futilely

The critter’s surprise appearance on the field in the first half led to comic scenes of groundskeepers futilely trying to trap it in a trash can.

On the other side of the room, Phillip struggled futilely against his chains, his face a mask of enormous pain yet also stubborn determination.

D’Angelo Russell, futilely attempting to compensate for last spring’s playoff debacle against Denver, doubled down on his struggles, shooting six for 20 from the field, including one for nine from three-point range.

Kartye enacted revenge for Larsson with a series of punches on Pospisil — who actually “turtled” while standing up, covering his head to futilely try to draw a cheap penalty without fighting back.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the start we wanted,” said Wennberg, who had a busy and frustrating night both killing penalties and trying futilely to score on the power play.