The Detroit Red Wings felt they suffered from a lack of execution during Saturday evening's 5-2 setback against the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
The defensively stingy Carolina Hurricanes gave the Detroit Red Wings little room to operate Saturday night, and just when it appeared as though the Red Wings were gaining momentum, Carolina had the answer.
The Hurricanes had built up a 3-0 lead just 23 minutes into the contest, and, despite a pair of quick Red Wings goals late in the second period, it was former Detroit defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere who quickly snuffed out the comeback.
Gostisbehere scored early in the third to restore Carolina’s two-goal lead, and Jackson Blake added another minutes later as the Hurricanes skated to a 5-2 victory at Lenovo Center.
The ones they got, the puck was on our stick, but we didn't exectute and it was in the back of our net," team captain Dylan Larkin said afterward. "They're a heck of a team, and this is a hard building to play in.
"You have to come in here at some point and get points, and I didn't think we executed. We allowed them to be on top of us and come back in waves on Talbs (Cam Talbot)."
Despite goals less than a minute apart from Simon Edvinsson and Patrick Kane, it would be the Hurricanes who once again assumed control of the game in the third period.
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The Red Wings, who have struggled to score at even strength this season, know that it's an area of their game that they must shore up if they are to have a realistic chance at punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
“We’re searching for answers," Larkin said. "Five-on-five offense, we’re talking about it. This is a hard building. They pressure so much. It’s hard to create in here. But looking back, I thought we had breakaways, two-on-ones that we could’ve executed.”
Larkin and the Red Wings will conclude their three-game road trip on Monday afternoon against the Nashville Predators.
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