NHL Game Summary - Detroit at Carolina
Raleigh, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Petr Mrazek staked his claim for starting in net for the Red Wings this postseason as he blanked the Carolina Hurricanes in a 2-0 victory on Saturday.
Either Mrazek or Jimmy Howard will get the nod next week, and the former made a strong statement in the season finale with 35 saves.
The Red Wings' 43-25-14 record was good enough for third place the Atlantic Division. They will face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs.
Landon Ferraro's first career goal came 48 seconds into the game and was all Detroit needed. The rookie had his initial shot blocked but recovered behind the net and stuffed a wraparound off Cam Ward's skate.
"It's something you dream about doing, then you finally get it...it was a cool feeling," Ferraro said of his first goal.
Ward stopped the other 27 shots he faced, but when Joakim Andersson scored an empty-netter with 2:20 remaining, the Hurricanes' hopes of ending a losing season on a high note went by the wayside.
Carolina finished with a 30-41-11 record for 71 points -- the fifth fewest in the league.
"We created a lot of chances, we just didn't score," Hurricanes captain Eric Staal said.