Hurricanes hold line to take Game 1, win 5th straight playoff game

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes found a formula that worked well for them in the Eastern Conference First Round, so they figured they might as well stick with it.

So, Logan Stankoven and linemates Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall again played the leading role, with support from goalie Frederik Andersen, in the Hurricanes’ 3-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Lenovo Center on Saturday.

Stankoven continued his hot start to the Stanley Cup Playoffs by scoring 1:31 into the game and scored again in the second period. Blake had a goal and an assist and Andersen made 19 saves for his second shutout of the postseason.

Hall also had an assist to give him a team-leading eight points (two goals, six assists) in the playoffs.

“I thought we had a good start,” Stankoven said. “I think the first couple periods were good. I thought we got a little bit sloppy towards the end there, so I think there’s some things we can clean up and I know we have better than that.

“I was happy with our start, though, and sometimes that can definitely help you win games.”

Carolina improved to 5-0 in the playoffs, including its four-game sweep of the Ottawa Senators in the first round, and has yet to trail in a game.

The line of Hall (two goals five assists), Stankoven (four goals, one assist) and Blake (one goal, three assists) combined for 16 points in the first round. Stankoven scored in each of the four games of the series, including the opening goal in three of them.

It was natural to wonder, though, if he would cool off with the Hurricanes coming off a week layoff following their 4-2 series-clinching win against the Senators on April 25. Stankoven answered that immediately by scoring on the first shot of the game.

Stankoven was knocked down behind the net by Flyers center Noah Cates, but he got up and made it to the front of the net in time to deflect defenseman Mike Reilly’s center point shot in over goalie Dan Vladar’s right shoulder for a 1-0 Carolina lead.

“That was the big question, how we were going to come out, and, obviously, that answered that question,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “So, that line has been great, all three of those guys, every game, for not just, whatever, five playoff games. It's been months of it. So, obviously, that's been the difference.”

Stankoven not only became the first player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to have a five-game goal streak in the playoffs, but at 23 years, 65 days old, he also became the youngest player in NHL history to begin a postseason on a five-game goal streak. He bettered the previous record set by Alexander Mogilny (24 years, 73 days) when he scored in the opening five games of the 1993 playoffs.

“The puck is going in for him as well, but he's just been on it,” Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. “That whole line has been obviously the difference maker from the start of this playoffs. They've been going for a while now.”

Blake made it 2-0 at 7:30 of the first period. After taking a backhand breakout pass from Hall, Blake raced up ice between Flyers forward Matvei Michkov and defenseman Travis Sanheim on the left wing. He lost the puck briefly, but it bounced back to him off Vladar’s stick and he shoveled in a backhand on the short side for his second goal of the playoffs.

Stankoven made it 3-0 at 16:16 of the second period by finishing a mini 2-on-1 with Seth Jarvis after Andrei Svechnikov forced a turnover. It was his sixth goal of the playoffs, tying Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild and Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the League lead.

“I felt like my body felt good, legs felt good,” Stankoven said. “I don't expect to score every game and to have a series like I did last series, but I just try and provide secondary scoring. It's been a lot of fun playing with ‘Blaker’ and ‘Hallsie’ and hopefully we can continue that.”

Andersen wasn’t tested often, but he was sharp when called upon, particularly in the third period, when Philadelphia had 10 of its 19 shots.

“Not a lot of work there for the first half of the game or whatever, but then a couple big saves to start the third, especially,” Brind’Amour said. “Then, at the end, we get a little bit of penalty trouble and (the Flyers) pull the goalie and there were a whole bunch of flurries, but he’s been solid, and you can’t understate that or overstate that. That's a big deal.”

The only late drama was whether Andersen would shoot for the empty net after the Flyers pulled Vladar for an extra attacker with 4:48 remaining. The puck came to Andersen twice with plenty of time to shoot, but despite the crowd urging him to try to score, he opted to pass to a teammate.

He settled instead for his 24th playoff win with the Hurricanes to pass Cam Ward for most in Hurricanes/Whalers history and tying Ward’s franchise record of four postseason shutouts.

“We have a goal in mind. I think that's what's really important,” Andersen said. “Obviously, we’ve got to get there and that means getting the wins. We'll take it, but it's a team thing.”