Red Wings hit the road against hot Hurricanes (Dec 19, 2016)
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Detroit Red Wings are counting on a bringing a dose of confidence on the road with them.
If the result of one game is a sign of a turnaround, then they'll be glad to have new-found momentum as they meet the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.
The Hurricanes are a hot team at home and they want to keep that in place especially as they showcase what appears to be a deeper and more versatile lineup.
But it's the Red Wings who have been out of sorts in recent weeks so they're hoping that Saturday night's 6-4 home victory against Anaheim is something to feed off.
"It has been a tough stretch here," center Frans Nielsen said. "It was good to see, good to get some confidence. We go on the road now, but it's a different feeling in the room."
Heading to Carolina could be a daunting assignment if the Red Wings are at all fragile. The Hurricanes have a nine-game home points streak (8-0-1) and have one more point overall than Detroit despite having played one less game.
Part of the success for Carolina has come with improvement on offense even if at times the goal-scoring itself has been problematic.
"We're generating way more quality chances than we were earlier in the year," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "We're generating them, now we have to finish them."
The outcome against Anaheim snapped the Red Wings' four-game losing streak Saturday. The next three games are on the road for Detroit.
"Now you've got to build on it Monday," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "You have to come out with the same compete level. For us to be a great hockey team, we have to have ultra, ultra, ultra compete."
If the Red Wings have looked vulnerable during their December struggles, it's another reason teams will want to pounce on them.
"It's a game of confidence," Nielsen said. "Every team you play is trying to outwork you and you have to be ready every night."
Blashill said the Red Wings made enough happen to land on the right side of some fortunate situations in their most-recent game.
"Part of that luck was shooting the puck," he said. "When you shoot the puck, (you can) make something out of nothing."
The Hurricanes haven't been invincible, but they've made headway with success on home ice during the past month.
Peters said the ability to roll with four lines has been an asset, particularly with a busy stretch of the schedule. Monday night's game will be the third in four nights for Carolina.
"I think it's beneficial when you can (use four lines)," Peters said. "Those guys are important guys. Now all of a sudden you're using those guys."
The lineup for the Hurricanes is mostly in place after injuries interfered with some groupings. That means more options for Peters, but something that he said works out for the best.
"Everybody's roles have shifted and changed a little bit now that everybody is healthy," he said. "... How you adjust and accept those roles are important on a team. It's not an individual sport."
The status of Detroit defenseman Mike Green seems uncertain considering he departed late in Saturday night's game with an undisclosed ailment.
The Hurricanes made a roster move Sunday by recalling defenseman Klas Dahlbeck, who had been with Charlotte of the American Hockey League.
