Preview: Round 2, Game 1 vs. Philadelphia

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes continue their postseason journey on home ice, as they start their series against the Philadelphia Flyers at Lenovo Center.

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When: Saturday, May 1

Puck Drop: 8:00 p.m. ET

Watch: ABC; Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

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Canes First Round: 4-0 Series Win over the Ottawa Senators

Canes Last Game: 4-2 Win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, Apr. 25

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Flyers First Round: 4-2 Series Win over the Pittsburgh Penguins

Flyers Last Game: 1-0 Win (2OT) over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, Apr. 29

Revisiting The Regular Season Meetings...

• October 11: Seth Jarvis scored in overtime, and 10 different skaters recorded a point as the Canes topped the Flyers 4-3 at Lenovo Center.
• December 13: Carolina erased a two-goal deficit and held strong in a shootout, knocking off the Flyers 4-3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
• December 14: For the second night in a row, the Canes took down the Flyers in a shootout, this time by a 3-2 final in Raleigh.
• April 13: Missing several lineup regulars toward the end of the regular season, the Canes picked up a crucial point in Philadelphia to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference despite a 3-2 shootout loss.

Reflecting On Round 1...

• Logan Stankoven was the driving force for Carolina on offense in the team's sweep over the Senators, scoring in all four games. His line of himself (4G, 1A), Taylor Hall (2G, 5A), and Jackson Blake (1G, 3A) combined for 16 points in the four games, and they'll look to continue their success into the next round.
• Goaltender Frederik Andersen was outstanding in all four games, allowing a total of just five goals and posting a .955 save percentage.
• Carolina's penalty kill turned in a 20-for-21 performance, keeping Ottawa's power play, which was a top 10 one all year, mostly quiet.
• Click here for a full review of the Canes' four-game series win.

In Net...

• As mentioned above, Frederik Andersen emerged as the ace in Round 1. Going into the series, Rod Brind'Amour said there was a likelihood that the team would also need Brandon Bussi, continuing the rotation they'd rolled for most of the year, but over the course of a week, the veteran backstop proved to be too good to take out. It is expected that he'll be in net tonight as he looks to continue his hot streak.
• It's now been 17 days since his last game, but Bussi wrapped up the regular season on a heater, following up his first set of consecutive losses (0-3-0) with a 6-0-1 run and allowing two or fewer goals in four of those wins.
• Pyotr Kochetkov also remains waiting in the wings. Although he made two conditioning loan starts with Chicago (AHL) following multiple lower-body surgeries this winter, his last NHL action came on Dec. 20.

On The Other Side...

• Just two months ago, popular hockey website MoneyPuck.com gave the Flyers a 3.8% chance at making the playoffs. With a 26-21-11 record coming out of the Winter Olympics, the team sat sixth in the Metro and were eight points back of a Wild Card spot, with four other teams in front of them. The small glimmer of hope became a rallying cry for the group, as they turned on the jets over the final six weeks of the season.
• Going 18-7-1 in their final 26 games, Philadelphia fought its way back into the mix, punching its ticket to the postseason against the Canes in their second-last game of the regular season.
• Their first trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020, their mid-season turnaround can be credited to stellar defense and goaltending. Giving up an average of just 2.38 goals per game after Feb. 24, that number ranked the fewest among all Eastern Conference teams.
• Last summer's free agency signing, Dan Vladar, has become the team's go-to in net. His 12 wins post-Olympics were tied for the most among all NHL netminders, and he rolled that right over into a strong first round, where he posted an outstanding .937 save percentage against the Penguins.
• Additionally, the unit received a shot in the arm in late March when 2025 first-round pick (sixth overall) Porter Martone turned pro following his season at Michigan State and made an immediate impact. Turning in 10 points in his first nine NHL games, the 6-foot-3, 214 lbs. forward is as dynamic as they come.

Injury Updates...

• Forward Nikolaj Ehlers (lower-body injury) missed Game 4 of the team's series win over the Ottawa Senators on Apr. 25, but returned to practice with the team, in a regular jersey, on May 1. Rod Brind'Amour said he is "hopeful" to have him available today.
• Defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) was knocked out of the aforementioned series finale, but returned to practice on Apr. 29 and skated in a regular jersey during yesterday's practice. Similarly to Nikishin, Brind'Amour said he is "hopeful" he'll be good to go today.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes will wear their BLACK uniforms for the contest. They will wear black for every home game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes and Flyers will square off for Game 2 of the series sometime in the next few days.
• Next Game: DATE TBD | Round 1, Game 2 vs. Philadelphia | TIME TBD | How To Watch | Tickets | Parking