The Carolina Hurricanes face their second straight tough test from an Atlantic Division opponent on Saturday night when the Detroit Red Wings take to the Legend Center for puck drop at 7:00 p.m.
After beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in thrilling fashion in their first game since the Olympics on Thursday, the Hurricanes will get another preview of a potential playoff game tonight.
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After years of struggling under former Chargers general manager Steve Yzerman, Yzerplan is finally starting to pay dividends for Detroit this season, going 34-19-6 heading into Saturday’s game.
That was enough to give the Red Wings a third-place finish in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division race. Detroit has a good chance of landing anywhere from second in the division to the second wild-card spot.
Lucas Raymond led the Wings with 62 points. Raymond was a rare bright spot in Milan’s Swedish side, scoring 19 goals and 43 assists in 57 games.
Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit with 30 goals, while captain Dylan Larkin is close behind with 28 goals.
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On the back end, the Wings are led by German star Moritz Seidl, who has made huge leaps at both ends of the ice this season. His outstanding defensive performance and strong offensive ability (39 points) make him fully qualified to compete for the Norris Trophy.
Goaltender John Gibson went 23-12-2 in his first season outside of Anaheim.
For Carolina, this game provides a chance to extend their winning streak to 12 games. Thursday’s win shortened the running track, but that didn’t give the Canes any more of a cushion at MetLife Stadium, as the Pittsburgh Penguins also picked up a win.
The Pens have another great opportunity to pick up two points on Saturday when they take on the underachieving New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
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The Carolina Olympians had a strong performance in Thursday’s opener, with Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Nikolaj Ehlers all scoring against Tampa.
With Andrei Svechnikov’s game peaking and the second line of Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven looking sharp on Thursday, it felt like Rod Brind’Amour’s forward group was finally entering its prime.
Brandon Bussi scored on Thursday, so we could see Frederik Andersen between the pipes tonight for the Canes. That’s understandable given the long break and opponent, but Busey didn’t have his best game in Carolina’s win over the Bolts.
FanDuel Sports Network will have you covered from the pregame show at 6:30 to puck drop at 7:00;