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Carolina Hurricanes: Three Takeaways from Ugly Loss to Washington

By Bryan Walsh

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Goalie Petr Mrazek #34 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on after allowing a goal against the Washington Capitals in the second period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: Goalie Petr Mrazek #34 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on after allowing a goal against the Washington Capitals in the second period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) plays on in the second period after loosing his helmet after a hit by Carolina Hurricanes right wing Saku Maenalanen (8) on April 20, 2019, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby (70) plays on in the second period after loosing his helmet after a hit by Carolina Hurricanes right wing Saku Maenalanen (8) on April 20, 2019, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. Not Just the Special Teams

I almost made this key about how bad the special teams were again last night, but I always write that. The special teams have been bad for most of the year. There was a stretch throughout the regular season where the penalty was solid, but the Capitals have been abusing it this series, and did again last night.

The power play has been dreadful throughout the entirety of the season and last night was no exception. The exception was in Game 3, where Dougie Hamilton scored two power play goals. Last night, the Canes went 0 for 5 on the power play and didn’t get a shot off until the fourth one. They continually struggled to enter the zone, so if they lost the opening faceoff, it was all but over.

But I don’t want to talk about special teams today.

The Hurricanes just didn’t look good in general. Everyone seemed lethargic on the ice and passing was anything but crisp. Shots were almost always wide and when they were on cage, they were directly into the catching glove of Braden Holtby with no screen in front of him.

Lazy passing contributed directly to two goals, including one where Warren Foegele, instead of getting it deep, passed it to no one, turning it over and giving the Capitals a 2-on-1 in which they scored.

If the Hurricanes want to force a Game 7, execution will have to better in every aspect of the game. Our best players have to be our best players and for the most part, they haven’t been this series.

Foegele has been the hero (and I guess the villain from the Capitals perspective, but I’m really really really not getting into that) and players that led the team for most of the season have been tougher to find on the ice.

Sebastian Aho, Nino Niederreiter, Teuvo Teravainen, Justin Williams, et. al., need to start being who they were during the regular season. I don’t think any of them have been particularly bad, they just need to start being particularly good.

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