Detroit Red Wings on winning their way into Christmas break
Detroit Red Wings James van Riemsdyk, Dylan Larkin and Todd McLellan, Dec. 23, 2025 in Detroit.
After a December to remember for Detroit Red Wings goalie John Gibson – featuring wins in eight straight starts – the first game after the NHL’s holiday break was one to forget.
Gibson allowed four goals, with three coming in the second period, while stopping 33 shots, as the Red Wings fell to the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2, on Saturday, Dec. 27, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Red Wings playoff position
The Red Wings (22-14-3) remain atop the Atlantic Division, though their lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning shrank to two points after the Bolts beat the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. Next up, the Wings return home Sunday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) to host the woeful Toronto Maple Leafs, who beat the Ottawa Senators on Saturday to climb ahead of the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern cellar.
Rasmussen starts the scoring early
Michael Rasmussen gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead midway through the first period with his fifth goal of the season and just the Wings’ 22nd first-period goal this season. But the Wings struggled to maintain an offensive attack, mustering just five shots through the first 20 minutes, while the ‘Canes peppered Gibson with 15 shots, all of which he stopped.
Gostisbehere in the machine
The disparity was even worse in the second, with Carolina outshooting Detroit, 17-4, and tying it up on Jackson Blake’s 11th goal of the season. The Hurricanes scored twice in a 75-second span as a blast by ex-Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was deflected by Blake. Soon after, Eric Robinson converted on a rebound near the crease to give the Hurricanes their first lead.
Gostisbehere then scored the eventual winner with a wrister with just under five minutes left in the second period.
Andrew Copp made it a one-goal game with a tip-in on the power play (the first of the game for either team) a little over two minutes into the third period, but Andrei Svechnikov scored his second of the game to extend Carolina’s lead, and he and Gostisbehere assisted on an empty-net goal by Jordan Martinook with 1:21 remaining.
The outcome snapped Carolina’s season-long three-game losing streak, and Martinook’s score marked his 100th career goal.