Give the Red Wings credit: They put forth a consistent compete level for 60 minutes. The Canes, on the other hand, were slow to get going, especially in the first two periods, and that was their downfall, even though they were able to mount a pair of comebacks in the final 20 minutes.
"It wasn't that we didn't work hard. We didn't play our game," head coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "I didn't know what I was watching for two periods. That's what really frustrated me."
What was the reason for the slow start? It begins with preparation, and the Canes, for whatever reason, weren't ready to meet the challenge from the drop of the puck.
"Preparation is all mental. It's on each and every one of us individually to prepare for each game. It's the NHL. It's pro hockey. You've got to be ready to come every night. We weren't tonight," Vincent Trocheck said. "We just didn't bring it."
With the game tied at two late in regulation, the Canes survived a flurry of chances on a Red Wings power play. Then, it was Fabbri who snuck a shot through for the game-winner with 2:42 remaining. Dylan Larkin added an empty-netter to seal it, a split in the season-opening series between the two teams.
"If we compete on a night-to-night basis like we did in game one, we have a chance every night," Trocheck said. "Tonight we just didn't bring that compete level. They outworked us and wanted it more. The end result showed that."