With four seconds left in regulation, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman denied the Carolina Hurricanes their much-needed opportunity to put distance between themselves and other top teams within the Metropolitan Division. Walman’s buzzer-beater handed the Canes a 3-2 loss, their fifth in the last eight games.
“It’s brutal — a kick in the you-know-where,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “We played good enough to win, obviously, and I felt like … in the third period, we were pretty solid until we take a penalty there, and that kind of flipped the momentum.”
Carolina’s lead atop the Metro has once again narrowed to one point over the New Jersey Devils, putting the Hurricanes at risk to lose their division if they can’t pull together a string of wins through the end of the regular season.
Left wing Teuvo Teraveinen’s absence due to illness didn’t help matters, and although the Hurricanes produced offensively — 33 shots on goal to Detroit’s 22 — goaltender Frederik Andersen’s inconsistency hit Carolina hard. The netminder posted a save percentage of .864, well below his average, and let some easy shots slip through despite his (general) prowess on the penalty kill.
Carolina’s first goal came at the expense of Detroit goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, a former Hurricane who left for the Red Wings in 2021. Defenseman Brent Burns handed Detroit a tied game 42 seconds into the second period, pushing the puck through traffic thanks to assists from fellow defenseman Jaccob Slavin and right wing Jesper Fast.
Slavin’s go-ahead goal 4:18 into the second frame — which gave Carolina its 51st goal by a defenseman this season, tying a franchise record — was quickly nullified by Detroit center Dylan Larkin, who scored six seconds into a power play.
Throughout the remainder of the second frame and into the third frame, it looked as if the Hurricanes would overcome their early deficit to secure at least one point. Andersen got stronger as the game progressed, but a cross-checking penalty to center Jordan Staal enabled the Red Wings to launch a barrage of shots on goal. And within the last five seconds, one finally poked through.
“We played a good game,” Brind’Amour said. “We just obviously didn’t really get the breaks tonight. Took a little breather, and next thing you know, it’s in your net. Tough game.”
With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Hurricanes need to start a win streak if they still expect to win the division title. Carolina’s next game is against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Saturday, April 1. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
