Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal had a straightforward synopsis of the team's 5-0 loss in Thursday's Game 2 at the hands of the Florida Panthers.
Staal called the shutout defeat "an ass whooping," according to team reporter Walt Ruff. "Especially the start, just wasn't good enough. They came at us right away, got a couple of quick ones. (We) got behind, and it kind of got worse."
The Hurricanes trailed 3-0 after the first period and were limited to just seven shots on goal through 40 minutes. Carolina trails 0-2 in the series after losing both Games 1 and 2 on home ice.
"You've got to have everyone, but tonight we had pretty much no one," Staal said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour was frustrated by his team's performance early in the game.
"I think we came out with the right intentions, but there was trying to do too much, and then we're not doing the things that we do as a team that normally helps us," Brind'Amour said, according to The Athletic's Cory Lavalette. "I didn't know what I was watching in the first period, and that didn't go well."
Brind'Amour criticized forward Andrei Svechnikov, who took a penalty and was a minus-3 in the defeat.
"We know he's trying, but we've got to do it within the way we need to and be on the same page," Brind'Amour said, according to Ruff. "He was on his own page tonight, and it didn't work."
Svechnikov had no excuses for his play.
"I made the couple of turnovers in our D zone, and they scored," Svechnikov said, according to Lavalette. "So my mistake, my mistake totally. And, you know, I can't do anything right now, so gotta move on and think positively."
The Hurricanes have lost 14 consecutive games in the conference finals and have been swept in three straight appearances in the final four. It's the longest drought of its kind in NHL history.
Brind'Amour didn't place the blame entirely on his team and praised the Panthers' performance.
"Florida was on it. You gotta give them credit," Brind'Amour said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
The Panthers have outscored their opponent 22-4 in their last four away contests, dating back to Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and return home to Florida with three straight wins on the road.
"Just a hell of a road trip," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said, according to team reporter Jameson Olive.
Game 3 of the series goes Saturday in Florida.
