Flyers Don’t Weather the Storm, Fall 4-3 to Hurricanes in a Shootout

It became a roller coaster game with the Philadelphia Flyers hanging on Sunday. For the second consecutive game, the Flyers needed a shootout against the Carolina Hurricanes.

And for the second time in two games, the Flyers lost in a shootout to Carolina, falling 4-3 at the Lenovo Center.

After a strong start in the first period, including goals from Bobby Brink and Trevor Zegras, the Flyers were dominated by the Hurricanes in the second period, forced to make adjustments in the third. After briefly trailing, a clutch goal from Carl Grundstrom forced overtime, but they could not get it done.

Neither team scored in overtime, sending the game to the shootout, which went to four frames.

The Flyers’ record dropped to 16-9-5 after Saturday night’s loss. Here is how the game reached its final score.

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Flyers start strong

The Flyers got off to a hot start on Saturday. The team was playing with energy.

It was a clean period. The Flyers were making clean passes, strong defensive plays, and making life easy on goalie Sam Ersson.

It was about 10 minutes of controlled hockey by the Flyers, except for a penalty kill after a Matvei Michkov tripping penalty. Even then, it was killed off with ease.

The Flyers eventually broke through with a Bobby Brink (8) snipe from the high slot.

Trevor Zegras (18) entered the zone with the puck and dropped it off for Brink, who buried the shot.

Philly kept the pressure on Carolina throughout the first period. They were controlling the game. The Flyerds were controlling the pace and keeping possession of the puck. It was one of the best periods of hockey the team had played this season.

With just less than 2:30 left in the first period, the Flyers tacked on another.

After setting up the first goal, Zegras (12) was rewarded with a goal after a fantastic behind-the-goal assist from Travis Konecny (18).

The Flyers took the 2-0 lead into the first intermission, leading the shot battle 7-5, but limiting the Hurricanes to just two five-on-five shots in the first.

Carolina flips the switch

As the second period opened, it looked like the Flyers were carrying their momentum from the first period into the second. However, that would not last long.

While the Hurricanes looked tired in the first period, they were able to start wearing the Flyers down. As the second period progressed, you could see the Flyers losing everything that helped them get off to that hot start. Their passes were loose and off target; they were making mistakes with the puck, leading to turnovers. Defensively, you could see the Flyers backing in.

The Hurricanes brought themselves right back into the game and dominated the second period.

First, it was Nikolaj Ehlers who cashed in after Ty Murchison’s pass was intercepted in the neutral zone by Shane Gostisbehere. The former Flyer carried it past the blueline and fed Ehlers, who ripped home the shot from the left-side faceoff circle.

Philadelphia’s lead was cut in half with the Hurricanes surging.

A second over five minutes later, it was a tie game.

Hurricanes’ rookie Alexander Nikishin unleashed a bomb from the point, beating Ersson clean. It was 2-2 with Carolina continuing to apply pressure.

The Flyers were lucky to get out of the second period, only allowing two goals. Per Natural Stat Trick, Carolina had a Corsi of 26 in the second period alone, compared to Philadelphia’s 14.

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65 was not enough

The Hurricanes started the third period with the same dominance that they ended the second period with, but eventually, the Flyers began to match it.

It took a little while to develop, but the Flyers played themselves back into the game.

Right when things were turning around for Philadelphia, Seth Jarvis caught the Flyers in a bad change. Christian Dvorak went off, giving Jarvis a clear lane in the middle of the ice. Andrei Svechnikov saw it and hit Jarvis, who snuck it between Ersson and the post.

For the first time in the game, the Flyers were trailing with 7:34 to play in the third.

The Flyers needed to respond fast, and they did just that.

Just over 20 seconds later, Rodrigo Abols (1) sprung Carl Grundstrom on the two-on-one rush with Garnet Hathaway. Grundstrom took it himself and tied the game at three.

After the two goals, the third period amounted to little. Despite the better play, the Flyers only had two shots in the third period. Nobody would score in the final seven minutes, so for the second-straight game, both teams’ games went to overtime.

Not much happened in overtime either. Carolina had a couple of good chances, but Sam Ersson came up big for the Flyers on multiple occasions.

As for the offense, the Flyers could not really get anything going. Their best chance came in the final minute, with Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras on a rush. Konecny missed on the initial play, but stuck with the puck and was able to get off a late cross-crease pass to Zegras. Unfortunately for the Flyers, the shot went off the post and out of play.

Carl Grundstrom got a shot on goal, but it did not count as the horn had blown.

In the shootout, both teams went scoreless in their first three attempts. In the end, it was Jackson Blake who made the difference, scoring on the fourth attempt, giving the Hurricanes the 4-3 win.

What’s next for the Flyers

Good news for the Flyers. They get a second crack at the Hurricanes on Sunday, finishing the home-and-home at 5:00 p.m. EST at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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