The Carolina Hurricanes finally got what they needed most: a result.
On the road for the first time this season, Carolina walked into Philadelphia with both teams still chasing their first win. The Flyers had Joseph Woll in net after his 41-save performance in an overtime loss Thursday, while the Hurricanes turned to Pyotr Kochetkov for his first regular-season start in almost ten months. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Mike Reilly also entered the lineup for their season debuts, with Nicolas Deslauriers and Charles Alexis Legault coming out - Legault was sent down to Chicago this afternoon.
Carolina came out flying. William Carrier, elevated to the top line, helped set up Sebastian Aho in the slot just 10 seconds into the game, and the Hurricanes were on the board immediately. Philadelphia answered a little more than eight minutes later when Owen Tippett, absent in the second-round matchup between these teams, ripped a shot from between the dots to tie it.
The second period brought the kind of frustration that had followed Carolina through the start of the season. A defensive lapse let Matvei Michkov slip behind the defense and beat Kochetkov after the goalie went for a poke check. From there, the Hurricanes spent much of the period pressing, but two posts and a missed open net left them trailing by one after 40 minutes.
That changed in the third, and the power play was the difference. Aho tied it early in the period with a bumper shot that got over Woll’s glove, and Carolina’s penalty kill survived the bulk of a late Shayne Gostisbehere penalty to send the game to overtime for the fifth straight regular-season meeting between these teams.
The final push belonged to Gostisbehere. After Carolina killed off the last 34 seconds of the carry-over penalty, Aho drew a slash to put the Hurricanes back on the power play. Jackson Blake set the puck up, Andrei Svechnikov provided the screen, and Gostisbehere blasted a one-timer past Woll to finish off the Flyers and get Carolina into the win column.
The Aho line set the tone early and carried it through the night. Carrier’s move up the lineup looked odd on paper, but it paid off right away, with the winger finishing the opening goal sequence from behind the net for his second assist of the season.
He also brought four hits and plenty of pressure in 12:49 of ice time. It may not be a permanent look, but it worked.
Aho was all over the game, and Svechnikov helped turn the power play into the deciding edge. Aho had a hand in all three goals, while Svechnikov picked up the secondary assist on Aho’s second tally and then helped screen Woll on the winner.
Kochetkov’s night had some rough edges, but he settled in when it mattered. The Michkov goal exposed the danger in his aggressive stick work, but that was the last time Philadelphia solved him.
He finished with 18 shots against and looked steadier as the game went on, especially in the third period. Given the result, he gave Rod Brind’Amour enough to consider sending him back out Tuesday in Montreal.
Even with the win, Carolina still has work to do. The power play came through twice in key spots, the penalty kill went 4-for-4, and Aho scored the second-fastest goal to start a game while breaking the franchise record for most game-opening goals. Svechnikov also finished with a multi-point night.
Still, the Hurricanes have now had trouble finishing chances against goalies in all three games. They outshot the Flyers heavily and still needed overtime to get it done.
The Stankoven line also needs more, with Taylor Hall not yet looking as dangerous as he did in the playoffs and Logan Stankoven still searching for his top gear. Jackson Blake is helping on the power play, but there’s room for more there, too.
That challenge continues Tuesday in Montreal, where the Canadiens will be waiting after a season that ended at Carolina’s hands. They also added a familiar name in Chris Kreider before the season, and the Hurricanes already know the Canadiens can make life difficult.
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]
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Special teams were a big part of the turnaround, with Carolina handling its penalty situations cleanly and giving Pyotr Kochetkov enough support to stay in the game and make the key stops when needed. Kochetkov had a few shaky moments, but he still came away with the win after coming through when it mattered most, and for a team looking to reset its early-season narrative, that was the sort of response it needed. [Read more 🡒]