Postgame RAV4: Flyers Lose in OT to Canes, 3-2

The Philadelphia Flyers lost in overtime the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday evening. Carolina scored the tying and winning goals on power plays.

Ten seconds into the first period, Sebastian Aho (2nd) opened the scoring for the Canes. Owen Tippet (1st) subsequently tied the game.

In the second period, Travis Konecny had a takeaway and fed Matvei Michkov (1st) for a go-ahead goal. Despite a 30-12 shot disadvantage, the Flyers took a 2-1 lead into the third period.

Aho tied the game with his second goal of the night (PPG, 3rd) early in the third period.

Former Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere netted the winning goal in overtime.

Joseph Woll stopped 37 of 40 shots. Pyotr Kochetkov made 16 saves on 18 shots,

1ST PERIOD

Just 10 seconds into the game, Carolina led 1-0. Will Carrier won the race to the puck behind the night, absorbed a Rasmus Ristolainen hit, and centered to an open Aho in the slot. The shot went off Woll's glove into the net. Andrei Svechnikov got the secondary assist.

Porter Martone had Philly's first shot on a decent scoring chance. Kochetkov made the stop. Carolina had the next two two shots.

On a routine breakout opportunity, Ristolained iced the puck at  5:34. Carolina won the draw and fired a shot on net. By 6:20, shouts were 7-1.

The Flyers completed four successive passes and generated a chance. On the next shift, Tippett snapped a slot shot home. Trevor Zegras made the initial play after Carolina mishandled the puck. Eventually, the puck came out to the goal scorer.

Eric Robinson won a foot race to a loose puck. Shots were now 11-4 Canes.

The Flyers went on the first power play at 12:21; a Jesperi Kotkaniemi holding minor. With 50 seconds left in the power play, Travis Konecny took a hooking penalty.

After a Flyers' turnover, Sanheim blocked a Shayne Gostisbehere shot out of play at 17:45.

Philadelphia went back to the power play at 18:54 (Aho slash). Konecny moved up to the first unit. Foerster had a one-timer from the top of the left circle (Philly's fifth shot). Later, Foerster fired a scorching one timer from the middle off a Zegras pass.

Shots:  Flyers 6 - Hurricanes 13

Faceoffs: Flyers 12 -- Hurricanes 6

2ND PERIOD

The Flyers took 54 seconds of carryover power play time into the second period. Konecny and Michkov both made near-plays.

Shots were 2-2 through 4:08.

Woll survived a bad rebound as the defense bailed him out. Shots were now 5-2.

The Flyers took a 2-1 lead at 7:20. Konecny picked Kotkaniemi's pocket at the blueline and found Michkov, who went in and scored under the left pad. Dvorak got a secondary assist.

The Dvorak line buzzed on their  next shift, as did the Cates line. Second period shots were now  7-5 Carolina after they had a 6-2 edge early.

The Hurricanes went to their second power play at 12:49. Seeler was called for holding Kotkaniemi. Gostibehere ripped a shot off the outside of the right post.

Woll made a tremendous recovery save on Carrier at the doorstep to prevent a goal at 15:46. Second period shots were now 13-6 Canes (26-12 overall).

Shots:  Flyers 6 (12 overall) - Hurricanes 17  (30  overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 9 (21 overall)  -- Hurricanes 13 (19 overall)

3RD PERIOD

Ristolainen left the game, briefly returned and then departed for the rest of the game. He will be re-evaluated on Sunday per Flyers PR.

Woll made a low glove save at 37 seconds; but it wasn't ruled a shot on goal.

Zegras had an awful turnover on a low percentage pass down the middle from his own zone. Carolina generated extended possession and two shots. Woll bailed out the team from the pressure.

The Hurricanes went to their third power play at 3:45. Michkov went off for a neutral zone hold. At 4:59, Aho got open between the circles in the slot. Taking a feed from NIkolaj Ehlers, Aho tied the game. Svechnikov had the other assist. Shots were now 34-12 for the game.

Kochetkov made a tough save on Acciari to keep the game tied at 2-2. Philly strung together strong back-to-back shifts for the first juncture in considerable time.

At 8:01, there was a big scrum in the Carolina zone after Jalen Chatfield roughed up Zegras. The Flyers coughed up the puck on a cookie in the defensive zone. They escaped courtesy of Woll. Foerster had a golden scoring chance at the other end. Philly continued to move the puck well thereafter but still couldn't score.

Woll melted down a scramble near the net.

Gostisbehere took a blatant slashing penalty with 1:26 left in regulation. Philly generated no pressure. They took 26 seconds of 4-on-3 power play into OT.

Shots:  Flyers 5 (17 overall) - Hurricanes 9 (36  overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 9  (30 overall)  -- Hurricanes 11 (30 overall)

OVERTIME

Zegras had a golden scoring chance on the first shift of OT. At 1:35, Tippett was called for a slash at the defensive blueline. At 2:51, Gostisbehere fired a shot from atop the left circle that found the net. The assists went to Jackson Blake and Aho.

Final Shots: Flyers 18 - Hurricanes 40

Final Faceoffs: Flyers 31 - Hurricanes 32

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Travis Konecny - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov

Carl Grundstrom - Trevor Zegras - Owen Tippett

Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Porter Martone
Alex Bump - Sean Couturier - Noel Acciari

Travis Sanheim - Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York - Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler - David Jiricek

Joseph Woll

[Dan Vladar]

POSTGAME RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Puck Possession

The Flyers were heavily out-possessed in the first period, particularly the Christian Dvorak line. However, the Trevor Zegras line had a good start in that area, plus a goal.  

The Dvorak line created a turnover and turned it into a Michkov goal in the second period. Carolina controlled most of the possession again but the defense did a good job at letting Woll see the shots and boxing out. Many of the shots came from the perimeter. Even so, Philly spent too much time defending.

2. Playing with pace

The Flyers played with better pace in this game -- particularly in the first 10 minutes of the second period. Zegras showed more quickness than in either of the first two games. Carolina has elite team speed, however. More importantly, the Flyers took a lead into the third period.

3. Special teams

The Flyers were 0-for-4 on the power play. They went 2-for-4 on the penalty kill.  Ultimately, this was the difference in the game.

4. Flyers forwards

Through the season's first two games, Flyers forwards generated zero goals and just two assists (one apiece for Travis Konecny and Sean Couturier). Correspondingly, the team shuffled its line combos in both the second and third games, On Saturday, Tippett and Michkov broke through for the team's first two goals by forwards this season.