One
OK, so after starting the season 4-0-1, the Hurricanes have dropped two straight games.
Everyone, fingers off the panic button.
The Hurricanes went toe-to-toe with three talented teams on this road trip and weren't overmatched in any of the three games, including the two regulation losses.
"All three teams are teams that want to be in the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup. I think, for most of the games, we were the better team," goaltender Petr Mrazek said. "I think in both games we worked hard and battled. I think we deserved better."
"It's a learning lesson because we were playing two teams that everyone said at the start of the year could be Stanley Cup champs," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "I think we can at least know we can play with them. The difference is we've got little, little margins. So, when you self-destruct on certain things, you can't come back. It's going to come back to bite you against these great teams."
Two
There is one noticeable blemish on the Hurricanes' team game right now: special teams, and the power play in particular, which is now just 2-for-25 on the season (and one of those goals was an empty-netter).
Tonight, the power play struggles directly negatively impacted them on the scoreboard. On the Canes' first power play of the game, Mathieu Joseph eluded Justin Williams in a race down the ice and then slid the puck through Jaccob Slavin over to Tyler Johnson for the shorthanded goal, which tied the game at one.
"You can't give one up. That's a cardinal sin," Brind'Amour said. "It's never a recipe for success."
Those struggles - the Canes were 0-for-4 on the man advantage - are further magnified when the Lightning take advantage of their first and only power play of the game at an opportune time - with the game tied at two in the third period. Calvin de Haan whiffed on a clear, and Ondrej Palat was there to spot Yanni Gourde alone and open in the slot for the power-play tally. That proved to be the game-winning goal.
"We'll work on it, and I'm sure the next game will be better," Mrazek said of the specialty teams.
Three
So, what's the answer on the power play?
It's not that the Hurricanes are light on chances, but they're not seeing pucks go into the net. Perhaps it will take just one to open the floodgates.
"We've got to go to the net and keep shooting," Necas said. "It's always about one lucky rebound or one lucky bounce. Then you get more confidence."
"The guys who get out there have to produce at some point, or we have to make major changes," Brind'Amour said. "You can't just change things to change things. Everyone has all the answers. Trust me, I hear about it every day. You've got to put your best players out there, and they have to execute. That's it. We'll keep working at it."
The Hurricanes have a scheduled off day on Wednesday, but practices on Thursday and Friday are sure to include a focus on special teams.
Four
It was only a matter of time before Martin Necas found the back of the net for his first goal in the National Hockey League, and it happened just past the midway point of his seventh game.
"It's nice. It's a great feeling," Necas said. "It's always a dream. It would be much sweeter to win the game and score my first goal."
"It was nice. It was a big goal for us at the time," Brind'Amour said. "I know it's been tough. He hasn't played a heck of a lot, but it's nice to see all of our young guys contributing."
A poke check by Valentin Zykov in the defensive zone got the play started, and then the Canes skated down the ice with numbers. Warren Foegele ever so slightly drew the defenseman toward him before sliding a pass over to Necas, who squared up and fired a well-placed one-timer past Louis Domingue, a shot that had so much zip behind it that Necas fell to the ice.
