Hurricanes coach promises lineup changes after 'unacceptable' effort

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters was not happy with his team following a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Sunday afternoon.

"They were better than us, better than us from the start of the game," he told reporters afterward, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer. "I was really disappointed in our compete (level) today. ... We got what we deserved.

"The effort today was unacceptable, period."

A win would have allowed the Hurricanes to leapfrog the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers for sole possession of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they remain on the outside looking in.

With a key matchup against the Flyers looming Tuesday, Peters insisted he won't ice the same lineup.

"You can't put that group out again," he said. "The effort and the intensity we played at was similar to something you probably see at a neutral-site game in September. I'm very disappointed in the way we played today, disappointed in some of the guys you can count on."

Here's the lineup the Hurricanes sent out Sunday, according to Left Wing Lock.

It's unclear whether Peters will simply shake up the forward lines, or perhaps look to a call-up from the AHL to provide a spark.