Detroit Red Wings score twice on power play, hold off red-hot Hurricanes for 4-2 victory
The Detroit Red Wings had one of their best performances as they faced one of hottest teams in the NHL.
They used their power play to build an early lead on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.
Filip Hronek secured a 4-2 victory with his first goal of the season, flipping the puck from the far end into an empty net to snap Carolina’s winning streak at eight. It’s the second time in three games the Wings (9-17-4) forced an opponent to pull their goaltender.
The Wings netted a pair of goals during man advantages for only the second time this season, both courtesy of Adam Erne. Hronek assisted on both to earn his third multi-point outing in four games. Robby Fabbri also scored.
Jonathan Bernier did what he’s done all season — make the saves both mundane and more impressive to give his teammates a chance to win. There was a moment in the second period when the puck was loose and the crease was crowded, but Bernier bellyflopped to glove the puck. Fabbri was sprawled next to him, looking incredulous the puck didn’t go in.
Bobby Ryan (upper body) wasn’t available but is considered day-to-day. The Wings next play Thursday, against the Dallas Stars.
Erne converts
Anthony Mantha was called for slashing in the opening minute, and Nino Niederreiter made scoring on a power play look easy when he redirected Jesper Fast’s shot on net.
The Wings went on a man advantage at 2:48, and Erne notched his fourth goal of the season at 3:35. Filip Zadina drove the net and swatted a backhand at James Reimer. The rebound popped out to the left, and Erne had an open net.
He scored again at 12:11, firing a shot while Rasmussen screened the goaltender. Erne opened up the second period with a drive on net to create a scoring chance.
Larkin sizzles
Dylan Larkin set up Erne’s second goal and drew a penalty in the first period. In the second, Larkin raced end-to-end, striding into Carolina’s zone and going all the way to the net before sending sending a no-look drop pass to Fabbri, who turned it into a 3-2 lead. After a nearly two-week absence nursing an injury and taking advantage of a little break in the schedule, Larkin has points in three of his last four games (two goals, two assists).
Svechnikov returns
Ryan’s absence created an opening that included power play time, and that meant an opportunity for 2015 first-round pick Evgeny Svechnikov to slide back into the lineup (and play against his brother, Andrei Svechnikov, for a second time). Svechnikov had four points in four games while Larkin was sidelined, but that wasn’t enough not to get the boot when Larkin returned. The Wings have stressed that beyond production, Svechnikov needs to win battles by skating and be accountable.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings hold off red-hot Hurricanes for 4-2 win at LCA
