
After a tough 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 1, things did not get better in Game 2 for the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes fell to the Panthers by a 5-0 final score in the matchup and are now down 2-0 in the series. This is certainly concerning, especially when noting that they will now be on the road for Games 3 and 4 against the Panthers.
Everything went wrong for the Hurricanes during this contest, and captain Jordan Staal got real following the team's loss because of it.
"Pretty much an a** whooping," Staal said. "It's all the way through the lineup... It's gotta be better. I don't know what we were expecting tonight. Especially the start, just wasn't good enough. They came at us right away, got a couple quick ones. Got behind, and it kind of got worse."
It is hard to disagree with Staal's take here, as it was simply an awful night for the Hurricanes. They were completely dominated in the first period and were never able to bounce back from it.
During the first period, the Hurricanes only had three shots on goal. The Panthers, on the other hand, scored three of their five goals in the first period. Things did not get much better for the Hurricanes during the second period, either, as they finished it with only four shots on goal.
Staal and the Hurricanes will need to put together a far better effort in Game 3 against the Panthers if they want to avoid going down 3-0 in the series. It will be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can bounce back and secure a victory in the Game 3 from here.
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