Hurricanes Hand Red Wings 1st Loss Of Season, 5-3
DETROIT (AP) — Eric Staal and Kris Versteeg each had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes handed the Detroit Red Wings their first loss of the season, 5-3 on Friday night.
Brock McGinn, playing on the line with Staal and Versteeg, added a goal and an assist in his NHL debut.
Cam Ward only needed to make 17 saves to help Carolina to its first win. Jimmy Howard faced 36 shots for Detroit (3-1).
It didn't take long for Carolina to take the lead, as McGinn scored just 55 seconds into his first game.
The 21-year-old picked up a neutral-zone turnover, broke in on goal and let go a shot that Howard barely deflected with his blocker. McGinn was able to put the rebound just inside the post for a memorable finish to his first shift.
The Hurricanes (1-3) continued to dominate, and nearly took a 2-0 lead 12 minutes into the period when Michal Jordan's shot from the point hit Howard on the shoulder and trickled just wide of the goal post.
The shots were 13-5 at the first period, with Carolina still having 42 seconds left on a power play, but the Red Wings had kept the score 1-0.
It didn't stay that way for long, though, as Justin Faulk pinched in from the blue line to knock home Eric Staal's pass for a power-play goal at 3:07.
Staal made it 3-0 at 6:15, knocking in another rebound, with McGinn picking up his first career assist.
Detroit, though, came back with two quick goals. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill switched Gustav Nyquist onto the top line, and it paid off with his second goal in two games at 14:02. Just 72 seconds later, Riley Sheahan flipped a rebound over Ward to make it 3-2.
Carolina, though, staved off the pressure and increased the lead to 4-2 on Kris Versteeg's goal at 6:25, just moments after the Hurricanes had killed off a Detroit power play.
The fifth goal came when Chris Terry flipped in a puck from behind the Detroit goal line. It hit Brad Richards' hand, then bounced off Howard's skate blade and into the net.
Detroit quickly got back within 5-3, with Teemu Pulkkinen tipping Dylan Larkin's point shot over Ward's shoulder at 13:52. Pulkkinen had two goals in the third period of Detroit's comeback win over the Hurricanes on Oct. 10.
NOTES: According to NHL public relations, McGinn had the fastest first goal since Alexander Mogilny scored after 20 seconds of his debut in 1989. ... Detroit's Johan Franzen was placed on IR after having more concussion symptoms this week. Franzen sustained a brain injury on Jan. 6, missed the rest of the season, then played the first two games this year before having more headaches. His return date is unknown.
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