Preview: December 27 vs. Detroit

RALEIGH, N.C. - The top team in the Atlantic Division meets the top team in the Metropolitan Division on Saturday, as the Detroit Red Wings come to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.

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When: Saturday, Dec. 27

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: WRAL, FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes Record: 22-11-3 (47 Points, 1st - Metropolitan Division)

Canes Last Game: 5-2 Loss to the Florida Panthers on Dec. 23

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Red Wings Record: 22-13-3 (47 Points, 1st - Atlantic Division)

Red Wings Last Game: 4-3 Win over the Dallas Stars on Dec. 23

Last Time Out...

• The Canes blew a multi-goal lead for a third consecutive game on Tuesday, falling 5-2 to the Florida Panthers.
• Up 2-0 after 40 minutes and controlling the game as a whole, the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions rattled off a five-goal third to send Rod Brind'Amour's group into the holiday break on a sour note.
• Eric Robinson and Andrei Svechnikov were the goal-scorers for Carolina, while Frederik Andersen allowed five goals on 22 shots, moving to 0-5-2 in his last seven appearances.

Regaining Confidence...

• Following Tuesday's third straight collapse, Rod Brind'Amour admitted post-game that a lack of confidence has seeped into his group.
• "You can see it now, it's crept in. We've never had that issue. You can see it. We've got some bad results here. You stop playing, just kind of sit back, stop making plays, stop skating, everything just kind of slowed down for us and that was not the way we needed to handle it," he said.
• Describing it as a combination of the team's injuries and having to put young players in situations that are "maybe a little above their pay grade", the Canes will try to hit the reset button when they return to the ice and get back to their winning ways.
• Despite their recent struggles, the Canes still went into the holiday break with the best win percentage in the Eastern Conference (.653).

In Net...

• With three days since their last game, the Canes are expected to have their full complement of goaltenders available tonight.
• Brandon Bussi suffered the first post-regulation loss of his NHL career last Friday in Florida, but has been mostly stellar to start his NHL career. 11-1-1 through his first 13 appearances, it's certainly possible that the Canes go back to him tonight.
• Pyotr Kochetkov has been a respectable 6-2 in eight appearances this season, making his most recent appearance last Saturday in Tampa.
• Veteran Frederik Andersen went 19 days between starts before falling to Florida on Tuesday. His last victory came on Nov. 6, winless in his last seven outings.

On The Other Side...

• Winners of three in a row before the holiday break, Detroit comes to town 8-2-0 in their last 10 games.
• Including two shutouts during that run, goaltender John Gibson has been simply remarkable since the calendar flipped to December. The longtime Anaheim Duck has won eight starts in a row and posted a .927 save percentage throughout.
• In front of him, 23-year-old Lucas Raymond paces the group with 41 points in 36 games. A steady performer all season long, he had a three-assist game against Dallas just before the break.

Injury Updates...

• Forward William Carrier did not play on Dec. 23 due to illness.
• Defenseman Jaccob Slavin suffered an upper-body injury on Dec. 19 in Florida. He was labeled as "week-to-week" and placed on injured reserve on Dec. 22.
• Forward Seth Jarvis was also injured during overtime on Dec. 19, suffering an upper-body injury. He was placed on IR on Dec. 20 and labeled as "week-to-week" on Dec. 22.
• Forward Jordan Martinook left the game on Dec. 17 with a lower-body injury and has not skated since then. He has missed three consecutive games.
• Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault suffered a cut to his hand via a skate blade on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons on Nov. 10. He is expected to miss three to four months.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their BLACK uniforms for the contest. To view the team's full 2025-26 uniform schedule, click here.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes will practice on Sunday as they ramp back up following three days off the ice. They'll then start a home-road back-to-back set on Monday, hosting the Rangers at Lenovo Center, ahead of a divisional matchup in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
• Next Game: Monday, Dec. 29 vs. NY Rangers | 7:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO| Tickets | Parking