The Detroit Red Wings return to action on Saturday night after the three-day Christmas break to face the Carolina Hurricanes on the road. As we climb toward midseason, this showdown will decide which team will take control of the Eastern Conference, as they both sit at 47 points.
It won't be easy for the Wings, but they have momentum on their side and a group that's high-octane when it has the puck. Detroit is seventh in the league with 118 goals scored, and while they sit at just 22nd in goals allowed with 120, their netminding has dramatically improved under John Gibson.
So far, the Red Wings are 9-2-1 across December, with a 5-1-1 record on the road. They're more than capable of beating the Hurricanes, but they must bring their A-game to snag the W as the season resumes at 7:00 p.m.
Hurricanes won't make it easy for the Detroit Red Wings
Carolina is coming off a 5-2 loss against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, and has lost three straight, including two to the Panthers. But these small hiccups won't stop a great team like the 'Canes. They sit one slot behind the Wings in goals scored at eighth in the league with 117 of them potted so far, and are 10th in goals allowed with 104.
The Hurricanes are also a team that can get hot whenever they wish, and they had a 6-2 record in December before their recent string of losses. And this team isn't exactly devoid of talent.
Sebastian Aho leads the team in points with 32 and 13 goals scored, but Seth Jarvis is the primary goal scorer, having found the net 19 times this year. However, he is currently listed as week-to-week. Former Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere leads the team in assists with 23. Carolina also has a good trio of goalies, including Brandon Bussi, Frederik Andersen, and Pyotr Kochetov.
Red Wings prospects invading the World Juniors
The World Juniors started on Friday, and the Red Wings are well-represented. Max Plante (USA), Eddie Genborg (Sweden), Michal Pradel (Slovakia), and Michal Svrcek (Slovakia) are all on the rosters. Carter Bear also received serious consideration for Canada, per Ansar Khan of MLive.
Plante is the obvious draw here for Wings fans, given his 30 points and 16 goals in 20 games this season. Those 30 points pace the NCAA, and Wings fans already know Plante's gearing up to be one of the next big names to make his Red Wings debut in the not-so-distant future once he's ready to hang up the skates in college.
The big, physical Genborg is another one Wings fans will probably keep an eye on. Genborg is likely a future middle-six player for the Wings, and his 15-point, eight-goal season so far in the SHL is solid, given his young age.
Although the Wings have seen a lot of prospects rise through the rankings, their presence at the World Juniors shows that there are still a good deal of them yet to move up. So keep an eye on players like Plante and Genborg at the World Juniors, and they'll show you a preview of what's to come when they ultimately land in Hockeytown.