Carolina Hurricanes ‘should get good results,’ Brind’Amour says. So, why aren’t they?

Not every hockey season comes together neatly, smoothly — the Carolina Hurricanes are embodying that in real time so far this year.

As center Sebastian Aho put it recently, “There have been hiccups.”

A 2-1 road loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday left the Canes at 14-9-1. It ended the Canes’ four-game point streak, their longest of the season.

Regulation losses are hard to digest — in essence, 60 minutes of hard work with nothing to show for it. This was another for the Hurricanes, who did not pick up their ninth regulation loss last season until Jan. 10.

After a game that had the Canes outshoot the Jets 43-22, Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour again elected to praise the opposing goalie — Laurent Brossoit this night — and insist his team did several things well despite losing.

“We had a lot of opportunities (but) just weren’t able to find the back of the net,” Brind’Amour said. “They were able to capitalize and we weren’t.

“We’ve got to stay positive. If we can get that kind of game, night-in and night-out, which basically we have for the last month, we should get good results. So we’ve just got to stick with it.”

Should get good results.

A lot of teams can play reasonably well and lose. It’s a tough league. Every team has skill. Sometimes, a good game is not enough to win.

“It’s not going to be pretty every night,” Aho said in an N&O interview. “But the effort, the thought process, has to be there. It’s about getting your head where it needs to be. And, sometimes, the intention is there but the execution is not there.

“It’s not like we’re not working hard. Every time we’re out there, even if it doesn’t look like it, everyone is working their tails off. I’m sure if we keep playing our game and our system, in the long run it will work in our favor.”

After Monday’s loss, the Canes have played 13 games on the road, going 6-7-0, and have five more games on their current road trip. They’re on pace for a 99-point season.

Their No. 1 goalie, Frederik Andersen, remains sidelined with blood-clotting issues, his return unknown. Goalie Antti Raanta, who had a nice bounceback game Monday at Winnipeg, has had his injury issues.

Forward Andrei Svechnikov, an NHL All-Star last season before his knee injury, continues to search for his goal-scoring touch. Martin Necas, who led the Canes in points last season, has been playing on the fourth line. The winger had the only goal against the Jets.

Brind’Amour was asked last week about his sixth season as head coach, about the challenge of fitting the pieces together, of remaining patient and confident in what you’re doing.

The core group is strong. Leadership is strong. The talent, some of it high-priced, is there.

“It’s about finding that consistent game,” Brind’Amour said.

The track record is there: five seasons as head coach, five times in the Stanley Cup playoffs, two Eastern Conference final appearances. The Canes have won the Metro Division the past two seasons.

Some oddsmakers made the Canes the preseason favorites to win the 2024 Stanley Cup.

“We’ve got a good thing going here,” Brind’Amour said last week. “We’ve had, I wouldn’t say a tough start, but it hasn’t gone exactly the way we would have liked. But I love how we’ve handled it. How we’ve come to work every day and really how we’ve played the games.

“Maybe we haven’t gotten the bounces or it hasn’t quite lined up, but I’m confident it will.”

So, too, is Aho.

Aho was without a point Monday but nearly got the Canes into overtime in the final seconds of regulation, denied by Brossoit’s 42nd and final save. This night, the Canes were denied a point, maybe two.

“The same core has been here for a few years now,” Aho said. “We’ve seen it when we do it the right way and how we look. It works, obviously.”