New Jersey scored twice in the third period to vault past the Hurricanes, 3-2, Tuesday at Prudential Center. Eric Staal scored both Carolina goals in the loss.
Three Observations
1. You can sugarcoat Carolina’s loss by saying New Jersey had some luck on their side Tuesday, with all three goals going in off of inadvertent deflections. But the fact remains the Hurricanes entered the third period of a crucial division road game with a one-goal lead and left without any points. Carolina is definitely much improved, but in order to be a playoff team you need nights when you're not scratching and clawing for a win.