Flyers need to focus on forecheck against Hurricanes in Eastern 2nd Round

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Philadelphia Flyers understand exactly how slim their margin of error is against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Second Round.

They lost three of their four regular-season games to the Hurricanes, but all four went past regulation, three ending in a shootout.

And they expect more of the same in the series opener at Lenovo Center on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS).

"We know it's going to be tight checking," Flyers defenseman Cam York said. "In terms of play style, I feel like we do play a similar game with them. ... They're a dump-and-chase team that likes to flip pucks out, and they're just a really north-south team. So I feel like play style, we're similar to Carolina. You've got to make your adjustments, and as this series goes along we will, but we like the matchup."

One of the keys for Philadelphia will be establishing its forecheck early in the series, similar to what it did in winning the first three games of its first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

"That's what makes us a strong team," forward Denver Barkey said. "I think our speed and establishing our forecheck really helps us create turnovers, and that's where we make our plays, get to the net. ... I think just sticking to the basics, keeping it simple, making sure we get over the red line, we're getting pucks behind their (defensemen), making them pivot and turn and go get pucks back just tires them out. And I think if we do that, our forecheck will be established, and we can get chances from there."

It was a strategy the Flyers felt they got away from during the final three games against the Penguins, one reason Pittsburgh was able to claw back to force Game 6.

"I think we were holding onto pucks down low, not throwing pucks (away), making them stop," forward Noah Cates said of their early success against the Penguins. "And that's kind of the same way we need to make these guys play. Make them stop in their own zone, punt pucks, be above them with a good F3 (high forward). 

"So if they're circling and you're throwing pucks, they're quick transitioning, even quicker than what they already do, it's going to be a long night. They're going to be coming at us in waves. Holding onto pucks and making them go the full 200 feet through five guys is kind of the biggest way to kind of slow that down."

Cates said playing quicker needs to apply in more areas than just their forecheck.

"There's ways of beating their pressure," he said. "We've got to find it. You've got to skate. You have to have a skating game to match their speed, because they're really good off the rush."

After four grinding regular-season games, the Flyers are prepared for more of the same starting Saturday.

"I think you've got to be prepared for a hard series," Cates said. "Obviously kind of how detailed they are, I think we're pretty stingy defensively as well. Just expecting a battle all over the ice, on the walls, everywhere. You've got to just win puck battles, win lines, advance pucks."