RALEIGH, N.C. — A desperate Boston Bruins bunch will return home with more questions than answers.

The Bruins came out with a pep in their step in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. Their power play generated a few looks on their first attempt for a potential building block.

Antti Raanta’s exit following a David Pastrnak collision prompted rookie netminder Pytor Kochetkov into his first career playoff appearance.

Yet, the undisciplined Bruins didn’t test Kochetkov until they entered desperation mode. And they began a night of self-destruction midway through the first period.

The B’s encountered significant struggles clearing the puck out of their defensive end in the first.

The Hurricanes pounced on turnovers and tips, with Jesper Fast and Sebastian Aho scoring 2:27 apart for a 2-0 lead.

Then the penalties piled up. For most of the middle stanza, the tight confines of the visiting penalty box resembled a clown car circus act. 

For every moment of pushback, like responding to Andrei Svechnikov’s hit on Hampus Lindholm, the Bruins self-inflicted further with undisciplined moments like Trent Frederic committing an interference minor or Brad Marchand engaging in a battle of slashes with Kochetkov.