Flyers 'just weren't good enough' in Game 1 loss in Eastern Conference 2nd Round

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Philadelphia Flyers knew what was coming when they took the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Lenovo Center on Saturday.

They had seen it four times during the regular season. Scouted it. Prepared for it. Talked about it.

Win puck battles. Be strong on the walls. Be opportunistic in the offensive zone. Don't throw the puck away.

But when the puck dropped, the Flyers couldn't keep pace with the Hurricanes' high-pressure forecheck and high-pace attack, looking outmatched and overwhelmed in a 3-0 loss.

"We know the way they play, but I think they were just hungrier than us," Flyers captain Sean Couturier said. "We didn't win enough 1-on-1 battles. They won the 50/50 races, and that's what happened.

"There's no other way to say it than we just weren't good enough. It's that simple. We've got to be better."

They were behind the play early in the game, falling behind 2-0 before the first period was half over.

Lost puck battles along the boards in the defensive zone after a Carolina dump-in followed by a failed clearing attempt by Matvei Michkov led to Logan Stankoven redirecting Mike Reilly's shot past goalie Dan Vladar just 1:31 into the game.

Then it was failing to win puck battles in the offensive zone plus a mistimed pinch by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen that left a lane for Taylor Hall to find Jackson Blake with an outlet pass. Blake found open ice between a flat-footed Michkov and defenseman Travis Sanheim, and Blake was able to slide the puck between Vladar and the post at 7:30.

"We knew what to expect, but you get on the ice and they're flying, playing the way they play, it's tough," forward Noah Cates said. "We talked about it, we've got to be ready for the first five (minutes), got to be ready for the first five. But it's tough to give up a goal and for them to get a ton of momentum."

More Carolina pressure led to Stankoven's second goal at 16:16 of the second period. Defenseman Noah Juulsen was under pressure trying to exit the defensive zone, and his pass attempt into the middle of the ice went off the skate of Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov and into the slot to Seth Jarvis. That created a 2-on-1 down low that Stankoven finished with a one-timer past Vladar's glove.

Through the first two periods, Philadelphia managed nine shots on goal, none on three power plays.

"We talked about it, we just didn't live it on the ice," coach Rick Tocchet said. "We weren't quick enough for their speed.

"I don't know if we were mentally prepared to play tonight. Winning our playoff series (in the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins) ... there was a lot of excitement, and I don't think we got down to Earth quick enough for this game. And then that's what happens. ... We didn't make any plays, especially the first half. There were plays to be made and we didn't make them."

The Flyers felt they handled the Hurricanes' attack better as the game wore on, which gives them a bit of confidence looking ahead to Game 2 on Monday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

And as poor as they handled things in Game 1, there's a belief that they have a better understanding of how the Hurricanes will come at them the rest of the series.

Even though they faced it four times during the regular season, talked about it, studied it and felt they were prepared for it.

But as Tocchet said, it's one thing to talk about it. It's another to try and survive it.

"I thought that later on in the game, we found our game a little bit better," forward Travis Konecny said. "We started to do the things that we had talked about and breaking them down. We just didn't get to it quick enough.

"The beauty of it is you got plenty more. So just flush it, regroup and we know what to expect from them."