Postgame RAV4: Special Teams Cost Philly Heavily in Game Three

The Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-1, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinal. The Flyers trail the series, three games to zero.

Shot attempts in the first period favored the Hurricanes, 29-12, but Philly had multiple good looks, including a hit post and a puck that got swept away from the goal line. Carolina's Eric Staal (PPG, 1st goal of the playoffs) converted a favorable bounce off the end boards into a goal. 

That was the difference after Philly's first power play stalled the momentum the Flyers took into it. In the second period, special teams once again loomed large to the Flyers' detriment.

Trevor Zegras (2nd) tied the game on a delayed Carolina penalty. Later, however, Jalen Chatfield tallied a shorthanded goal (1st) to restore the lead.

In the third period, a 4-on-3 power play goal by Andrei Svechnikov (1st) and a breakaway Nikolaj Ehlers goal (2nd) turned the game into a 4-1 Carolina lead.

Special teams bit the Flyers again early in the third period. A 4-on-3 power play goal by Andrei Svechnikov (1st) opened a 3-1 lead.

Dan Vladar made 25 saves on 29 shots. Frederik Andersen stopped 18 of 19 shots for Carolina.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers generated a point shot with traffic in front on the game's first shift off a setup from Sean Couturier. Going the other way, Jalen Chatfield had a shot. The first Philly scoring chance was a Konency shot in transition that missed the net.

On another transition play, Porter Martone hit the post off a feed from Trevor Zegras. Through a Canes' icing at 5:49, shots were 2-1 Canes after a redirect by Carl Grundstrom.

Tyson Foerter drove toward the net with the puck on a near play. At 8:29, Alex Bump was taken down as he cut in from the right circle. There was no call.

Bump had a great chance near the net off a pass from Martone. Andersen made an excellent save.

The Flyers went to the game's first power play at 13:34. Sean Walker went off for interference as Philly attempted to forecheck. Couturier lost the first faceoff and the Flyes struggled to gain re-entry. The Flyers had no shots or scoring chances over the two minutes.

After a Flyers icing. Carolina won a faceoff. Vladar denied a quick shot at 16:05.

Couturier was called for a defensive zone tripping minor at 16:35.On a broken play, the Canes scored first. After the puck caromed off the end boards, Staal knocked it in as it came out. The assists went to Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbere at 17:27.

The Flyers nearly got the goal right back. Jaccob Slavin saved a goal, sweeping the puck off the goal off the goal line as Rasmus Ristolainen's shot trickled past Andersen.

Jackson Blake went off for slashing at 19:24 . The call was evened right up at 19:42 on an interference penalty on Jamie Drysdale.

Shots: Flyers 7 - Hurricanes 9
Faceoffs: Flyers 7 - Hurricanes 8

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

On a delayed Carolina penalty, the Flyers knotted the score at 2:31. Zegras was Johnny-on-the-spot skating to the post as the puck bounced to him in a scrum. The assists went to Emil Andrae for the original puck at the net and Martone for making the initial play.

Martone nearly scored on his next shift. He was knocked down finally as he neared the net. Two shifts later, Denver Barkey turned in a strong two-way shift.

Martone intercepted a pass set up and Bump (second scoring chance on one shift) took it for a for a grade A chance.  Andersen got his blocker on it. At the other end, Drysdale received a ticky-tack slashing penalty at 8:40.The Flyers killed this one off.

At 12:55, Zegras was called for an offensive zone high sticking minor against K'Andre Miller. With seven seconds left on the kill, Seeler painfully blocked a shot but muted a dangerous play.

Behind the play as the Flyers moved the puck out of the defensive zone, Sanheim was hit from behind into the defensive side boards. Taylor Hall was called for a boarding minor at 15:48. The play underwent a lengthy review for a potential major.

Couturier won the first draw but Carolina gained a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush that finished off by Chatfield on a pass from Jordan Staal at 15:59. 

As the power play resumed, Carolina gained another shorthanded rush as Drysdale held Seth Jarvis at 16:33. However, the Flyers remained on the power play as Jarvis high-sticked Konecny. To top it off, Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour got an unsportsmanlike conduct bench penalty.  

The Flyers did not capitalize on the 5-on-3. At 5-on-4, Michkov deflected a puck on net. Another power play went by.

At 19:09, during a scrum, Dvorak received a roughing penalty. Carolina took 1:10 of carryover power play time into the third period.

Shots: Flyers 6 (13 overall)  - Hurricanes 9 (18 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 11 (18 overall) - Hurricanes 6 (14 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Flyers killed off the remaining penalty time. 

Two minutes of four-on-four play ensued after Dvorak and Miller went off for coincidental roughing minors at 2:14. At 2:29, Foerster took a bounce pass from Couturier and put a left circle shot on net.

Carolina went on a 4-on-3 power play at 3:24 as Cam York was called for goaltender interference skating past the front of the net. A Svechnikov one-timer from the right dot made it 3-1 at 3:52. The assists went to Sebastian Aho and Gostisbehere.

Philly escaped damage when Bump turned over the puck at the red line with 13:29 left in regulation.

A breakaway goal by Ehlers over Vladar's glove made it 4-1 at 7:08. The play started with a lost offensive zone draw. The assists went to Martinook and Miller.

At 8:52, Dvorak took a delay of game penalty as he sent the puck out of play from the defensive zone.

Carolina's Aho took a high-sticking penalty at 12:21. The Flyers once again failed on the power play.

After a whistle at 17:41, a scrum broke out. Konecny, the initiator, got slashing, roughing and misconduct penalties. Carolina's Eric Robinson got one minor for roughing.

Fights broke out with 25.2 seconds left in the game. Carolina finished the game with a power play.

Shots: Flyers 6 (19 overall)  - Hurricanes 12 (30 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 8 (26 overall) - Hurricanes 9 (23 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

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

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler –  Emil Andrae

Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]

POSTGAME RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Next man up

In the absences of Noah Cates and Owen Tippett, it was even more imperative for the Flyers to circle the wagons in Game Three. Martone and Zegras made clutch plays on the 1-1 goal. 

2. Forechecking pressure

The Flyers came with a lot of pace and forechecking pressure in the first period. Unfortunately, Philly's first power play was a momentum killer. The Flyers cranked up their play anew in the second period but another power play -- this one leading to Chatfield's shorthanded goal -- once again proved to be a detriment.

3. Shooting mentality

Heading into Game Three, Tocchet said his team was too often guilty of overpassing in search of back-door tap-in goals. On Thursday,  the Flyers did look to shoot more with traffic at the net. However, of the first 25 shot attempts, eight got blocked and four missed the net

4. Special teams

Over the first two games of the series, the Flyers were a mere 1-for-11 on the power play but 9-for-10 on the penalty kill. In Game Three, the Flyers were 0-for-6 on the power play with a killer shorthanded goal yielded. They were 6-for-8 on the penalty kill.