(Photo: Bridget Samuels/) Tim Thomas made 31 saves in last nights 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes

For the second straight game the Bruins were handed a frustrating loss. Just two days after a 1-0 shutout by Semyon Varlamov and the Colorado Avalanche, the Bruins came out with a lackluster performance in Carolina.

Third period goals by Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand were not enough as the Bruins gave the Carolina Hurricanes their first win of the season.

After a scoreless first period, the Hurricanes got off to a quick start in the second when Joni Pitkanen snuck a puck past Tim Thomas.

“The first one was going wide, then it hits off a skate. That happens when you throw it backdoor from there” said Thomas. “If anything, we should start doing the same thing more often. It’s going to go off the other team’s skates.’’

The Canes would start the third period off the same way they started the second when Anthony Stewart would beat Thomas with a shot last year’s Vezina winner may have not seen.

Less than a minute later Seguin would get the goal back for the black and gold when he sniped one high glove side from an awkward angle.

Some poor puck play would cost the Bruins later in the third when a loose puck would find the stick of Jiri Tlusty, who fired home his first of the year once again extending the Hurricanes lead to two goals.

With the Bruins looking all but dead, Marchand would give the Bruins a ray of hope. With a delayed penalty being called, Patrice Bergeron would send a puck cross ice, hoping for a play to come from it. The puck would bounce off a Hurricanes skate and find Marchand’s stick who buried his second of the year, but it was too little too late for Marchand and the Bruins.

The Bruins played a solid third period, but the team knows they need to be better over the full 60 in order to win games.

“We tried to compete a little harder in the third, but a couple mistakes and the puck was in our net” said Julien. “You’ve got to fight through those things. Those are things that happen through a season. Guys just have to get together here. Everybody’s got to find a way to play some better hockey. If we do that, we’re going to turn things around.’’

There were not many positives to take from this one, but the play of Seguin on the Bruins top line was definitely encouraging. Seguin’s play did not go unnoticed by line mate Milan Lucic.

“He played pretty well, he was skating well, he was getting open, he was in the right spot. You could see how he grew as a player. That’s what he learned last year, was how to get himself open” said Lucic “Especially in the third period he was able to generate more speed through the neutral zone. He had that great shot on that goal. “

It’s no secret that the Bruins are not off to as good of a start statistically as they did last year. In the Bruins first four games last season the black and gold scored 12 times while allowing just 7 goals. This season seven goals scored, seven goals allowed. ‘

Last season in the same first four games, the B’s went 1-15 on the power play, and killed off 10 of 11 penalties. This season, they are 1-18 with the extra attacker and have killed off 13 of the 15 penalties they have taken, not a good sign compared to last years team.

Next up for the Bruins is a matchup against the Blackhawks in Chicago Saturday evening. With an 82 game season it’s hard to label the fifth game of the season a “must-win” but as the defending Stanley Cup Champions who are out to prove that the “Stanley Cup Hangover” is just a myth, I guess you can call this one a “must-win”.

Here are last night’s highlights: