With just two games remaining in the 2018 calendar year, the Carolina Hurricanes entered their Saturday matinee in Newark one game under NHL .500.
Not ideal.
Carolina’s performance against the New Jersey Devils? Also not ideal.
The Hurricanes’ incompetent power play failed to get off the schneid, blown opportunities proved costly, and another excellent showing in net - this time, from Curtis McElhinney - was wasted en route to a 2-0 shutout loss at Prudential Center.
It was a battle between the bottom two teams in the Metropolitan Division, and it certainly looked like it at times throughout the afternoon.