Extending their win streak to six games, the Carolina Hurricanes handled the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 Friday night at Lenovo Center, thanks to a three-goal second period. The line of centers Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jack Roslovic and left wing Taylor Hall led the way as they combined for five points.
After looking shaky and things up in the air since the Mikko Rantanen trade, Carolina (40-22-4) has come out of it looking better and handled business against a Detroit (31-29-6) team who is vying for a playoff spot.
“[We] looked a lot better for 60 minutes,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “This whole year we’ve played well, sometimes it’s just four or five minutes in a game and then give up a few. Certainly these last stretch of games I’ve really seen that.”
In the first, the Hurricanes looked like the better team, hemming the Red Wings in their own zone for extended periods of time, but nothing came of that nor the team’s one power play opportunity of the period.
After a favorable start for the Canes, it was Detroit who got on the scoresheet first late in the period. The Red Wings forced a turnover right as Carolina tried clearing the zone and right wing Alex DeBrincat found the loose puck in the slot and ripped one high to the blocker side of goaltender Frederik Andersen.
An early deficit didn’t faze the Hurricanes who responded with three unanswered goals in the middle frame. Hall kicked it off 22 seconds into the period with a tip on Kotkaniemi’s shot. An acquisition at the trade deadline, Hall’s new-found chemistry is starting to show more and more.
“Personally, my last few games I’m feeling a lot more adjusted to how we play, where I need to go and all those things,” Hall said. It just takes time, you just need reps. … When I’ve joined a new team it takes a while, it takes your mind, your brain and hockey brain a bit to figure out where to go and how to play.”
Five minutes later, Roslovic added his 21st of the season on a tap-in at the back post. Kotkaniemi faked a shot, deking his man and wired a pass to Rosloivic who utilized his body position to score.
“I don’t do that [move] too often,” Kotkaniemi said. “Saw a little room there, try something new and it worked this time. Maybe I’ll do that in the future too.”
With 16 games to go in the regular season, Kotkaniemi has already surpassed his point total from last season. It wasn’t one change that helped Kotkaniemi get over a season to “forget” but rather a continuation of effort and being in the right environment.
“[I] try to work hard, be a little better every day and enjoy every day,” Kotkaniemi said. “It’s a beautiful city, good teammates here, so what could be better?”
Defenseman Jalen Chatfield doubled the team’s lead 12:18 into the second when he picked his spot and rifled a shot under the arm of Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek. Creeping into the slot, defenseman Sean Walker drew two defenders, giving Chatfield time to score his sixth of the year.
Red Wings center Michael Rasmussen made it a one-goal game 2:53 into the third when he drove to the net and scored on his third shot attempt from in close. It was Andersen’s only goal given up on 14 shots from Detroit in the period.
With four minutes left in the game, left wing Jordan Martinook took a tripping penalty, setting the Red Wings up to net an equalizer with a man advantage. Despite being down a penalty-killer, the group got it done and allowed left wing Eric Robinson to score on an empty net. His 13th goal and 27th point set and matched a career-high.
“This penalty kill has been huge,” Brind’Amour said. “Those guys that are on it have done just a great job all year. It’s a big part of the game, especially in a one-goal game and against that team with the power play that they have. All the guys did a solid, solid job.”
The Canes look to roll the momentum right into tomorrow when they take on the Flyers in Philadelphia at 7 p.m.
