The Flyers’ season has opened with a familiar kind of pain: another loss, another game spent chasing, and another night where the margin looked wider than the score. Philadelphia fell 3-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in overtime, dropping to 0-3 for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
Carolina got the deciding punch 2:51 into the extra period when Shayne Gostisbehere, now wearing Hurricanes colors after his time in Philadelphia, buried a power-play slap shot past Flyers goalie Joseph Woll. Sebastian Aho had the setup on the winner, capping a night in which he was all over the game.
Aho struck 10 seconds after the opening faceoff, finishing off a feed from behind the net by William Carrier. He came through again in the third period, tying it 2-2 with a power-play one-timer off a pass from Nikolai Ehlers. By the end, Aho had two goals and an assist on the overtime goal.
Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 16 shots for Carolina, which picked up its first win of the season after opening with two losses. The victory also carried a piece of NHL history: it was the Hurricanes’ ninth straight road opener win, matching a mark set by the Flyers from 1980 through 1988. Rod Brind’Amour became the first coach to win nine consecutive road openers.
Philadelphia got goals from Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov, the first Flyers forward goals of the season. Woll made 37 saves, but the Flyers were again buried by the shot clock; they have been outshot 122-62 combined through their first three games.
The matchup was the first between Carolina and Philadelphia since the Hurricanes swept the Flyers in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Hurricanes head to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Tuesday. The Flyers begin a three-game road trip Tuesday in Tampa Bay.
In Other News...
Flyers' Winless Start Just Got More Concerning After Overtime Loss
The Flyers early-season frustration deepened in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes, a result that left them still searching for their first win after three straight defeats. Philadelphia got goals from Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov and had enough push to at least extend the night, but Carolina had the last word in a game that kept the Flyers from building any momentum.
There was more concern beyond the standings, too, with Rasmus Ristolainen a possible injury question after taking a shot to his left hand and briefly returning before being sent for reevaluation Sunday. Goaltender Joseph Woll stopped 37 shots, which gave Philadelphia a chance to hang around, but the Flyers will now have to sort through both the record and the roster as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Gostisbehere Broke Flyers Hearts Again In A Game Carolina Nearly Lost
Shayne Gostisbehere has a way of making life difficult for the Flyers, and he did it again in a game Carolina nearly let slip away. His overtime winner delivered the Hurricanes a win in Philadelphia and marked the third time he has beaten the Flyers in overtime, a familiar ending for a player whose name still carries extra weight in this matchup.
For the Flyers, the night added another layer to an early-season offensive struggle, with chances hard to come by and the margin for error shrinking as the game wore on. The bigger concern may have come on the back end, where Rasmus Ristolainen exited after blocking a late second-period shot and never returned, leaving Philadelphia to absorb another tough result while Joseph Wolls 37 saves helped Carolina escape with its third win of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Have Another Early Problem Fans Really Didn't Need
The Flyers trip through the young season already has a familiar feel to it, and not in a good way. They fell 3-2 to the Hurricanes in overtime after spotting Carolina a goal in the first 10 seconds, then spent the rest of the night trying to claw back into a game that never quite settled into their favor.
There was more bad news beyond the final score, too, as Rasmus Ristolainen left with a right hand injury, leaving Philadelphia to wonder about its defensive depth heading into the next game. Add in a power play that still has not found the net this season, and the Flyers are suddenly dealing with more than just one frustrating loss. [Read more 🡒]