Red Wings at Hurricanes
The Detroit Red Wings hope to build off a season-high offensive explosion when they start a difficult stretch on the road by visiting the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night. The Red Wings, who play 10 of the next 11 games away from home, enjoyed a 6-4 victory over Anaheim on Saturday after suffering through an 0-3-1 stretch in which they managed just three tallies.
“It was a good effort,” Detroit’s veteran center Frans Nielsen told reporters after Saturday’s win. “It was good to see that to just get some confidence in the room and to prove to ourselves that we are a good hockey team.” Tomas Tatar, who scored his first career hat trick, told to the media that the Red Wings “just have to keep it up,” and that won’t be easy against an improving Carolina squad. The Hurricanes have recorded points in six of their last seven games (4-1-2) after grinding out a 2-1 shootout victory over Buffalo on Saturday. Jeff Skinner has three goals in three games and a team-high 12 this season, but has scored just once in 11 career games against Detroit.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit Plus, FSN Carolina
ABOUT RED WINGS (14-14-4): Tatar came into Saturday with a disappointing four goals in 31 games, but may be ready to go on a run after a career-best performance and add to an offense that ranked 27th in the league entering Sunday. Captain Henrik Zetterberg owns just one point in the last five games, but leads the Red Wings with 21, while second-year pro Dylan Larkin scored his team-leading 10th goal Saturday. Defenseman Mike Green, who is second on the team with 18 points, limped off the ice at the end of the last game and his status is uncertain for the three-game trip.
ABOUT HURRICANES (13-11-7): Skinner owns a team-high 26 points and fellow forward Victor Rask is just one behind after posting a goal and six assists in the last five games. Rookie forward Sebastian Aho is starting to produce more consistently with five points in six games and defenseman Justin Faulk boasts two goals and four assists in the last six contests after going eight outings without hitting the scoresheet. Goalie Cam Ward has a .915 save percentage this month after a dazzling .935 mark in November, but registered at least a point in seven of eight December games.
OVERTIME
1. The Red Wings are 1-for-27 on the power play this month while Carolina has killed 21-of-22 in the same span.
2. The Hurricanes are 9-3-1 on home ice and Detroit has been better on the road this season - going 7-5-1.
3. Carolina’s Brett Pesce leads the team with a plus-5 rating while fellow 22-year-old D Jaccob Slavin is logging the most ice time (23:14).