Carolina Hurricanes Defeat the Detroit Red Wings for First Win of the Season
By Brett Finger
Final. 3. 72. 5. 109
The Carolina Hurricanes went into Detroit on a mission, and they followed through and picked up a big win on Friday night in Hockey Town.
On a night full of firsts for the Carolina Hurricanes, the team banded together and captured their first win of the season, and their first October win since 2013.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
CAR Goal (0:55) – Brock McGinn (1); assisted by Kris Versteeg (2)
McGinn scored his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift, and it gave the Canes the early lead over the Wings. Brock picked the loose puck up at center ice, drove down the left wing, fired a shot on Jimmy Howard and picked up his rebound to get Carolina on the board.
2nd Period
CAR Power Play Goal (3:07) – Justin Faulk (2); assisted by Eric Staal (1), Kris Versteeg (3)
On the powerplay, great puck movement led to a beautiful pass from Staal from under the goal line out front to an undetected Faulk streaking through the slot, and he made no mistake, giving Carolina a 2-0 lead.
CAR Goal (6:15) – Eric Staal (2); assisted by Ron Hainsey (1), Brock McGinn (1)
A big board battle win from rookie Brock McGinn got the puck back to Hainsey, and he sent a shot on. The rebound was then cleaned up by the captain, and the Canes took a commanding 3-0 lead.
DET Goal (14:02) – Gustav Nyquist (2); assisted by Henrik Zetterberg (6)
Detroit came flying up on a good breakout play, and Nyquist sniped one past Cam Ward on the rush to put Detroit on the board.
DET Goal (15:14) – Riley Sheahan (1); assisted by Tomas Tatar (2), Brad Richards (2)
After a defensive breakdown following Detroit’s first goal, Sheahan was able to slip past the Canes defense and set up shot in front. Tatar was then able to give him the puck, and Sheahan put the puck past a helpless Cam Ward.
3rd Period
CAR Goal (6:25) – Kris Versteeg (1); assisted by Jeff Skinner (1), Eric Staal (2)
Versteeg tallied his first goal as a Hurricane off of a great set up from Skinner from behind the net, and it gave Carolina another two-goal lead.
CAR Goal (13:06) – Chris Terry (1); assisted by Brad Malone (2), Jay McClement (1)
The Canes got a good bounce to make it 5-2 in the third period, and it was Chris Terry who was the recipient of the goal. Terry threw the puck in front of the net from behind the Detroit goal, and it bounced in off of Red Wings forward Brad Richards.
DET Goal (13:52) – Teemu Pulkkinen (3); assisted by Dylan Larkin (4)
Larkin let a quick wrister go from the top of the left circle, and the Cane killer Teemu Pulkkinen was there to deflect the puck past Cam Ward. Pulkkinen now has 3 goals in 2 games against Carolina this season.
Three Stars
1st Star – Eric Staal (CAR) – 1 goal, 2 assists, +2, 3 shots, 1 hit, 19:08 TOI
2nd Star – Brock McGinn (CAR) – 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots, 1 hit, 15:21 TOI
3rd Star – Kris Versteeg (CAR) – 1 goal, 2 assists, +1, 2 shots, 17:10 TOI
Recap
In their best team effort of the early season, the Carolina Hurricanes picked up win number on of their 2015-2016 campaign on Friday in a 5-3 defeat of the Detroit Red Wings on the road.
More from Cardiac Cane – McGinn Gets 1st NHL Goal (VIDEO)
Everything gelled together for Carolina in Detroit, and that beautiful culmination led to a convincing performance against a very good and previously undefeated opponent.
Brock McGinn provided the spark that this club needed. He stepped in, and on his first shift, he made a difference as he netted goal one of his NHL career. He went on to also tack on an assist in his NHL debut.
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McGinn was energetic and smart in all areas, and provided a big lift for the entire team. The Hurricanes fed off of his energy, and it showed throughout the hockey game.
A big difference on Friday for Carolina was the leadership from their top end players. Eric Staal had a remarkable game against the Wings. He played aggressively, he played with heart, and he showed everyone in attendance how this team wants to play hockey. He had an impressive performance which led to a big win.
I’ve always been a massive endorser of Kris Versteeg, and he was a big part of the first line’s explosion alongside Eric Staal and Brock McGinn. Steeger had a three-point evening, showing what he is really capable of if put in the right role. He has been fantastic on a line with the Canes’ captain since game one, and they finally were able to show that on the scoresheet.
The bounce-back effort from Michal Jordan was also a bright spot. He had an atrocious game on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers, but he came in today and played a reliable defensive game while also contributing with some uncharacteristic offensive plays.
Looking up and down the lineup, there weren’t any players that stood out as glring negatives. Each player really contributes from the top of the lineup all the way down to the bottom of the lineup. It was an impressive team effort, and they will need to duplicate that if they want to pick a win tomorrow night against the Capitals.
The Carolina Hurricanes will now travel to the nation’s capital for game two of a seven-game road trip. The Hurricanes will square off against the Washington Capitals at 7:00 on Saturday night.