The Carolina Hurricanes secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena. Left wing Jordan Martinook led the charge with a goal and an assist. Center Jordan Staal, centering the third line, also found the back of the net for Carolina, while goaltender Frederik Andersen stood tall in net, stopping 24 of 25 shots. The win marks Carolina’s (36-22-4) third victory in its last four games, while Detroit (30-25-6) dropped its third straight game.
The Hurricanes began the first period with an aggressive forecheck, applying early pressure on Detroit’s defense. Despite a couple of early power-play opportunities for each team, neither could capitalize as Andersen and Detroit goaltender Alex Lyon made critical saves to keep the game scoreless.
However, with just over a minute remaining in the opening frame, Carolina broke through. Defenseman Jalen Chatfield forced a turnover in the offensive zone, sending the puck to Martinook, who skated into the slot and fired a backhand shot past Lyon, scoring his 11th goal of the season at the 18:59 mark.
Carolina carried the momentum into the second period, striking quickly to double their lead. Just 1:29 into the frame, Lyon misplayed the puck behind his own net and Staal took full advantage. The captain collected the loose puck and wrapped it around into the open net before Lyon could recover, marking his 12th goal of the season.
The Hurricanes continued to dominate puck possession, hemming Detroit in their own zone for extended stretches. Lyon, however, made several key saves, including a point-blank stop on right-winger Seth Jarvis, keeping Detroit within striking distance.
Facing a two-goal deficit, the Red Wings intensified their offensive efforts in the final period. Their persistence paid off 10 minutes into the final frame when left wing Elmer Soderblom showcased some good moves. He navigated around multiple Hurricanes defensemen and shot the puck off at the left circle to beat Andersen and get the score closer at 2-1.
This late momentum surge was dampened by Carolina left wing Taylor Hall, who was awarded a penalty shot late in the frame. Despite missing the shot, Hall’s attempt amped up the Canes’ bench. Detroit applied relentless pressure in the closing minutes, but Andersen remained steadfast, turning aside multiple shots to preserve the Hurricanes’ lead.
The Canes hope to continue the win streak with a matchup against the Boston Bruins at the Lenovo Center. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday.
