Red Wings, fueled by hot streaks, clash with surging Hurricanes. Expect a tight contest with major playoff implications.
The Detroit Red Wings head into the second half of the season riding significant momentum after winning nine of their final 12 games before the Christmas break. They now travel to face the Carolina Hurricanes in a marquee matchup, with both teams tied at 47 points. Carolina enters with added urgency after dropping three straight games before the break and will lean on its strong home-ice advantage, where the Hurricanes have been the NHL’s best team over the past three seasons. Despite the challenge, Detroit will look to continue its strong road play, owning a 10-6-2 record away from home.
Lineup and goaltending storylines loom large on both sides. Detroit has benefited from strong play by call-up John Leonard in Patrick Kane’s absence, while John Gibson has been outstanding in net with eight straight wins.
Carolina, meanwhile, is dealing with several key injuries and may lean into a defense-heavy approach, supported by breakout goaltender Brandon Bussi. Recent meetings between these teams have trended low scoring, with Alex DeBrincat and Nikolaj Ehlers standing out as the most likely offensive catalysts. With evenly matched records, contrasting momentum, and playoff implications, the game shapes up as a tightly contested showdown.
Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs. Carolina (Saturday):
Finnie – Larkin – Raymond
DeBrincat – Copp – Leonard
Rasmussen – Compher – Appleton
Soderblom – Danielson – Kasper
Edvinsson – Seider
Chiarot – Sandin-Pellikka
Johansson – Benard-Docker
Gibson
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