Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov each had a goal and an assist Thursday as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes topped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven second-round series.
Frederik Andersen made 18 saves and Jalen Chatfield scored the go-ahead goal for Carolina, which improved to 7-0 this postseason. The Hurricanes will go for a sweep when the teams reconvene in Philadelphia for Game 4 on Saturday.
“It’s been obviously a great start to the series. We’ve played the way we want to play,” Staal said after the win. “It’s part of our whole identity as a group, and we want to continue to build on that.”
Nikolaj Ehlers also tallied for the Hurricanes, while Jordan Martinook and Shayne Gostisbehere notched two assists apiece.
After upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, Philadelphia has had its hands full with the Hurricanes. Dan Vladar made 26 saves and Trevor Zegras scored the lone goal for the Flyers, who went 0-for-5 with the man advantage while allowing two power-play goals as well as a short-handed tally.
“We took nine penalties. Five-on-five, we were good. I thought we were the better team. But the power plays and penalties,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said after the loss. “Two games in a row, it was a penalty fest. We’re not equipped for that.”
With the game tied 1-1 late in the second, Philadelphia began a power play with an offensive-zone draw, but it was Carolina that scored 11 seconds later. Martinook made a diving play to spring a 2-on-1, and Staal fed Chatfield for a one-timer that zipped just under the crossbar.
The Flyers failed to score on that power play, even though they had a two-man advantage for more than a minute of it.
The Hurricanes tacked on a pair of third-period goals — Svechnikov’s one-timer on a 4-on-3 power play and Ehlers’ wrister on a breakaway.
The Flyers pressured Andersen early with a handful of great chances in the first period.
Travis Konecny snuck behind the Carolina defense, only to have his shot skim off the post. Several minutes later, Porter Martone hit the crossbar. Then the rookie winger set up Alex Bump on a great opportunity on a 2-on-0 in front of the net, but Andersen was up to the challenge.
Finally, a shot by Rasmus Ristolainen slipped through Andersen and was about to cross the goal line before Jaccob Slavin swept it away at the last moment.
In the midst of the Flyers’ pressure, the Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead. A shot by Svechnikov hit off the boards and caromed back in front of the crease, where Staal swept the puck off Vladar and into the net.
“If you want to see how we’re supposed to play, that’s the model right there,” Andersen said of Staal. “… (As the captain), you’ve got to be reliable and be a calm presence in the room, too. That’s where he’s underrated.”
Carolina led 1-0 after one period, but Philadelphia pulled even 2:31 into the second. A loose puck found its way to Zegras in the right circle, and he elevated a shot past Andersen to forge a 1-1 tie.
Emotions ran high throughout the third period, where 36 of the game’s 58 penalty minutes were given out. That included a game misconduct on Konecny with 2:19 left and 26 penalty minutes in the final three minutes when the game had been effectively decided.
–Field Level Media
