The Carolina Hurricanes took the show on the road for the first time this season, visiting one of the four barns they played in during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flyers welcomed them to town for a game between a pair of winless teams, with the Canes getting smoked by the Capitals on Friday. Someone would rectify that by the end of the night, and the Canes really needed it to be them.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Mike Reilly drew into the lineup to make their season debuts, replacing Nicolas Deslauriers and Charles Alexis Legault, who was sent down to Chicago this afternoon. Pyotr Kochetkov made his first regular-season start in almost ten months. The Flyers sent Joseph Woll to man their net after a phenomenal 41-save effort in the team's overtime loss on Thursday.
The Canes wasted no time getting out front. William Carrier earned the promotion to the top line, and he set up Sebastian Aho in the slot ten seconds into the contest to get the Canes off and running. Owen Tippett didn't play when these two met in the second round, and he showed how sorely he was missed by tying the game a little over eight minutes in with a snipe from between the dots.
The second period epitomized the frustrations of every Caniac through a little over two games. A defensive breakdown allowed Matvei Michkov to sneak behind the Canes' defense and work around Kochetkov's poke check to give the Flyers the lead. Carolina controlled the remainder of the period, but hitting two posts and missing an open net kept them behind by a goal through two.
The power play proved to be the difference the rest of the way. Aho picked up his second of the night early in the third, lifting one from the bumper spot over Woll's glove. The penalty kill survived the majority of a late penalty to Shayne Gostisbehere through the end of regulation, sending the Flyers and Hurricanes to overtime for the fifth consecutive regular-season meeting.
The kill completed the final 34 seconds of their carry-over penalty, and Aho drew a slash soon after to put the Canes back on the man advantage. They took their time, but Gostisbehere played the hero against his former team. Jackson Blake put the puck on a tee, and Andrei Svechnikov provided the screen for Gostisbehere to wire a one-timer past Woll to win the game and finally claim victory.
The top line came to play, and the power play followed
If you're like me, you looked at the lines for tonight's game and scratched your head when you saw William Carrier playing on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Then, the trio combined for a goal ten seconds into the game, and you stopped questioning it. Carrier made the pass to Aho from behind the net, picking up his second assist of the season.
It was the beginning of a big night for the line. While they only got the one goal at even strength, they were all over the game. Carrier recorded four hits and provided the pressure that put his linemates in positions to succeed. He only played 12:49, and I'm not suggesting that Carrier is a long-term fit on the top line, but it was a good first run for the bruiser.
This work at 5-on-5 allowed Aho and Svechnikov to get the power play rolling. Aho factored on all three goals, scoring the tying goal on the man advantage and adding the secondary assist on the winner. Svechnikov earned the secondary helper on Aho's second goal and was in front of the net to screen the netminder as Gostisbehere put the puck home.
Kochetkov showed some rust, but he came up big to earn the win
With the Canes getting in the win column, Pyotr Kochetkov became the first of the tandem to lead the troops to victory this season. While far from a sterling effort from the Russian netminder, Kochetkov did what was needed of him, especially after Philadelphia took the lead in the second period. He showed a level of patience that was lacking on the aforementioned goal.
Kochetkov has become famous for using his stick to poke the puck away from his opponents. Sometimes, it gets him into trouble. On Matvei Michkov's goal, it did. He went for the poke, and Michkov was a second quicker at getting his shot off and into the net. It wasn't a good look, but he shut the door from there.
He went long stretches without seeing any rubber, and he only saw 18 shots in total, but Kochetkov was much better from the third period onward. He used his stick appropriately at a few points to keep the puck out. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rod Brind'Amour return to Kochetkov in Montreal on Tuesday, especially since they had Bussi's number last season. Kochetkov earned it tonight.
There is still a lot for the Canes to work on after picking up their first win
Tonight featured some obvious highs. The power play converted twice in big moments. The penalty kill was a perfect 4-for-4. Aho stayed hot, scoring the second-fastest goal to begin a game and breaking the franchise record for the most game-opening goals. Svechnikov had a multi-point night. Still, this group can find another level.
They heavily outshot the Flyers, but this was the third time in three games that the Canes have struggled to solve a goalie. Tonight, they did just enough to get the job done. The Canes also need to get more from the Stankoven line. Taylor Hall hasn't looked as dangerous as he was in the playoffs, nor has Logan Stankoven. Jackson Blake is contributing on the power play, but he can be better.
The Canes will need everyone to get going when they face the Canadiens on Tuesday night in Montreal. This is another hungry group, especially after their season was ended by the Hurricanes, and they added a Canes Killer in Chris Kreider before the season. They struggled against the Habs during the regular season, and they can ill afford for that trend to continue.
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