The venue shifted up north as the Carolina Hurricanes tried to build on their 2-0 series lead in the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia Flyers gave the Canes everything they could handle on Monday night, going up 2-0 early. However, the Caniacs willed their group into a tie game before Taylor Hall won the contest in overtime, securing a 3-2 win for the Canes before their trip to Philadelphia.
The Hurricanes welcomed Alexander Nikishin back to the lineup after missing the first two games of the series with a concussion. Along with Noah Cates being out for the remainder of the series, Owen Tippett still wasn't healthy enough to return for tonight's contest. Frederik Andersen and Dan Vladar patrolled the creases for their respective teams once again.
To call the Hurricanes lucky in the first period might be appropriate. The Flyers had two great chances that struck the iron and stayed out. The Canes didn't look good to start, but Andersen came up with some clutch stops, the penalty kill made it look easy, and the power play eventually struck. Jordan Staal banked a missed shot off Vladar and into the net, giving Carolina a 1-0 lead after 20.
The Flyers got the goal back early in the second after a bouncing puck made its way onto Trevor Zegras' stick during a delayed penalty. As there have been throughout the postseason, there were penalties aplenty. Taylor Hall escaped being assessed a major penalty, and the penalty kill went out and scored soon after on a finish by Jalen Chatfield. After two, the Canes remained in front.
The power play answered the call once more early in the third. Andrei Svechnikov finally put one in, blasting a one-timer home to double the lead. Nikolaj Ehlers added some insurance, finishing a breakaway chance to put it away. The Flyers didn't go down quietly, though it wasn't by scoring goals. The horn sounded after a lot more penalty minutes were handed out in a 4-1 Canes win.
Special teams rule the day after both units make major contributions
A 2-for-9 night for the Hurricanes' power play is very misleading. There were some abbreviated chances, and then a few chances at the end of the game were cut off by time running out. Still, the power play scored twice, and that's a pretty big deal. Most importantly, it was the top unit scoring both goals at very important times. Maybe this is the spark they've been waiting for.
The penalty kill continues to be impeccable. The Flyers had a chance in the second period to turn the game in their favor. Instead, Jalen Chatfield scored a short-handed goal to go up 2-1. Then, the Flyers got 75 seconds of a 5-on-3, and the Canes gave them absolutely nothing. They went 5-for-5 in the game while allowing only four shots. It was textbook penalty killing.
The scoring was the most spread out that we've seen this postseason
Most of the shine has been on the Stankoven line for doing a lot of the scoring for the Canes. Tonight felt like the most complete effort from the entire lineup, and they were rewarded on the scoresheet. Four players had multiple points, and none of them were that second-line trio. In fact, the Stankoven line didn't score at all, getting shut out for the first time.
The Aho line was responsible for the shift in momentum in the first period. They had a prolonged turn in the offensive zone with multiple scoring chances. Eventually, their work on the top unit provided the opening goal, and they added another in the third. Andrei Svechnikov had points on both goals, with Sebastian Aho setting up the second goal, his first assist of the playoffs.
Jordan Martinook also deserves the spotlight for his work tonight. He finished with a pair of helpers, both of which were crafty. His extra effort poked the puck free for the short-handed goal to materialize, while his soft touch sprung Nikolaj Ehlers for his breakaway tally. Jordan Staal was a menace, too, scoring on the power play and setting up Chatfield on the penalty kill.
Additional Thoughts
Another big moment in this game came shortly after the Canes took their 1-0 lead. Frederik Andersen stopped a shot from Porter Martone, but the rebound chance leaked through the Canes' netminder. There to save the day was Jaccob Slavin. He put his stick on the line to make sure the puck didn't trickle through and immediately tie the game at one late in the first.
Speaking of Andersen, he continues to make all sorts of history. He's won seven games in a row, tying a franchise record. Andersen is also the 12th goalie in 30 years to start the playoffs 7-0. He got some help from the iron early, but Andersen also made a few clutch stops when he was tested. Those moments were truly few and far between.
I don't think the Flyers will roll over and allow the Canes to sweep them. However, the Canes appear genuinely unfazed by the Flyers' post-whistle antics. Never was that clearer than tonight. Social media is abuzz with shots of K'Andre Miller being unbothered. It's not coming from a place of complacency. The Canes' experience has paid off in spades. That's why they're in this position.
Up Next: As of tonight, we're only guaranteed one more game in this series. Game 4 from Philadelphia will be on Saturday night. From here on out, the Flyers are playing to keep their season going. If they beat the Canes on Saturday, they'll make the trip to Raleigh for Game 5 on Monday night. If the Canes win, they're back in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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