Crusaders coach Rob Penney said the shock of losing skipper Scott Barrett to the sin-bin so early in the game forced them to dig themselves out of a hole.
"How they responded was tremendous. We clung on and kept working hard for each other. On reflection, what we've done preseason to get them into physical shape made us able to do that.
The Crusaders didn't lose faith despite being 0-14 and then 14-22 down.
"We've got a great bunch of men and just needed a couple of things to go for us. Firstly, we needed to get a bit of width in our defence. We were a bit narrow. We were conscious of [halfback] Cameron Roigard and his attacking threats. We didn't get our line broken around the fringes at all.
"We probably [also] turned over three or four loose rucks when it was our fault. The ball flew out the side and allowed the 'Canes to get on the front foot. That turnover ball can be some of the best stuff you'll attack from.
"Once we tidied that up we were able to push the button on controlling position and building pressure. We did a good job doing that."
Replacement halfback Kyle Preston excelled on debut with a hat-trick of tries after having to come on eight minutes into the game.
Penney was not surprised by his performance.
"When you're running 4min 13sec Broncos, you know you're going to have plenty of fuel in the tank. We trust him. We got him here for a reason. Not only did he score those three tries, he also box kicked well at crucial times and distributed really well."
Noah Hotham had a high ankle sprain but is expected to recover quickly. However, hooker George Bell, who was injured in the Crusaders' last preseason game, is out for the campaign with a foot fracture.
First five-eighths Taha Kemara impressed Penney.
"He's been around the traps here for the last couple of years and hasn't had much opportunity. He's been biding his time for a number of reasons but he got the keys and he drove the car nicely."
They also benefitted from All Black Will Jordan's return.
"He's a phenomenal rugby player. We missed him terribly last year. He's a bit of a freak in a number of areas. He's got the capability to get people outside, and around, him flourish when he gets the ball. He's a magnet for defenders and his distribution was really efficient."
Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw said his side was in the game for large parts, but the weight of Crusaders possession and territory told in the second half.
"We couldn't get a foothold in that last 20 minutes to build any pressure. Initially, we were disappointed, but there was a lot to like.
"We were much better than we were last week and much better than we were in round one last year."
The set piece was good, and when they attacked efficiently, there was space they could utilise. But they would have to dust themselves off to improve for next weekend.