The Carolina Hurricanes picked up their first win of the season with a 5-3 victory over the Red Wings in Detroit Friday night.
Similar to the the two team’s previous meeting this year, the Canes (1-3) had a significant advantage in shots on goal; this time they were able to convert on those chances as some of the Hurricanes best players scored.
Forward Brock McGinn had an impressive NHL debut for the Hurricanes as he scored the game’s first goal on the first shift of his career.
The 21-year-old took a Detroit (3-1-0) neutral-zone turnover down the ice where he threw a shot on Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard. Howard just made the save with his blocker but the rebound went right back to McGinn who snuck the puck in between the post and Howard, just 55 seconds into the game.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, McGinn is the fastest to score a goal in his NHL debut since 1989 when Buffalo Sabres forward Alexander Mogilny did it in 20 seconds.
The Hurricanes struggling power play got on the board in the second period thanks to some beautiful passing and movement without the puck.
Captain Eric Staal, waiting on the goal line by the Detroit goalie, received a pass from forward Kris Versteeg, then proceeded to throw the puck across the slot to defenseman Justin Faulk who pinched in towards the net, from his defensive position on the blue line.
Faulk found a wide open net on the opposite side of the goal Howard was on, easily scoring, without a single Detroit player covering him.
McGinn added an assist on his memorable night after he outworked a couple of Red Wings in a board battle, eventually getting the puck to defenseman Ron Hainsey who fired a shot on Howard from the high slot. Howard, once again left a rebound, which was cleaned up by forward Eric Staal to make the game 3-0.
The Red Wings scored two quick goals within a 1:12 span later in the second period to close the gap, but the Canes would respond in a big way in the third.
Eric Staal won a board battle in the offensive zone and moved the puck to forward Jeff Skinner waiting behind the net. Skinner found a wide-open Versteeg waiting in the slot for another fairly easy goal, making it 4-2.
Carolina added another insurance goal on a weird play as a puck off the stick of Canes forward Chris Terry, who was behind the net, deflected off a Red Wing player and then off of Howard’s skate blade and into the net.
The Red Wings answered a few seconds later but the Canes held on to win 5-3, giving Detroit its first loss of the season.
