Recap: Canes Bested by Penguins

Back in action for the first time since Sunday, the Carolina Hurricanes couldn't contain the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 6-1 defeat.
Teuvo Teravainen had the lone tally for the Hurricanes, while Phil Kessel netted a pair of goals in the final game of this four-game season series.
Here are five takeaways from tonight's game.

One
The Hurricanes were without their top forward tonight, as Jordan Staal was a late scratch due to family/personal reasons. Josh Jooris drew into the lineup to center the fourth line, while Elias Lindholm anchored Sebastian Aho and Teravainen on the top line.
Staal's absence, though, was evident. The Hurricanes had trouble matching the Penguins' depth down the middle and sorely missed his heavy shifts, versatility and puck possession abilities.
"We had a lot of situations tonight where we would have used him," head coach Bill Peters said. "That hurt us."
Peters said he didn't think the Hurricanes would have the services of Staal on Saturday night, either, so the answer must come from within. Lucas Wallmark was recalled on Friday afternoon, but he was not available to dress.

Two
Even with Staal out, though, the Hurricanes spent the night misfiring in all three zones. Execution wasn't at the level it needed to be, especially against a team riding a five-game winning streak and surging in the standings.
"There was really nothing good about it," Justin Williams said. "The storyline is they outworked us and showed us they wanted it more tonight. That's frustrating because we've got to be better."
"It was a tough game for us," Teravainen said. "They scored a lot of goals and got the momentum. We never really came back. We didn't fight enough. It can't happen."
"I thought they capitalized on our mistakes," Peters said. "When you make mistakes against this team, it ends up in the net. That's what they did."
Three
Teravainen gave the Hurricanes some life in the second period, when his wrist shot beat Matt Murray for his 15th goal of the season, which matches his career high from a season ago. That goal served as a quick answer to Olli Maatta's goal early in the second period and halved the Penguins' lead.

That was all the Hurricanes' offense could muster, though. After tallying a 14-goal outburst in a three-game winning streak, the Hurricanes have managed just five goals in their last four games (0-3-1).
"Early in the game on our best chances we missed the net," Peters said. "You've got to bear down when you get the opportunity. Our execution tonight wasn't enough in all three zones."
"We had a lot of good looks, there's no doubt," Williams said. "They finished and we didn't. Our response was poor. Very poor."
Four
On the heels of a game like this, it might be a good thing for the Hurricanes in that they get right back at it less than 24 hours from now in Detroit, another chance to end what is now a four-game winless streak.
"Now we can get right back tomorrow," Teravainen said. "It's going to be a huge game for us."
"The good thing about it is you get to redeem yourself tomorrow," Williams said.
Five
The Hurricanes burned a game in hand with tonight's loss, but the team remains just a point out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 21 games left to play.
The Canes won't get in with games like tonight, obviously. But the opportunity is still there. It's up to the group in the room to seize it.
"We have to regroup, think about ourselves and get the confidence back," Teravainen said. "We're right there. We just have to compete and get our confidence."
Up Next
The Hurricanes will take on the Red Wings in the second half of this back-to-back on Saturday night in Detroit.