The Carolina Hurricanes enter Saturday's contest as losers of their last three contests. In all three, they held a multi-goal lead at some point. Their most recent loss came before Christmas against the Florida Panthers. The Canes led 2-0 after 40 minutes before surrendering five goals to the Cats in the third period in a 5-2 loss.
With injuries piling up once again, the Canes needed this break to clear their minds and get right before picking it back up. Hopefully, the recent play of Eric Robinson and Jordan Staal can get them back on track. Both enter tonight's game with points in three straight. Robinson has goals in the last two games, both of which have come early in the first period.
On the Other Side: Detroit Red Wings
The build back into a potential threat has taken a while, but the Red Wings might be back. They fell short of the playoffs once again last season, and the experience was not nearly as entertaining as it had been the previous year. The Red Wings finished six points out of a playoff spot, making it nine straight seasons without postseason hockey in the Motor City.
While they've turned it around to start the year, their offseason was relatively tame. Their biggest shakeup came in the net. They traded for John Gibson at the draft to play in tandem with Cam Talbot. Detroit also added Mason Appleton and James van Riemsdyk up front, though the emphasis remained on the core getting it together and leading them back to the playoffs.
Lucas Raymond (41 points), Alex DeBrincat (20 goals, 40 points), and Dylan Larkin (20 goals, 36 points) are on the front lines of the turnaround. They're an excellent team in the offensive zone, but there is still some work to be done defensively. Gibson and Talbot have nearly split the starts this season, and they're in the bottom third of the league in goals allowed.
Last season: The Hurricanes won two of the three meetings, all of which were separated by a month late in the season. The Canes opened the season series in early March with a 2-1 win in Detroit before winning 4-2 in the only game in Raleigh ten days later, behind a three-goal second period. The Red Wings closed the season series by earning a 5-3 victory in early April.
Red Wings to Watch
Alex DeBrincat: This season, DeBrincat's scoring has come in spurts. To begin the month, he had 13 points in eight games. In the four games before Christmas, DeBrincat had just one assist despite 17 shots on goal. He's played well against the Canes historically (23 points in 25 games), including two goals and an assist in three games last season.
Emmett Finnie: In a Calder race with several worthy rookies, Finnie has been a bit of a surprise. His nine goals are tied for third, and his 19 points are tied for fifth among all rookies. While DeBrincat has been quieter over the last four, Finnie has been picking it up. He has two goals and four assists over that span.
Hurricanes to Watch
Eric Robinson: I've already touched on his recent stretch, with Robinson entering the night with points in his last three games. All three of his points have come in the first period, and both of his goals have been scored less than 4:30 into the game. I'd like to see his impact go beyond the first period, especially with how poorly things have gone in third periods recently.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi: One player we haven't talked about enough as a candidate to make an Olympic roster is Kotkaniemi. He's likely one of the last forwards being considered for Finland's team. It makes sense that he's playing some good hockey after re-entering the lineup in Sunrise. He only has one assist to show for it, but his impact has been felt.