PREVIEW: Focused on correcting defensive mistakes, Red Wings host Hurricanes Thursday for Hockeytown Heritage Night

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings will host the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday for the first of three Hockeytown Heritage Nights at Little Caesars Arena this season.

Puck drop between Detroit (15-9-4; 34 points) and Carolina (15-12-1; 31 points) is set for 7:30 p.m. – 30 minutes later than the traditional 7 p.m. start time – and will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu. Ken Kal and Paul Woods will be joined by Daniella Bruce on the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

Celebrating the iconic Stanley Cup championship eras of Red Wings hockey, Hockeytown Heritage Nights will feature special Stick Case giveaways for Dominik Hasek (Thursday), Sergei Fedorov (Jan. 25 vs. Philadelphia Flyers) and Darren McCarty (Feb. 22 against Colorado Avalanche).

Originally selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 10th round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Hasek posted a 389-223-82 record with a 2.20 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in 735 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Red Wings and Ottawa Senators from 1990-2008.

A 2014 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee, Hasek is the only goalie in NHL history to win back-to-back Hart Trophies as the league’s most valuable player (1996-98). Among his impressive career accolades, Hasek is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings (2002, 2008).   

Detroit captain Dylan Larkin took an encouraging step in his return to game action, joining his teammates for Thursday’s morning skate in a non-contact jersey. Larkin, who was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Saturday, ranks second on the club in scoring this season with 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games.

“Obviously see him moving around fairly gingerly, so on the IR and unavailable for us at least through Saturday,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said about Larkin. “Monday, he’s potentially available for us. I think that would probably be a little aggressive, but it’s a day-to-day-type thing.”

J.T. Compher (undisclosed injury) and Klim Kostin (undisclosed injury) both wore full-contact jerseys during Thursday’s morning skate but will not be available against the Hurricanes.

Coming off a morale-boosting 6-4 road victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Lalonde said Detroit knows it must clean up its team defense moving forward.

“Our underlying numbers are not far off from our good hockey,” Lalonde said. “That 5-1 stretch, we’re giving up similar chances against. We’re just having some mistakes that are a little too egregious and everything is going in.”

Currently ranked sixth in the Metropolitan Division, Carolina snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

Sebastian Aho, who earned a goal and an assist against the Senators, leads the Canes in scoring this season with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists). Tied for second, Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas have 20 points apiece. Three goaltenders have shared the crease for the Hurricanes, with 24-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov making a season-high 32 saves on Tuesday.