The Philadelphia Flyers were shut out by the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0, at Lenovo Center in Game One of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Philly had to chase the game for 58-plus minutes. Two goals from the scorching Logan Stankoven and one from Jason Blake led the way for Carolina.
Carolina dominated the first period, both in puck possession and on the scoreboard. Philly remains scoreless in the first period of seven straight games.
Just 91 seconds into the game, Stankoven (5th goal of the playoffs) deflected home the first goal of the series. Later, on a rush through the middle, Blake (2nd) doubled the lead.
The Flyers largely settled things down in the second period. However, they were unable to generate shots on most of their better scoring chances. Late in the period, a turnover proved fatal as Stankoven (6th) scored his second goal of the game.
The Hurricanes idled their engines a bit in the third period. Philly found more operating room, but could not do much with it.
Dan Vladar made 20 saves on 23 shots. Frederik Andersen recorded a 19-save shutout.
FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS
After a forechecking cycle, Carolina got the puck back to the point. From the low slot, Stankoven deflected the puck Vladar at 1:31. The assists went to Mike Reilly and Jason Blake.
The Hurricanes had three of the game's first four shots on goal. Carolina controlled possession heavily.
The lead increased to 2-0 at 7:30. Blake skated through the middle off a Blake lead pass, and scored. The assists went to Taylor Hall and Reilly. Shots were now 7-1.
At 8:34, Nick Seeler cross-checked Mark Jankowski to the ice. The Canes received the game's first power play. As the penalty expired, the Canes had an open look from the middle of the slot. The puck went wide.
The Flyers went to their first power play at 12:28. Jordan Martinook went off for a high sticking minor. The Flyers had two shot attempts blocked. They later iced the puck.
With play back at 5-on-5, Couturier had a shot over the middle from above the circles. Andersen made the save.
At 15:04, Reilly cross-checked Michkov in the neutral zone. Philly went back to the power play. The Flyers were guilty of two offside entries after clears by Carolina.
Sean Couturier sweep-checked the puck away from Shayne Gostisbehere to create a 2-on-1 rush for Luke Glendening and Garnet Hathaway They were unable to beat Andersen on the initial shot or the rebound.
At the other end, Andrei Svechnikov had a dangerous backhand chance from the slot.
Shots: Flyers 4 - Hurricanes 12
Faceoffs: Flyers 13 - Hurricanes 13
SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS
The.Hurricanes generated a major flurry around the net in the opening 1:05 of the second period.
Martone very nearly scored off a Carolina turnover. At 2:15, goaltender Andersen tripped the rookie forward. The Flyers nearly pulled off a backdoor play. That was as close as they came.
At 7:59, Vladar gloved a severe deflection from Blake.
On a Carolina offside, Hathaway took a weak slashing penalty after the whistle. Carolina went to the power play at 8:46. Vladar stopped a Nikolaj Ehlers shot from the top of the left circle. Exiting the box, Hathaway lost a potential breakaway when the puck was swept away by K'Andre Miller.
The Cates line generated a strong forecheck. After a Canes turnover, Cates fired a quick shot on net. Martone's work on the walls helped make it happen.
Couturier made a play with Glendening going to the net. Andersen covered the puck for a stoppage.
Off a Noah Juulsen giveaway, Carolina had a 2-on-1 down low off a fortunate bounce. Stankoven finished it off for a 3-0 lead at 16:15. The assists went to Jarvis and Svechnikov.
Sanheim had a chance from the slot at 18:31. It was just Philly's ninth shot on goal of the game.
At 19:15, Foerster was called for a slashing minor on Svechnikov on the defensive half wall. The call was initially a major before review. The Hurricanes took a carryover power play into the third period.
Shots: Flyers 5 (9 overall) - Hurricanes 9 (21 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 24 (11 overall) - Hurricanes 7 (20 overall)
THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS
Couturier had a shorthanded chance. The puck was loose but Couturier was unable to follow up on a retrieval and centering pass from Glendening.
At 4:20, Cam York took a heavy spill to the ice. He went off gingerly after landing on his backside.
Coincidental roughing minors to Hall and Martone at 7:29 created two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey.
At 11:46, Trevor Zegras (elbowing, misconduct) and Blake (slashing) went off for coincidental minors. Extra penalties went to Hall (roughing) and Konecny (roughing and cross-checking). Carolina got a power play.
Couturier stripped the puck from an attacker. The Flyers went offside. At 13:40, Gostisbehere and Seeler received misconducts for exchanging slashes well behind the play.
With 4:48 left, Svechnikov took a cross checking penalty on Martone right off a faceoff. The Flyers pulled Vladar for a 6-on-4. The Flyers had a lot of possession but were kept to the perimeter. The penalty expired.
Shots: Flyers 10 (19 overall) - Hurricanes 2 (23 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 14 (35 overall) - Hurricanes 9 (29 overall)
FLYERS STARTING LINEUP
Alex Bump -- Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone
Denver Barkey – Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Sean Couturier - Luke Glendening – Luke Glendening
Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Luke Glendening
Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]
POSTGAME RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)
1. Puck possession
The Hurricanes, the NHL's best puck possession team, dominated this area in the first period and portions of the second.
2. Tone setters
The closest thing the Flyers had to a positive tone-setter in this line was Couturier. For the rest of the team, apart from physicality, very little went right. An extra move here, a failed entry there and, later, a very costly turnover that put them in a cavernous deficit.
3. Between the pipes
Vladar was shaded too far to the middle of his net on the second goal, but the Carolina attack sliced right through the middle of the ice before that. He otherwise did what he could to keep his team from getting blown out. Andersen was hardly tested until the third period.
4. Discipline and special teams
The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play. They were 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. Things got testy as the third period unfolded.
