Postgame RAV4: Flyers Season Ends in OT

The Philadelphia Flyers lost the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime, 3-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinal. The Hurricanes swept the series with two wins in OT.

Tyson Foerster (first NHL playoff goal) gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first period.

In the second period, the Flyers had a few Grade A chances off the rush. Overall, however, the Hurricanes dominated the period. The Flyers were fortunate to get the game to the second intermission tied at 1-1. Jackson Blake (3rd) was credited with the tying goal. Shortly thereafter, a Mark Jankowski goal was overturned for goaltender interference.

Logan Stankoven (7th) made it 2-1 with a goal off rush early in the third period. The Flyers had their third defensive pair and third forward line on the ice. A few shifts later, Alex Bump (2nd) made it a 2-2 tie.

For the second time in the series, the game went to overtime.

Taylor Hall (4th) scored the series winning goal in sudden death.

Dan Vladar made 37 saves on 40 shots. Frederik Andersen stopped 15 of 17 shots for Carolina.

Flyers rookies Oliver Bonk and Jett Luchanko made their respective NHL playoff debuts on Saturday. They replaced Emil Andrae and Matvei Michkov in the starting lineup.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Porter Martone attacked up the right wing and created a multiple shot attempt flurry. Only Martone's initial shot made it to Andersen but it was an excellent shift for the rookie and his line.

Off a neutral zone turnover, Seth Jarvis broke through the middle. Vladar made his third save of the period. 

At the six minute mark, Oliver Bonk made a strong play along the defensive boards and started a breakout after winning the battle. The Flyers went offside. Shots were 4-2 Carolina at this point.

Trevor Zegras made a button hook in the offensive zone and passed on the tape to an oncoming Foerster. Skating downhill, Foerster fired a wrist shot under Andersen's glove from just above the hash marks. The assists went to Zegras and Martone at 7:50.

At the other end, Vladar made a 10-bell save on Jordan Staal.

Carolina went to the game's first power play at 11:32. Martone went off for hooking Jarvis high in the Carolina zone. Glendening broke his stick, prolonging a Carolina attack. But a shot attempt later hit the broken stick and went to Sean Couturier for a clear.

Back at 5-on-5, Travis Konecny had a chance in transition. Andersen made the save.

At 14:26, Philly got its first power play. Jordan Martinook went off for interference. Zegras had a good scoring chance. Oliver Bonk saw a shift on PP2. The second unit did not generate any chances.

In the final 20 seconds, Konecny missed the net on a 2-on-1 with Dvorak.

Shots: Flyers 5 - Hurricanes 8
Faceoffs: Flyers 7 - Hurricanes 10

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Carolina controlled the play for the first four minutes. At 4:16, Couturier was penalized on a very marginal hooking penalty.

At 7:22, Jamie Drysdale went down at the defensive blueline. Jordan Staal went off for tripping. Martone ripped a shot wide but the Flyers got a 40-second two man advantage as Sebastian Aho was called for hooking. The Flyers missed the net on two shot attempts and had another one blocked.

A 10:20, Rasmus Ristolainen was called for interference. As the penalty expired, Vladar held onto a deflected puck.

Carolina won an offensive zone draw and the puck deflected off Jamie Drysdale into the net at 12:35. The play started with Taylor Hall winning a right circle faceoff and the Canes getting traffic at the net. The goal was credited to Jackson Blake, assisted by K'Andre Miller and Hall.

Carolina scored again at 13:03. Jankowski had the would-be tally. The Flyers challenged it for goaltender interference. The goal came off the board.

Vladar stopped a left circle one-timer from Jarvis off a setup pass from Aho at 14:39.

The Flyers had a 2-on-1 down low. Garnet Hathaway was not quite able to finish off a Luke Glendening setup.

Carolina had a 3-on-1 rush. Mark Jankowski missed a half-open net from the left side.

In the last minute of the period, with 6.6 seconds left, Dvorak hit the post to the glove side off a setup pass from Konecny. Ristolainen had the initial entry. 

Shots: Flyers 4 (9 overall)  - Hurricanes 15 (23 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 7 (14 overall) - Hurricanes 11 (21 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers got beaten off the rush and Stankoven scored from the low right slot off a pass from Hall. Blake had the other assist at 4:13. Ex-Flyer Sean Walker triggered the rush.

Philly escaped damage on a Sanheim turnover behind the net.

The Flyers drew even at 5:52. Konecny won a battle behind the net and centered the puck to Bump in the slot for his second career playoff goal.

Martone set a screen and nearly scored on a Foerster rebound with 9:17 remaining in the period. Through 10:43, shots were 8-3 Carolina. With about 8:30 left, Ristolainen had room and time to rip a shot. Andersen fought it off.

With 4:18 left, the Flyers iced the puck. At 16:36, Bump forced Andersen to hold a puck for a stoppage. At the other end, Drysdale broke up a play.

Carolina had one final rush attempt.

Shots: Flyers 6 (15 overall)  - Hurricanes 13 (36 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 17 (31 overall) - Hurricanes 11 (32 overall)

OVERTIME SYNOPSIS

The Couturier line started OT against the Staal line. Carolina iced the puck at 0:43. 

Through 3:15, shots were 1-1.

Off a neutral zone turnover, the Canes gained the zone. At 5:31, a Blake  shot went off Vladar's arm and into the net. The assist went to Hall.

Shots: Flyers 2 (17 overall)  - Hurricanes 4 (40 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 4 (35 overall) - Hurricanes 5 (37 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Tyson Foerster — Christian Dvorak – Travis Konecny
Alex Bump – Trevor Zegras – Porter Martone
Carl Grundstrom – Denver Barkey –  Jett Luchanko
Luke Glendening – Sean Couturier – Garnet Hathaway

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler –  Oliver Bonk

Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]

POSTGAME RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Play with pride and smarts

The Flyers did just that in Game Four. Philly had to go to "bent but don't break mode" for the majority of the second period. The issue: 16 giveaways through 40 minutes, a 23-9 shot on goal disadvantage (lopsided possession difference in the second period) and a 21-14 deficit on faceoffs. The Blake goal started with Philly losing a defensive zone draw cleanly.

A positive: players doing whatever it took to help Vladar in front. Philly blocked 15 shots through 40 minutes.

The Flyers were on the defensive again for the majority of the third period. They won the majority of their faceoffs and Vladar remained sharp.

2. Scoring from the wing

Tyson Foerster ended the Flyers' winger drought with his first period goal. It was his first NHL playoff goal. Bump later got his second.

3. Captain Coots

Team captain Sean Couturier epitomized the nature of the second period. He lost more battles than he won -- and turned a puck over on a potential exit opportunity -- but hung tough.

4. Special teams

The Flyers were 0-for-3 on the power play. They went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.