3 major takeaways from Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-1 loss to Carolina Hurricanes 

The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped a tough 4-1 game to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday at PPG Paints Arena.

The Penguins were coming off an exciting OT win over the Buffalo Sabres in their last outing. However, Pittsburgh could not muster enough offense to get past Carolina.

Drew O’Connor got the lone goal for the Pens. Meanwhile, Jackson Blake, Martin Necas, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jack Roslovic scored for the visitors.

Here's a closer look at three major takeaways from Pittsburgh's 4-1 loss to Carolina on Friday.

3 major takeaways from Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-1 loss to Carolina Hurricanes

#3. Pens could not stop Canes' power play

The Hurricanes went 2-for-4 on the power play on the night. Necas and Gostisbehere scored with the man advantage to put the game out of reach for the Canes.

In particular, both power play goals came back-to-back with the score tied at one. As such, the tallies put the Canes ahead by two, making the lead too steep for the Penguins to overcome.

It’s worth pointing out that Necas' tally was one Pens goaltender Joel Blomqvist should have had. However, two Pittsburgh players tried to block the shot. Instead, they screened Blomqvist allowing the puck to hit the top corner and in the net for the goal. Still, kudos to Necas for the rocket to the top corner.

#2. Pens' power play faltered

Pittsburgh’s lack of scoring on the power play has become a recurring theme this season. The Pens went 0-for-5 with the man advantage, essentially undermining their own chances to win.

Failing to score on the power play made it harder for the Penguins to get back into the game. Since the Pens couldn’t get much going 5-on-5, the power play should have provided them with an opportunity to break through.

Instead, the Canes’ effective penalty kill stopped the Pens’ stars from scoring, keeping the game out of reach for the Pens.

#1. Canes capitalized on Pittsburgh’s defensive miscues

The Penguins played a relatively sloppy game defensively. As such, the Canes took advantage of the opportunities to score on turnovers or failed clearing attempts.

A good example is the Roslovic goal that put Carolina up 4-1. The play started with a zone exit that became a turnover in the neutral zone. As the Pens tried to switch over to the forecheck, the Canes retrieved the puck and headed into Pittsburgh's zone with speed.

At that point, Jesperi Kotkaniemi hit Roslovic with the pass, with Roslovic cutting up the right side and burying the shot past Blomqvist. That miscue made the Pens look sluggish as they failed to get back. By that point, the game was essentially out of reach, with the goal being nothing more than added insurance.

The 3-3 Penguins will face the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night hoping to get back in the win column.