Hurricanes end three-game winless streak with 5-2 win over Red Wings

RALEIGH

The NHL’s two Eastern Conference points leaders went at it Saturday as the three-day Christmas break came to an end and the puck dropped again.

One was the Carolina Hurricanes, who held the Metropolitan Division lead despite going 0-2-1 in their three games before the holiday break, losing leads in each game. Despite missing their best forward, Seth Jarvis, and best defenseman, Jaccob Slavin, the Canes remained at the top.

“We’re a good team,” captain Jordan Staal said after the loss Tuesday to the Florida Panthers, as if a reminder.

Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Saturday morning that the three days away from the rink were a good refresher for everyone, adding, “Now it’s back to the grind.”

The grind began with a game against the Detroit Red Wings, who came into the Lenovo Center as the Atlantic Division leaders, having won their three games before the break — beating the Washington Capitals home and away — and feeling good about themselves.

But the Canes felt that way after taking a 5-2 win over the Wings, after holding on to the lead in the third period when Detroit made things uneasy for the home team.

Andrei Svechnikov eased the tension significantly for the Canes. The Wings had made it a 3-2 game with a power-play goal, but Svechnikov forced Detroit’s Dylan Larkin into a turnover in the Detroit zone, collected the puck at the top of the slot, skated in and beat goalie John Gibson to the blocker side for a 4-2 lead.

Larkin, who had fallen to the ice, popped back up but could only look on as Svechnikov scored with 6:51 left in regulation.

“It just happens,” Svechnikov said of the play. “It sucks for them but good for us.”

After the Red Wings pulled Gibson for a sixth attacker, Svechnikov fed Jordan Martinook for an empty-net goal that was the 100th of Martinook’s career.

Canes goalie Brandon Bussi improved his record to 12-1-1 with an 18-save game — 10 in the final period.

“That was a great game,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said “I loved the way we played. Yeah, they had their little push there. The power-play goal got ‘em going a little. Third period, you knew they were going to come some, but I liked the way we kept playing and that was a big goal by ‘Svech.’ That kind of settled it down and put the game away.”

Svechnikov, physical, active, playing one of his most complete games of the season, had a goal and two assists in being named the game’s first star. But defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere also had a goal and a pair of assists, scoring the game-winning goal with 4:38 left in the second period for a 3-1 lead.

After the Canes dominated the opening period, only to fall behind 1-0, Gostisbehere had a shot redirected by winger Jackson Blake for the Canes’ first score in the second. Eric Robinson then quickly gave Carolina the lead, punching the puck past Gibson after Svechnikov put a shot on net.

Robinson had his third goal in as many games and the Canes had two goals in 75 seconds and the lead.

Andrew Copp’s power-play goal for Detroit early in the third made for an early crunch time for Carolina, but the Canes maintained their poise, Bussi made some nice stops and Svechnikov struck with the big steal and score.

“We wanted to get back at it. We were eager after a couple of days off and how those other games finished,” Canes defenseman Jalen Chatfield said. “We were able to close this one out.”

Losing twice to the Florida Panthers and another loss to Tampa Bay, all three after blowing three-goal leads, had caused some uncertainty among the Canes and eroded some team confidence.

“You can see it. It has crept in,” Brind’Amour said after Tuesday’s game. “We’ve never had that issue ever. But you can see it.”

With that in mind, the three days off was a good time to regroup, refocus. Jarvis and Slavin remain sidelined with injuries, and defenseman K’Andre Miller did not play Saturday because of a foot injury, but the Canes found a way.

It helped that Martinook, who had missed three games with a lower-body injury, and winger William Carrier were back in the lineup and back with Staal on the Canes’ shutdown line. Carrier was ill Tuesday and sat out the Panthers game.

“People have comfort foods, I guess,” Brind’Amour said, smiling. “That’s our comfort line. You just watch them play. You wouldn’t want to play against that every night. That’s just hard, heavy, doing it right.”