Let’s get the ugly out of the way right off the bat: the Carolina Hurricanes’ game on Monday against the Washington Capitals was atrocious. You can point the finger wherever you like, but there are no clear answers.
Want to blame the officiating? Fine, just remember that the Hurricanes did absolutely nothing with 3 second period power plays. Yes, the calls were uneven at best, but Carolina did get chances with the man advantage and fell flat.
Maybe you want to blame the goaltending? Okay, but considering that both Petr Mrazek and James Reimer posted shutouts in consecutive games (giving both goalies three apiece on the season), that doesn’t ring true.