3 Things to Watch: Hurricanes at Flyers, Game 3 of Eastern 2nd Round

(1M) Hurricanes at (3M) Flyers 

Eastern Conference Second Round, Game 3

Carolina leads best-of-7 series 2-0

8 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers are hoping a change of scenery will help change their fortunes against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Second Round at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday.

Philadelphia lost the first two games of the series at Carolina but felt it took some positive steps in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 2 on Monday, despite letting a 2-0 lead slip away.

"Coming home, we have a good opportunity here to play in front of our fans," Flyers forward Travis Konecny said Thursday. "I think we build off of the last game we had in Carolina. I thought we played a pretty good game, and we've still got another level, to be honest with you. So, nothing but confidence in here today heading into the game."

After losing 3-0 in Game 1 on Saturday, however, Philadelphia did a much better job of handling Carolina's forecheck pressure in Game 2 and controlled play for much of the overtime before Taylor Hall scored at 18:54 to win it. So, there were positives from that game, but the Flyers also know their margin for error is shrinking.

"This is our game where we win this game, we're back in this series," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "If we lose, now we're like really behind the eight ball. … But I don't go into this game (thinking), 'Oh my god, we better win this game or we're out of the series.' 

"I'm saying, 'Oh my god, we better be ready to play tonight.'"

The Hurricanes are 6-0 in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they also want to play with urgency. Game 2 was the first time they trailed this postseason, and though they demonstrated their resilience in battling back to win, they can see some areas they'll need to fix to continue winning.

"There's always parts of the game that you want to improve on," said Hall, who has points in all six games (three goals, six assists) for Hurricanes. "They had a good overtime. Some of that we feel was a little bit self-inflicted, but there's a reason they're here. When you're in the second round, you're going to be playing against very good hockey teams. 

"But there's some things that we feel we we're not 10 out of 10 on right now and we're going to keep trying to get there."

A seventh straight victory would tie the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers record for their longest at any point during a playoff year, set during their 2006 run to winning the Stanley Cup.

Teams that take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-7 series have an all-time series record of 212-4 (98.1 percent), including 3-0 in the 2026 playoffs.

Here are three things to watch in Game 3:

1. Last change

The Hurricanes were able to take advantage of having the last line change on home ice to get some matchups they wanted in the first two games, particularly for the red-hot line of Hall (one goal, one assist), Logan Stankoven (two goals) and Jackson Blake (one goal, three assists). At home for Game 3, the Flyers will have last change and Tocchet said he will try to do some things to slow down that line.

"You want your matchup, but we've got to let guys play," Tocchet said. "But there are some things that I can do to help our team out with having certain people on the ice. … They're a hot line. That's a line that we've got to get in on them."

That could force the Hurricanes to change on the fly to try to get Stankoven's line away from unfavorable matchup or they could opt to try to play through it.

"You rely on everybody on your team or you wouldn't be this far," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "So, everybody can play against everyone. In your mind, you have little things that, 'OK, maybe that group can go against that group better,' But on the road, that kind of goes out the window a little bit, and you trust your team."

2. Overcoming injuries

Injuries are starting to pile up for the Flyers after center Noah Cates sustained a lower-body injury in Game 2 that will sideline him for the rest of the series. Philadelphia also will be without right wing Owen Tippett for the third consecutive game because of an unspecified injury and Tocchet acknowledged that center Christian Dvorak is playing through an injury.

Tocchet said Zegras, who played left wing in Game 2, will probably shift back to center with Cates out. Regardless, the Flyers will need to battle through and find a way and get back in the series with whichever players are healthy enough to play.

"I know we've got some key guys hurt. I get it," Tocchet said. "But there's opportunity for whoever to take those positions. I think you just stay on that route. You don't even talk about the negative. You just say there's an opportunity. Everybody is going to get a little bit more ice time and more opportunities."

3. Power-play problems

Each team scored on its first power-play opportunity of Game 2 before resuming their previous struggles. The Flyers are 3-for-28 (10.7 percent) for the playoffs after going 1-for-7 in Game 2, including a failed opportunity in overtime. The Hurricanes are 3-for-25 (12 percent) for the playoffs after going 1-for-6 in Game 2.

Each has been working on it in practice and searching for answers. The first team to find some would get a big boost.

"I thought there was a couple of plays that maybe with a better pass or better shot, we could've created more," Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said. "Obviously, every team at this time of year is trying to find that edge. We've been talking about it, we've been watching video, and we can be better."

Hurricanes projected lineup

Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis

Taylor Hall -- Logan Stankoven -- Jackson Blake

Nikolaj Ehlers -- Jordan Staal -- Jordan Martinook

William Carrier -- Mark Jankowski -- Eric Robinson

Jaccob Slavin -- Jalen Chatfield

K'Andre Miller -- Sean Walker

Alexander Nikishin -- Shayne Gostisbehere

Frederik Andersen

Brandon Bussi

Scratched: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nicolas Deslauriers, Mike Reilly, Pyotr Kochetkov

Injured: None

Flyers projected lineup    

Alex Bump -- Trevor Zegras -- Porter Martone

Travis Konecny -- Christian Dvorak -- Tyson Foerster

Carl Grundstrom -- Denver Barkey -- Matvei Michkov

Sean Couturier -- Luke Glendening -- Garnett Hathaway

Travis Sanheim -- Rasmus Ristolainen

Cam York -- Jamie Drysdale

Nick Seeler -- Emil Andrae

Dan Vladar

Samuel Ersson

Scratched: Garrett Wilson, Noah Juulsen, Jett Luchanko, Oliver Bonk, David Jiricek, Carson Bjarnason, Helge Grans, Hunter McDonald, Oscar Eklind, Jacob Gaucher

Injured: Rodrigo Abols (lower body), Nikita Grebenkin (upper body), Owen Tippett (undisclosed), Noah Cates (lower body)

Status report

Nikishin took part in the morning skate and could play after missing the first two games of this series; he sustained a concussion during Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference First Round. ... The Flyers held an optional morning skate. ... Tippett skated Thursday but the forward will miss his third straight game. ... Cates will be out the rest of the series; the forward was injured during Game 2 on Monday. ... Zegras will return to center after playing on the wing in Game 2, and Hathaway will play after being scratched. ... Dvorak did not practice Wednesday but skated Thursday morning. "He's going to play. He's a warrior," Tocchet said.