The Detroit Red Wings (36-29-7) will try to break out of a slump in a tough match-up on Thursday at the PNC Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes (45-21-7).
Former MVP Patrick Kane will be expected to lead by example for Detroit. Bookmaker Pinnacle offers odds at +229 for Kane to score a goal in the game, while the odds are at -147 for him to register at least one point.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 27th, 10:00 P.M. (EST)
Kane and the Red Wings will be desperate for the win on Thursday after hitting a road bump lately. The team’s playoff hopes have suffered a big blow this month, and Detroit enters the clash against the Hurricanes with a 3-6-1 run.
It’s the third head-to-head meeting of the season between the two teams. Carolina has won both previous contests. In December, a meeting in Detroit ended in a 2-1 victory for the visitors, and the Hurricanes triumphed 4-2 in Raleigh in January. Kane missed the last game with a lower-body injury.
The veteran superstar has been on fire since returning to the lineup, posting 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 22 games. He has scored in three of the last four contests, trying to give his all to help Detroit end a seven-year playoff drought.
Sitting right behind the New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division, the Hurricanes have all but secured their berth for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The team has played outstanding hockey throughout the campaign and should be confident of further success on Thursday as a very good home side – only two teams have won more games in their own barn this season than Carolina, which boasts a 24-9-4 record at the PNC Arena.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour is blessed with incredible depth and can roll out four strong lines, although Sebastian Aho is the team’s standout performer. He’s bagged 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) across 70 appearances in 2023-24, with no other Hurricane hitting the 60-point mark.
Aho has had three separate three-point games in his last seven outings, including a hat trick against Washington. After having a rare off night in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh, the Finnish ace should be fired up to bounce back on Thursday. That’s bad news for the Red Wings, who have gone 15-18-2 on the road this season and boast only one win from their last five trips to North Carolina.
