In the semifinal round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Rick Tocchet's Philadelphia Flyers take on old friend Rod Brind'Amour's Carolina Hurricanes. Game One is Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT (ABC).
The Flyers are coming off a six-game grind against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. Philly posted 98 points in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes swept the Ottawa Senators in the first round. With 113 regular season points, the Canes boasted the top record in the Eastern Conference and the second-best record in the National Hockey League.
Carolina enters the series as a heavy favorite. Nevertheless, the Flyers posted the NHL's third-best record (18-7-1) and third-lowest goals against average (2.38) after the Olympic break. In the Eastern Conference first round, the Flyers held the Penguins to 1.83 goals per game while scoring 2.67 per game. Carolina scored at a 2.75 goals per game and yielded a mere 1.25 per game.
Following is a thumbnail comparison of the two teams.
Puck possession game: On a perennial basis, the Hurricanes are the NHL's best team in terms of puck possession metrics. While playing the Penguins brought a visceral dimension to several games in the series, opposing Carolina is more of a tactical challenge.
During the regular season stretch drive and the first three games against Pittsburgh, the Flyers locked down the neutral zone and by far outchanced Pittsburgh in transition rush opportunities. Pittsburgh eventually adjusted their breakout and entry tactics, and the Flyers spent more time defending than they ideally wanted to.
Carolina is a high-volume shooting team (No. 2 in the NHL with an average 32.2 shots on goal per game). Because the Hurricanes keep the puck for long stretches, they are also very stingy in terms of allowing shots from the opposition (23.9 on average, tops in the league).
When attacking the Hurricanes, there are two mantras to remember: 1) Don't take low-percentage gambles, and 2) Don't miss the net or shoot into shin pads. Patience is critical because the Canes are deadly in transition.
Between the pipes: Dan Vladar was a shoo-in for the Bobby Clarke Trophy as Flyers MVP this season. The Czech Olympian consistently gave his team an opportunity to win games. He was even better in the four games Philly won in the Pittsburgh series, especially his 42-save overtime shutout in Game Six. Vladar also posted a shutout in Game Two.
Thirty-six year old veteran goalie Fredrerik Andesen was stellar in the Ottawa series with a miniscule 1.10 GAA .955 save percentage and a shutout in the series opener.
Samuel Ersson, without much fanfare, played very well for the Flyers after the Olympic break. He struggled with injuries and inconsistency for the first two-thirds of the campaign. For Carolina, Brandon Bussi boasted a 31-6-2 record during the regular season He served as the regular starter when Andersen missed time with injury issues.
Special teams: The Flyers'' power play ranked last in the NHL during the season. They found a one-game oasis (2-for-3 in Game Three) but otherwise came up blank in the other five matches. The Flyers actually had some power play success against the Hurricanes in the regular season but the playoff series is a greater challenge.
Philly's PK started and finished the Pittsburgh series very strong. The Flyers made a tactical adjustment after the Penguins scored a combined three power play goals in Games Three and Four.
Carolina was 20-for-21 on the penalty kill in the Ottawa series. They were 2-for-15 on the power play in the series. During the regular season, the Hurricanes ranked fourth on the power play (24.9 percent) and 11th on the PK (80.5 percent).
SEASON SERIES RECAP
All four of the regular season meetings between the Metropolitan Division teams went beyond regulation. The Flyers won the final meeting via shootout, clinching a playoff spot in the process. Carolina had one overtime victory and two shootout wins.
October 11: Flyers 3 @ Hurricanes 4 (OT)
The Flyers lost a controversial overtime decision that overshadowed a 35-save performance from Ersson. In OT, the Flyers though they won the game only to have the NHL's convululated goaltender interference rule set (Rule 69) wipe the would-be winning goal off the board. On the play, goaltender Andersen initiated contact with Travis Sanheim in the blue paint but, by letter of the law, the goal came off the board. With 17 seconds left in OT, Seth Jarvis scored the winning goal for the Canes.
December 13: Flyers 3 vs. Hurricanes 4 (SO, 1-0)
The Flyers played an excellent first period and held Carolina to 18 shots for the game. Philly took a 2-0 lead to the first intermission. However, the Canes scored the next three goals before Carl Grundstrom forced overtime. After three scoreless shootout rounds, Jason Blake captured the bonus point for the Hurricanes in the bottom of the fourth round. Ersson took the loss against Pyotr Kochetkov.
December 14: Flyers 2 @ Hurricanes 3 (SO, 1-0)
In the second half of the home-and-home set, Vladar opposed Bussi in net. The Canes dominated the first period and the Flyers trailed 2-0 early. Jamie Drysdale narrowed the gap before Philly staged a dominant third period (14-7 shot edge). Finally, in the last two minutes of regulation, Trevor Zegras forged a 2-2 deadlock. In the shootout, Andrei Svechnikov scored the only goal.
April 14: Flyers 3 vs. Hurricanes 2 (SO, 1-0)
In the penultimate game of the regular season, the Flyers needed a win of any variety to secure a playoff spot. Despite resting a host of regulars in their lineup, the Canes' depth and team speed was one full display. Philly trailed 2-0 after the first period. Goals by Matvei Michkov and Zegras got the game tied shortly past the midway point. After a scoreless third period and sudden death, the game went to a shootout. Vladar turned aside all four attempts he faced. Meanwhile, in the top of the fourth round, Tyson Foerster scored the winning goal against Bussi.
Flyers players to watch
It goes without saying that Vladar is the Flyers' best hope for an upset win in the series. He may need to steal a game or two along the way. It also goes without saying that there are no unimportant skaters, from leading regular season scorer Travis Konecny and captain Sean Couturier straight through the lineup. There cannot be a single passenger for the Flyers; everyone has to contribute. In terms of individual players, here are six to track after the Pittsburgh series.
Trevor Zegras: Zegras rose to the challenge several times both in the regular season series against the Hurricanes and the first round matchup with the Penguins. If he can at least hold his own on faceoffs against the NHL's best puck possession team, Zegras could be a difference maker with his playmaking and right-circle one-timer.
Porter Martone: The gifted 19-year-old winger had 10 points in nine regular season games. In the Pittsburgh series, he netted the game winning goals in Games One and Two plus a nice assist in Game Three. He seemed to hit the wall a bit later in the series but very nearly scored the overtime winner in Game Six before Cam York did the honors on the next shift.
Tyson Foerster: After a four-month absence with an upper-body injury, Foerster made an immediate impact upon his return to the lineup. However, his energy seemed to dip at the tail end of the regular season and most of the Pittsburgh series. In Game Six, the Flyers moved him to the fourth line in order to have his wall play and defensive awareness in the lineup while alleviating some of the scoring pressure (zero points) in the series.
Matvei Michkov: Michkov surged after the Olympic break, leading the team in scoring down the stretch. He struggled mightily in Games One to Four of the Pittsburgh series. A healthy scratch in Game Five, Michkov had his best game of the series in the clincher. After knocking on the door several times (including a breakaway opportunity), the young Russian had the primary assist on York's winning goal.
Travis Sanheim: From the Olympic break onward, the Flyers' No. 1 defenseman played at the highest sustained all-around level of his NHL career. Sanheim continued it throughout the Pittsburgh series. The Team Canada Olympian and his partner, Team Finland's Rasmus Ristolainen. sustained their outstanding play throughout the Penguins' series.
Jamie Drysdale: Drysdale's fleet feet and quick stick are of paramount importance to the Flyers' chances against Carolina. He had a rough fifth game of the Penguins' series but was otherwise outstanding in the other matches.
Behind Enemy Lines
Former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall turned back the clock in the first round series against Ottawa, leading Carolina with seven points (2g, 5a). Meanwhile, former Dallas player Logan Stankoven was always around the scoring areas and scored four goals in the opening round. Sebastian Aho scored three goals in the series, while Svechnikov was unusually blanked from the scoresheet. Blake had four points (1g, 3a) and two-way force Jarvis had a pair of assists.
The defensive shutdown backbone of the Hurricanes' blueline is still Jaccob Slavin. He'll log heavy-duty minutes that will put Philly's offensive depth to the test. Former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere had 13 goals and 50 points in just 55 regular season games but did not record a point in the Ottawa series. "Ghost's" defense partner, Andrei Nikishin has been battling injury but rejoined the team at practice. Brind'Amour is hopeful the Russian blueliner will be ready to go in this series.
Nikolaj Ehlers, a key offseason addition, is also banged up heading into the series. He dressed in three games against Ottawa.
