The Carolina Hurricanes are heading to Philadelphia still looking for their first win of the season, and the timing is not exactly kind. They open their first road trip with a back-to-back on their hands, trying to steady a start that has included a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday night and an 0-1-1 record through two games.
That defeat to Washington was the latest jolt for a defending champion that has opened the year with two very different looks. Carolina finally got on the board with a power-play goal, but the bigger problem remains simple: the results have not followed. With Brandon Bussi taking the loss Friday, Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to start against the Flyers.
Philadelphia has been in the same kind of early-season rut. The Flyers are also 0-2, after getting blown out 7-0 at home by the Pittsburgh Penguins and then falling in overtime to the New Jersey Devils on the road.
Dan Vladar, Jamie Drysdale, Tyson Foerster, and Trevor Zegras all signed multi-year extensions, while the club also tried to make a splash with a five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson that ultimately failed when the Ducks matched it. The Flyers added Noel Acciari, Simon Benoit, and Joseph Woll, while Garnet Hathaway moved on to the Panthers.
This matchup has been a grinder for both sides for a while. All four regular-season meetings last year went beyond regulation, with Seth Jarvis scoring the winner in the second game of the season and Carolina taking consecutive shootouts in mid-December.
Philadelphia’s lone win in the series came in the penultimate game, also in a shootout, and it clinched the Flyers’ playoff spot. The two teams then met again in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Carolina swept the series.
Frederik Andersen posted a shutout in Game 1, Taylor Hall won Game 2 in overtime, and Jackson Blake closed out the sweep with an overtime goal in Game 4 after the Hurricanes pushed the Flyers to the brink with another strong effort in Game 3.
Carolina’s injury situation has stayed clean outside of Seth Jarvis, who remains the lone active injury. Philadelphia is dealing with a couple of its own issues, as winger Denver Barkey is still out with a lower-body injury from a preseason game and Nikita Grebenkin is also hurt, though the Flyers have not said what his injury is. Rick Tocchet said Barkey is closer to returning than Grebenkin, but it is still unclear whether Barkey will be available tonight.
Trevor Zegras is one of the names to keep an eye on for Philadelphia. He caused Carolina problems last season and was all over the scoresheet in the regular season meetings, though the Hurricanes were able to limit him for most of the playoff sweep.
Zegras has yet to record a point this season. Porter Martone is another player worth watching after a rough start that has already included being benched or demoted in each of the Flyers’ losses.
The rookie is scoreless in two games after a promising NHL debut last season, when he put up ten points in nine games and added five more in the playoffs.
For Carolina, Andrei Svechnikov looked more dangerous against Washington than he did in the opener against the Panthers. He finished with six shots and picked up the primary assist on the Hurricanes’ first goal.
Jordan Martinook also had his moments Friday, including Carolina’s first big chance in the slot, and tonight is his 800th NHL game. The Hurricanes will be hoping that milestone comes with their first win of the season.
In Other News...
Gostisbehere Broke Flyers Hearts Again In A Game Carolina Nearly Lost
Shayne Gostisbehere has a knack for making life miserable for his former team, and he did it again in a game Carolina had to survive. The Hurricanes squeezed out an overtime win over Philadelphia, with Gostisbehere finishing it off and extending a pattern that has already made him a recurring problem for the Flyers in clutch moments.
Philadelphia never found much rhythm offensively and also took a hit when Rasmus Ristolainen left with an injury, compounding an already difficult night. Joseph Wolls 37 saves helped Carolina hang around long enough to get the result, and the Hurricanes came away with their third win of the season while the Flyers were left wondering how many more familiar ghosts they can afford to chase. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Found A Much Needed Answer In Their First Road Win
The Hurricanes first road trip of the season carried a little more meaning than just another early-night stop in Philadelphia. Carolina got Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Mike Reilly into the lineup for their season debuts, while Pyotr Kochetkov got the start in goal as the club looked for a steadier answer away from home after opening the year on its own ice.
Carolina found one in overtime, where the offense finally broke through on the power play to finish a game that had plenty riding on it for an early October checkpoint. For a team still sorting out its rhythm and trying to settle new faces into the mix, the win gave the Hurricanes a useful lift and a clearer path heading into the rest of the road slate. [Read more 🡒]
Canes Finally Looked Like Themselves In A Win Fans Needed
After a rough stretch that had Carolina searching for its usual rhythm, Sunday night offered a cleaner, more familiar version of the Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho sparked the attack with two goals, including his first of the season and a power-play finish, and Carolina kept pressing through a tight game before getting the kind of result it had been chasing at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Pyotr Kochetkovs return added another layer to the night, giving the Hurricanes a steadier look in goal as they handled the pressure of a one-goal game. It was the sort of win Carolina needed to feel like itself again, even if the bigger question is whether this is the start of something more lasting or just a well-timed reset. [Read more 🡒]