Hurricanes close out six-game road trip with 4-2 loss in Detroit

Larkin scores twice for Detroit, sending Carolina to 1-3-2 to open season

Sergei Belski—USA TODAY Sports
Hurricanes center Jordan Staal scored his third goal of the season Tuesday in Detroit

DETROIT — Dylan Larkin scored his first two goals of the season to lead Detroit to its fifth consecutive win, a 4-2 decision over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena.Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and an assist and left winger Thomas Vanek scored for Detroit (5-2-0). Goaltender Petr Mrazek made 29 saves. The Red Wings’ last five-game winning streak was Jan. 13-27, 2015. Detroit also improved to 4-0-0 at home this season.”We want wins. So whether they’re at home or on the road, we want wins,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “You want to do a good job obviously in your home building. There’s certain advantages you have. But you also got to be able to win on the road.”The Hurricanes are still waiting to play their first home game of the season, having started off the 2016-17 campaign with a six-game road trip that resulted in a disappointing 1-3-2 record. Centers Jordan Staal and Victor Rask scored for Carolina Tuesday, while goaltender Cam Ward stopped 21 shots. Carolina hosts the Rangers Friday at PNC Arena.”They were quicker than us early,” Carolina coach Bill Peters said of Detroit jumping out to a 3-0 lead. “That was obvious. They had a lot of odd-man rushes.”The Hurricanes appeared to cut the deficit to 4-3 late in the game but an apparent goal by Hurricanes left winger Teuvo Teravainen with 3:03 left was waved off because he deflected a shot in with a high stick.Athanasiou gave Detroit a 4-2 lead with 2:56 left in the second period on a wrist shot from the right circle. It was Athanasiou’s second goal of the season.That was after Carolina scored twice in the second to pull within a goal.Staal put the Hurricanes on the board 6:43 into the middle period when he capitalized on a two-on-none break after a turnover in his own zone by Red Wings center Frans Nielsen. Staal beat Mrazek high on the glove side for his third goal.Rask made it 3-2 with 6:48 left in the second period. His shot from low in the left circle went in off of Mrazek for his fourth goal. It came four seconds after Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith returned to the ice after a holding penalty.”We started moving, started making plays. We weren’t really moving our feet,” said Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk.Vanek opened the scoring 4:53 into the game when he put a one-time shot from the slot through Ward’s pads. It was Vanek’s fourth goal.Larkin’s first goal of the season came on a breakaway. After taking a backhand pass out of the Detroit zone from left winger and captain Henrik Zetterberg, Larkin made a move and put a backhand shot under the crossbar.Larkin’s second goal occurred 4:04 later when his attempted pass from along the goal line to Ward’s left deflected in off Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce, who was sliding in an attempt to block the pass.NOTE: Detroit LW Justin Abdelkader missed his second game with a lower-body injury. He is listed as day-to-day. … Carolina F Jeff Skinner did not play because of an undisclosed injury. … Hurricanes LW Andrej Nestrasil and RW Martin Frk, previously waived by the Red Wings, played on the fourth line Tuesday night with C Jay McClement. … Carolina coach Bill Peters is a former assistant coach with the Red Wings.