Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings faced a challenging match against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, ultimately falling short in a 4-2 defeat at Lenovo Center. Despite their efforts, the Red Wings could not complete a third-period comeback.

"We knew they were going to start well in this building," said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. "They always do, and they fired a lot of shots, but after the first ten minutes of the first period I thought our game improved."

Petr Mrazek made 28 saves for Detroit, while Frederik Andersen stopped 24 shots for Carolina. The Hurricanes showcased an aggressive forecheck from the beginning, but Mrazek managed to deny all ten shots he faced in the first period. Alex DeBrincat scored his eighth game-opening goal of the season with just under two minutes left in the opening frame.

"He seems to be a guy that we can count on every night," said Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan about DeBrincat's performance.

Carolina responded quickly after intermission when Taylor Hall deflected Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s shot to tie the game early in the second period. Although DeBrincat appeared to score again shortly thereafter, video review showed his shot hit the post and stayed out.

Jack Roslovic and Jaken Chatfield extended Carolina's lead during the second period before Michael Rasmussen narrowed it with a goal early in the third period.

"It was a huge goal," commented Lucas Raymond regarding Rasmussen’s effort. However, Eric Robinson sealed Carolina's victory with an empty-net goal late in regulation.

Reflecting on their performance, Raymond expressed optimism about their play: "I think we probably played our best period in the third."

Detroit will next host Vegas Golden Knights for a St. Patrick’s Day matchup at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon.