The home team was in the match for the entire 80 minutes and had its chances but the winds are not blowing its way at the moment and it came up just short.
It created opportunities and, in Ben Smith, Hosea Gear and Kade Poki, it has one of the most dangerous back-threes in the competition, but they just cannot convert that brilliance into five-pointers.
Too often, the Highlanders got a sniff at the tryline but could not reach out and embrace it.
Gear looked particularly dangerous last night, scoring a nice try, and Smith was his usual impressive self, but dogged scrambling defence from the Hurricanes kept them out.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph was pleased with the better effort from last week, but disappointed his team could not grab the win.
''We wanted to apply pressure with a real simple approach and I think we did that most of the time. I don't know how many times we broke them but they were very good at scrambling defence and stopping that last pass,'' Joseph said.
''In terms of our effort, attitude and what we were trying to do, most of the time was accurate. But we turned too much ball over and were made to pay for it.''
The Highlanders lost Andrew Hore within 10 minutes of the start, as he popped a rib in the first scrum.
Although Joseph could not put a time limit on the injury it could be anywhere from three to five weeks on the sideline for the skipper.
Replacement hooker Brayden Mitchell, who had a fine game, broke his collarbone near the end and his entire season is in doubt. The injuries show no sign of abating for the side.
''We just have to have see how many people we have got left standing. Hopefully, we will get some players back next week. But it seems to be one back, two out at the moment.
''And that is disruptive, particularly with the [injuries to] senior players who drive the training week.''
Veteran hooker Jason Rutledge may get a call-up after spending most of this week training with the Hurricanes.
Gear had his best game for the Highlanders so far this year, while comeback kid Colin Slade showed some nice touches around the park. He kicked all his goals apart from the most important kick of the night, missing a penalty within the final six minutes.
Brad Thorn worked hard all day as did Jarrad Hoeata.
The first half had plenty of endeavor from both teams, with the Hurricanes showing plenty of enterprise but meeting a much improved Highlanders defence.
Hurricanes skipper Conrad Smith scored the opening try of the match after just seven minutes, through some nice recycling of ball by the visiting side.
The Highlanders then had Hore depart the field and things were looking bleak for the home team. But it did not throw up the white flag and two Slade penalties had the team back in front.
However, the Hurricanes did not lie down and added a second try on the half hour mark.
Ben Franks found himself out on the wing after the visiting team had moved the ball wide when it had been charged down.
He bumped off a Ben Smith tackle to score and the Hurricanes looked to be in the driver's seat.
The Highlanders though came back through a Gear try, after he took the ball off a 5m scrum and proceeded to run over Beauden Barrett and dot down beside the posts.
The Hurricanes went very close right on the stroke of halftime but the Highlanders scrambled well to keep them out.
The scores
Highlanders v Hurricanes
Hurricanes ... 23
Conrad Smith, Ben Franks, TJ Perenara tries, Beauden Barrett con, 2 pen
Highlanders ... 19
Hosea Gear try, Colin Slade 4 pen, con
Halftime: 13-12 Highlanders
Crowd: 14,339
