aho (22) (Shayne Gostisbehere (30) & Seth Jarvis (20))

2nd Period

CAR (2:52)- Eric Robinson (11) (William Carrier (7) & Sean Walker (11))

DET (18:26)- Simon Edvisson (7) (Alex DeBrincat (28) & Dylan Larkin (26))

DET (19:13)- Patrick Kane (9) (Moritz Seider (33) & JT Compher (12))

3rd Period

CAR (2:18)- Shayne Gostisbehere (10) (Jackson Blake (19) & Taylor Hall (17))

CAR (5:30)- Jackson Blake (17) (Taylor Hall (18) & Shayne Gostisbehere (31))

My Thoughts

It wouldn't be a Hurricanes game without a little drama sprinkled in. Tonight, the Canes looked well on their way to a win, leading 3-0 early in the second. All it took was a trip to the box and a 4-on-4 to give the Red Wings some life. To their credit, they had some great looks throughout the first 38 minutes, but they got two perfect chances in the final two minutes of the middle frame to make the fans sweat a little. Instead of a comfortable lead at the second intermission, it was suddenly a one-goal game. That's when the Stankoven line saw an opportunity. They'd already gotten on the board when Taylor Hall buried a breakaway in the first period to open the scoring. This time, they struck twice. First, it was Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere on a give-and-go. Next, it was Blake on a 2-on-1 to put the game away for good. Hall had assists on both goals, bringing him to three points for the night. Gostisbehere had the secondary helper on Blake's goal, going with his goal and a power-play assist to make it three points for him as well. Blake tied his career-high in goals (17) and set a new mark for points (36 and counting) with his multi-point third period. Logan Stankoven didn't find the scoresheet, but he was just as effective tonight. This line has been incredible since returning from the break, leading the team to another win.

Frederik Andersen's last start with the Hurricanes was on January 31, a 4-3 OT loss in Washington, D.C. Rod Brind'Amour allowed Brandon Bussi to play the final three games before the break, knowing that Andersen would get some starts in Italy as Denmark's top goalie. While the Danes went just 1-3 in the tournament, Andersen played well. There was some hope that it would carry into his return to the team. Tonight, he looked excellent. The Red Wings were the faster team at the start, but Andersen was ready. He made a few high-quality stops before the Canes took the lead, and a few more throughout the second period to keep Detroit off the board. Andersen didn't panic after the Red Wings struck twice at the end of the middle frame. He locked in for the third period, much like his team did. Andersen finished the night with 27 stops, earning a point in his sixth straight start (3-0-3). I would like to see more of this from him down the stretch, please.

A lot has been made of how the Stankoven line has played against Tampa Bay and now Detroit. They've combined for four goals and nine points over the last six periods, so the praise is warranted. However, both of these wins have happened because of the complete buy-in from the entire team. Sebastian Aho has power-play goals in consecutive games. Seth Jarvis has three points. The fourth line scored a goal tonight, with all three forwards recording points over the last two games. Four different defensemen have points, led by Gostisbehere's three-point performance tonight. The goalies have gotten the job done, too. This is the recipe for success that the Hurricanes need to be dangerous beyond the regular season, and it feels like they can still find another gear.

February was a weird month because of the long pause, but the Hurricanes found a way to begin and end the month the right way. They won all five contests in different ways. There were some blown leads, some close calls, like tonight, and one perfect showing in New York. No matter how you chalk it up, it ends with the Canes going 5-0-0 to remain in control of the Metropolitan Division and move into the top spot in the Eastern Conference over the Lightning. The team is healthy at the right time. As we've already talked about, everyone is pulling on the rope to get the job done. Everything is looking up for the Hurricanes. That can't change in March.

First Star of the Game: Jackson Blake

It wasn't a perfect night for Jackson Blake. He had a really bad turnover in the second period, leading to Patrick Kane's goal that shrunk the lead to one in the final minute. Blake also hit the post with an open net, which couldn't have been good. How did he turn it around? By setting up a goal and scoring another in the first six minutes of the third period. Blake tied for the team lead with five shots tonight, setting a new best in points. Now, he's on the path to his first 20-goal campaign. Not bad for the sophomore.

Around the League

Pittsburgh: As poorly as the Rangers have played on home ice this season, this feels like a missed opportunity for the Penguins after leading the game 2-0 before falling in a shootout. 

New York (I): By beating the Blue Jackets in overtime today, the Islanders moved into a tie with Pittsburgh and earned their fourth straight win.

Washington: About the only good thing about tonight's game for the Capitals was that Alex Ovechkin scored twice because they got trounced, 6-2, by the Canadiens.

Columbus: The Blue Jackets went from total control to minutes away from getting nothing to settling for a point on Long Island, and still found a way to make up ground on the Capitals, so they'll take it.

Philadelphia: I probably should've included the Flyers on Thursday night, and they proved that point by beating the Bruins, 3-1, today to pull within a point of the Blue Jackets in the division.

Current Division Standings

Carolina- 82 Points (#1 in the Eastern Conference; 59 GP)

Pittsburgh- 73 Points (7-1-2 in their last 10; 58 GP)

New York (I)- 73 Points (4 wins in a row; 60 GP)

Washington- 69 Points (2 back of WC2; 62 GP)

Columbus- 66 Points (Back-to-back losses after winning 7 straight; 58 GP)

Philadelphia- 65 Points (Won both games after the break; 59 GP)

Next Up: It's a very busy week for the Carolina Hurricanes. For starters, the team heads out on a long road trip, starting in Seattle on Monday night. After facing the Canucks in Vancouver on Wednesday, all attention will turn to Friday's trade deadline. The Canes are expected to be active, though it's unclear what they're looking for. Once the deadline passes, the team must face a weekend back-to-back, visiting the Oilers on Friday and the Flames on Saturday. They're finally back at home on March 10, hosting the now-Crosby-less Penguins.