Carolina Hurricanes Lack Energy and Fall to Boston in Game Three

A disappointing effort from the Carolina Hurricanes shows that the team needs to rediscover playoff desperation.

As we await news on the extent of Andrei Svechnikov‘s injury after he fell awkwardly after being tied up with Bruin’s veteran defensemen Zdeno Chara, it is hard not to be disappointed in the lack of hustle by the Carolina Hurricanes in game three of the first round against the Boston Bruins. The basic elements of the game such as passing and puck possession eluded the Canes today.

The toughest part of watching this game is knowing what the Hurricanes are capable of. After a fantastic effort from the team in game two, it almost seemed like a different team was on the ice today. The Hurricanes struggled the entire game to clear the puck from the defensive zone, and Petr Mrazek is the sole reason the Hurricanes remained in the game.

On the other end of the ice, the Hurricanes did have a number of solid scoring chances. Bruins netminder Jaroslav Halak stood tall in the absence of Tuuka Rask, and the only goal by the Hurricanes was scored when Halak botched a puck clearing opportunity behind the net.

Fortunately, there is still plenty of the first round series left to go. The Hurricanes always seem to excel at fighting back from adversity, and I have no doubt that Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour will have some strong words for the boys after today’s games. Here are three takeaways from today’s game as we look ahead to game four on Monday.