#LGRW Daily: Red Wings look to continue success at Carolina on Thursday

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings return to Carolina on Thursday looking to replicate the success the team had in its visit earlier this month - becoming only the second team to sweep the Hurricanes on their home ice this season.

Entering the final meeting between the teams this season, the Red Wings (17-25-9, 43 points) are currently the only club that the Central Division-leading Hurricanes (32-10-7, 71 points) do not hold a winning record against (3-3-1 vs. Detroit).
After Thursday's contest, the Red Wings welcome Tampa Bay to Little Caesars Arena for a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday. Coach Jeff Blashill said he looks forward to seeing how the team responds in its next three games against playoff-bound opponents, and wants the young players in the lineup to benchmark their individual games heading into the offseason.
"Getting the opportunity to play, our players can look at where their strengths are and where their weaknesses are and where they need to improve," Blashill said. "It gives them a decent barometer on what they need to get better at and what they need to accentuate."

The Red Wings are coming off a 1-0 shootout loss at Columbus on Tuesday night, picking up a point for the seventh time in nine games (4-2-3) and 12th time in 17 games (7-5-5).
However, Detroit has been held to two or fewer goals in four of its last five contests, and Blashill said he was concerned with the team playing too loose at times in Columbus and wants to see the club tighten up to generate offensive chances.
"We're a team that's trying to grind it out and score dirty," Blashill said. "I think that's great. That's an important lesson because that's the scoring that happens in the playoffs lots of times. That's the scoring that carries forward even when you get in a little bit of a dry spell. I think that's been a positive."
Defensively, Detroit has only surrendered five goals in its last three games, much to the credit of the goaltending of Thomas Greiss and Jonathan Bernier, who have turned aside a combined 126 of 131 shots (.962 save percentage).
Greiss recorded his first shutout of the season in Tuesday's shootout loss and has not suffered a regulation defeat in seven games (4-0-3). Bernier, meanwhile, posted a career-high 50 saves on Saturday, becoming only the seventh goalie in Red Wings' history to record at least 50 saves in a game.

Carolina boasts the top-rated power play in the league (27.7%) and the club has gone 5-0-3 in its last eight games en route to clinching the franchise's third straight playoff appearance.
The Hurricanes have also benefited from strong goaltending from their trio of netminders. James Reimer leads the team with 14 wins, rookie Alex Nedeljkovic owns a 5-0-1 record in his last six starts and former Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek has a 1.60 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in nine games, ranking second and third in the league, respectively.
Puck drop from PNC Arena is set for 7 p.m. on Bally Sports Detroit Plus and the Red Wings Radio Network.

Red Wings Storylines

• Forward Joe Veleno made his NHL debut on Tuesday in Columbus, tallying 14:49 time on ice with two shots on goal. The 2018 first-round pick (30th overall), started the season with Malmo in Sweden and recorded 20 points (11-9-20) in 46 games before being recalled to Detroit. Said Blashill: "I thought he played a good hockey game. He looked like a guy who's played two years pro and was ready for the opportunity to skate in the NHL. I thought his strength really showed."
• Forward Filip Zadina has been hot against the Hurricanes this season, leading Detroit with seven points (3-4-7) in seven games, including scoring the game winner on April 12. Zadina has 18 points (5-13-18) in 44 games on the year.

• Thursday's game will be the fifth and final meeting this season between brothers Evgeny and Andrei Svechnikov. For Detroit, Evgeny Svechnikov has seven points (3-4-7) in 18 games, while Andrei Svechnikov has recorded 36 points (13-23-36) in 49 games for Carolina and is coming off his first career three-assist game on Tuesday.

Scouting the Hurricanes

• Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal recorded two goals and an assist in Tuesday's 5-1 win at Dallas, marking his fourth multi-goal game of the season. Staal has six points (3-3-6) in his last five games and 37 points (16-21-37) on the year -- his highest total since 2017-18.
• The Hurricanes welcomed back Teuvo Teravainen on Tuesday after the forward was sidelined for 25 games with a concussion. Teravainen has nine points (2-7-9) in 14 games this season after finishing second in team scoring last year with 63 points (15-48-63) in 68 games.
• Blueliner Dougie Hamilton is tied for second on the Hurricanes with 39 points (8-31-39) in 49 games, good for sixth in the NHL among defensemen. Hamilton has two goals and five assists in seven games against Detroit this season.