Frederik Andersen made 24 saves for his second shutout in his last five games and the Carolina Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth by ripping the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 on Thursday night at Raleigh, N.C.
Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis both provided a goal and two assists. Andersen is 7-0-0 since returning to action following an absence of more than four months with blood clotting issues. It was the 27th shutout of his 11-year career.
Martin Necas and Brady Skjei scored Carolina’s other goals. The Hurricanes racked up four goals in less than 12 minutes of the second period. Jake Guentzel added two assists for the Hurricanes (46-21-7, 99 points).
The Red Wings (36-30-7, 79 points) have lost three consecutive games (0-2-1) and are 0-7-1 in their last eight road contests. James Reimer made 29 saves.
Aho and Jarvis scored in a 57-second span of the second period.
Aho glided in to take a pinpoint pass from Guentzel, and Carolina finally had a goal on its 19th shot of the game. It gave Aho his team-leading 32nd goal.
Then Jarvis, who scored for the eighth time in nine games, had control of the puck in the neutral zone, passed it and was ready to get the back pack as he headed to the right circle. His power-play shot was his 28th of the season.
Aho’s assist on the Jarvis goal gave him 300 in his eight-year career.
Necas, on the night that fans were presented with his bobblehead, was the recipient of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s pass through the legs of Red Wings center Robby Fabbri. Necas converted for his 23rd goal of the season and his first in five games.
Skjei’s 13th goal came on assists from Aho and Jarvis. Reimer, a former Carolina goaltender, was particularly frustrated after that goal as he was on his way to a loss for the first time in his last five games.
The Hurricanes posted a 15-3 edge in shots in a scoreless first period.
The Red Wings were without forwards Patrick Kane and Austin Czarnik, both due to illness. Kane hadn’t missed a game since January.
–Field Level Media