The Detroit Red Wings offense struggled during the majority of their Sunday matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, as the lone goal came with just ten seconds left in the game. This one still saw the Red Wings keep it close, but certainly didn’t live up to a great game to watch.
For over half of the game, both teams failed to put up a single goal, as the defenses cleared chances and shut down any semblance of an offensive opportunity. After a couple of breakaway chances, Carolina cashed in on a shorthanded odd man rush attempt to score the first goal of the game.
The Hurricanes extended their lead early in the third, putting them up 2-0 early. Despite some decent looks, the Wing’s offense failed to score until there was just ten seconds on the clock. Team goal-leader Anthony Mantha got a redirect to keep the Wings from a shutout.
Detroit’s rematch with the Hurricanes is scheduled for Tuesday evening. Here’s hoping the entertainment value is just a bit higher than tonight’s game.
Red Wings’ Goals
Mantha banks it in a goal off of a Carolina player to spoil Nedeljkovic's shutout. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/bfEAzOaCTj
— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) March 14, 2021
Game Notes
- Filip Hronek continues his streak of securing points without notching goals. He has 15 points on the season, all assists.
- Jonathan Bernier was the main reason the Wings stayed competitive in the game, with a .938 save percentage. He continues to boost his trade value–if Steve Yzerman is actually listening to offers. It’s not difficult to imagine how bad it would be without many of his superhuman efforts during several games this season.
- Dylan Larkin continues to look like the best player on the Red Wings. He made some key plays that put the Wings in position to score goals, but alas, they were unable to convert.
- The decision to send Evgeny Svechnikov continues to be puzzling. His energy and ability to generate chances could have helped what was a lackluster effort.