Recap: Canes Bested Again by Rangers

With a 5-2 loss on Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes were swept by the New York Rangers in their four-game regular-season series.
Despite the loss, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov each extended their point streaks.
Here are five takeaways from Friday night in Raleigh.

1. Rangers Take the Sweep
For whatever reason, the Hurricanes don't have the best recent track record against the Rangers, especially in New York City.
But, even on Friday night in Raleigh, it seemed to be a similar house of horrors.
The Canes were essentially forced to chase the game all night. They couldn't establish the level of play they had in Nashville, even when they tied the game in the second period.
It just wasn't there, and the Rangers won their seventh in a row on the road.
"They're playing good hockey right now, but we've got to be playing better hockey and find ways to beat them with our own game," Jordan Staal said. "We had to be more desperate. It wasn't there. That's frustrating this time of year."

The Canes didn't even have to face Henrik Lundqvist, who had stopped 125 of the 132 shots he faced from Carolina this season. Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves.
"They were good," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "They were desperate a little more than we were. That, to me, is the bigger issue. We needed to have a little more desperation early in the game to kind of set the tone, and we never did."
2. Two Unfortunate Bounces
Two unfortunate bounces put the Hurricanes behind in the second period, not too long after they had score to tie the game.
The Canes failed to clear the zone, and Jesper Fast put a centering feed off Brett Pesce's skate and in to put the Rangers up, 2-1.
Later in the period, Brady Skjei tossed the puck out from behind the net, and it careened in off the skate of Jake Gardiner.
Two tough bounces at a critical juncture in the game. Hockey is a fickle game.
"They were working for them," Staal said. "We know when our game is going and we continue to push and work that we're going to get some good bounces."
"We always say you earn your breaks, and they got a few tonight," Brind'Amour said.
3. Point Streak Goal
Though the Hurricanes lost the game, both Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov maintained their point streaks.
On the power play in the third period, Svechnikov's one-time shot from the right circle snuck through the legs of Shesterkin. Aho was Sepe-on-the-spot to tape in the loose puck for his career-best 35th goal of the season.

Aho's point streak now sits at a season-long 11 games (11g, 6a), a game shy of his career-best from the start of last season. He also has a league-leading 10 goals in nine February games this season.
With the primary assist on Aho's goal, Svechnikov extended his point streak to nine games (5g, 6a), matching his career-best stretch from November.
4. Brock On
Brock McGinn celebrated his 300th career game with a goal in the second period. McGinn was the fifth Canes skater this season to play in his 300th game.
"It's cool. It goes quick," McGinn said of game No. 300. "I would have rather the two points tonight, but it was nice to get that goal."

After the Canes killed a penalty in the second - a common refrain in the game was the Canes being in the box - Staal laid the puck off for McGinn, who cut through the middle of the slot and labeled a wrist shot for the top shelf.
5. Full House on Friday Night
A crowd of 18,680 packed PNC Arena on Friday night, the Hurricanes' third consecutive sellout and 11th in 31 home games this season. The Canes are now averaging 16,690 fans per game, an
increase of over 20 percent from a season ago
.
Unfortunately, the home crowd didn't have a whole lot to cheer for.
"It's definitely a tough loss," McGinn said. "We needed to come out with a better game."
"We were chasing the game the whole time and could never really get to what we wanted to do," Brind'Amour said. "They played a good game, for sure."
Up Next
It's off to Toronto, where the Hurricanes and Maple Leafs will square off on Saturday night.
"We've got a big game tomorrow. Right back at it," Staal said. "It's got to be a better effort from everyone, including myself."