Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes Picks and Predictions March 4th 2025

Red Wings Look to Determine ‘Destiny’ When Taking on Hurricanes

The Detroit Red Wings saw their playoff push stall after back-to-back losses to Columbus, but they have a chance to get back on track when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

The Blue Jackets handed Detroit a 5-2 home loss on Thursday, then followed it up with a 5-3 victory at Ohio Stadium in Saturday’s NHL Stadium Series game. The Red Wings are now 2-3-1 in their last six games, and their eight-season playoff drought looms over the final stretch of the season.

Despite the setbacks, head coach Todd McLellan believes his team is still learning to handle the ebbs and flows of a season.

“We’ve gone on two seven-game winning streaks, kind of seen it all in 26, 27 games,” McLellan said. “But I do believe we have work to do in understanding the ups and downs, the situations of when we should swing for the fences and some times we should just punt and defend a little bit. We were caught in between a few times.”

Detroit’s Playoff Hopes in Their Hands

Despite the recent struggles, team captain Dylan Larkin remains confident that Detroit still has a path to the playoffs.

“We control our own destiny,” Larkin said. “We played well (Saturday); we deserved better.”

One bright spot has been Alex DeBrincat, who scored twice against Columbus and carries a nine-game point streak into Tuesday’s game. During that span, he has eight goals and six assists, proving to be one of Detroit’s most consistent offensive threats.

With 22 games remaining, the Red Wings need a strong finish to stay in the wild-card race.

Carolina Looking for Momentum

The Hurricanes have been inconsistent in recent weeks, winning just two games in February before going 2-1 on their recent homestand. Tuesday’s game marks their only road game in an eight-game stretch, as they look to build momentum for a playoff push.

This will be the first of three meetings between Carolina and Detroit this season, with matchups scheduled for March 14 and April 4 as well.

Carolina picked up a much-needed win on Sunday, edging Calgary 2-1 in overtime on a game-winning goal by Sebastian Aho.

Aho’s Overtime Heroics Continue

Aho has become a clutch performer in extra time, scoring all five of Carolina’s overtime goals this season. His latest came at 3:16 of OT against Calgary, capping off a stretch where he’s netted six goals in seven games.

“There’s a lot of room out there,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Then he can be creative, and he’s competitive as heck. Those combinations suit him in that type of environment.”

The game against Calgary featured 10 power plays, and Carolina allowed a tying goal on the penalty kill in the third period before sealing the win.

“Obviously that was a test of patience,” Aho said. “There was so much going on. Penalties both ways. Five-on-five, it was almost impossible to find rhythm. Obviously a lot of minutes on the (penalty) kill. Yeah, a weird game.”

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What’s at Stake?

For Detroit, this game is about bouncing back and keeping their playoff hopes alive. A strong showing against a tough Carolina team would go a long way in restoring confidence after the back-to-back losses to Columbus.

For Carolina, consistency has been an issue, and they need to string together wins heading into the stretch run. They have just one road win since Jan. 27, making Tuesday’s game an important test.

With both teams looking for stability, expect an intense, playoff-like atmosphere in Detroit as the Red Wings and Hurricanes battle for crucial points in the standings.