I don't think the team played great after taking that 5 minute penalty. But everyone seems to think it's purely a mindset or effort issue. But really, I think this game exposed some of our bigger weaknesses as a team.
1. Lack of depth at RW. When Hunt went out, the only one who was remotely effective in his place was Kakko, but Kakko is needed on that first line as well. Without Blais for the year, we are definitely going to need another forward who can play in that top 6. We simply can't expect go through an entire season expecting Kakko and Hunt or anyone else in that top 6 to always be healthy. Especially down the stretch and in the playoffs when guys get banged up. We will either need to trade for another interchangeable piece who can play up and down the lineup or we will need to be patient with Barron or Paju or anyone else we might consider calling up. Though I don't think either are ready for top 6 minutes in the NHL. So, I still think finding a middle 6 forward for cheap is the way to go.
2. 3rd Pairing. When the lines end up in the blender, and our structure isn't nearly as solid, it means possessing the puck across the whole team becomes really hard. And thus any weak links on D are really exposed. Lundkvist didn't look great. Nemeth just becomes more and more simple in his game when under pressure. It usually means losing possession. Again, that 3rd pair will need to be addressed at some point during the year.
