Sebastian Aho did the heavy lifting, the penalty kill slammed the door, and the Carolina Hurricanes finally got their first win of the season with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.
It was not always pretty, and the scoreline kept it tighter than Carolina probably wanted, but the Canes spent most of the night looking like the better team. When the game turned into a grind, they won the grind.
Aho was the difference all over the ice. He finished with two goals and three points, and he’s now piled up points on four of Carolina’s five total goals this season. He has been steady in every zone and in every situation, giving the Hurricanes the kind of presence they need from their best player.
Andrei Svechnikov kept his own strong start going, too. He picked up two assists and was right in the middle of the action around the crease, including as the net-front screen on the winner. Aho and Svechnikov combined for 10 of Carolina’s 40 shots on goal, and even without a third top-end finisher on that line, they did their jobs.
Special teams swung the game Carolina’s way. The Hurricanes scored twice on the power play, going 2-for-4, and the second unit could have added another if not for Joseph Woll and the goal posts. Aho opened the scoring after a feed from Nikolaj Ehlers in the bumper, and Shayne Gostisbehere ended it in overtime with a one-timer off a Jackson Blake pass, post and in.
The penalty kill was just as important. Carolina killed off all four Flyers power plays, including one in the final minute of regulation that carried into overtime. Pyotr Kochetkov, along with Jalen Chatfield and Jaccob Slavin, stood out while shorthanded, and the Hurricanes allowed only two shots on goal during more than six minutes of PK time.
That was part of a much bigger picture, too. After a rough start to the season and an especially frustrating Friday, Carolina looked much more like itself.
The Hurricanes outshot Philadelphia 40-18 and outchanced the Flyers 64-31 at 5-on-5. Every line tilted the ice, and the Flyers never found much room to threaten outside of a few short bursts.
Kochetkov also came away with a win that had been a long time coming. It had been quite a while since he last dressed for an NHL game, and he looked solid enough in this one, even with a few shaky moments.
The two goals against were not all on him, though he could have done better on both the loose puck in the first period and the aggressive poke check in the second. Still, he made the saves Carolina needed and flashed the athleticism that helps give this team confidence in him.
For one night, the Hurricanes found their footing, leaned on their stars, and got the result they had been chasing.
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 🡒]