The Philadelphia Flyers lost 3-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their playoff series. The Hurricanes' goalie, Freddie Anderson, achieved a shutout with 19 saves.
Key points
Flyers lost 3-0 to Hurricanes in Game 1
Freddie Anderson achieved a 19-save shutout
Logan Stankoven scored early for the Hurricanes
Flyers had only two days off before the game
Hurricanes had a week off after sweeping Senators
Philadelphia FlyersCarolina HurricanesNHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes
James Guillory-Imagn ImagesJames Guillory-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers took on the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of their best-of-7 series and fell 3-0 at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hurricanes goaltender Freddie Anderson blanked the Flyers with his 19-save shutout.
The Hurricanes had a week off after sweeping the Ottawa Senators, while the Flyers had two days in between the end of Round 1 and the start of Round 2 â the cost of no NHL games on a Saturday night.
Logan Stankoven scored in the first 91 seconds of the game for the Hurricanes, taking advantage of early momentum. Jackson Blake extended the lead 6 minutes later. From there, the Hurricanes just kept bottling up every Flyers offensive chance.
Philadelphia was held to just 9 shots on goal through 40 minutes of hockey. Anderson was never really tested. With their backs against the wall, the Flyers did have their best period of the game in the 3rd, in more than just shot totals.
The Flyers looked like they had come to life a little bit and found their answer to the swarming Hurricanesâ checking. They had 10 shots in the 3rd period, but a 6-on-4 power play certainly helps. Still, they simply looked like a different hockey team at that point.
Maybe some of the in-game line adjustments helped? Or maybe it was an empty-the-tank effort after tired legs held them back early. Either way, the Flyers put together an effort in the 3rd period that should be a good sign before Game 2.
The Hurricanes still extended their lead in the 3rd, however. A bad turnover from landed right on âs stick. A pass to set up Stankovenâs 2nd of the night.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 1?
The final score was 3-0 in favor of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Who scored the first goal in the Flyers vs. Hurricanes playoff game?
Logan Stankoven scored the first goal for the Hurricanes just 91 seconds into the game.
How did the Flyers perform offensively against the Hurricanes?
The Flyers struggled offensively, with the Hurricanes effectively bottling up their chances throughout the game.
What impact did the Flyers' schedule have on their performance?
The Flyers had only two days off before Game 1, while the Hurricanes had a week off, which may have affected the Flyers' performance.
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The Flyers looked tired from the very beginning of the game. They looked like they did in overtime of Game 6, not how they did at the start of Game 1 vs. the Penguins. The Flyers looked exhausted from the start.
Heading into the series, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet found the silver lining of the quick turnaround, saying that he liked that his team did not have to change the routine. Looking back on it, the rest probably would have done them some good.
Carolina was already going to be a much faster team than the Flyers. That was never in question. However, the Hurricanes looked like the far better team for puck drop. They never gave the Flyers a chance to slip into it.
Iâm not suggesting that the Flyers only lost this game because they were tired. Many things went into the loss, like not taking advantage of what few chances they got, or not being able to break out cleanly. Still, even another day or two could have been good for the Flyers. No, it would have been good for both teams.
For Carlolina, Alexander Nikishin is on the doorstep of clearing concussion protocol. If the series had started following the end of Round 1, he probably would not have missed another game. Owen Tippett likely doesnât miss Game 1 for the Flyers either.
Overall, I donât think the Flyers were ready to start the next series on Saturday, and it showed.
In-game line changes
Rick Tocchet broke out the blender for the Flyers in the second half of Saturdayâs game. Obviously, what they had going on was not working; they needed to find a spark.
The Flyersâ 4th line of Luke Glendening, Sean Couturier, and Garnet Hathaway was untouched because, shocker, Couturier was the best Flyer on the ice once again, and his line had good chemistry. As for the other lines, well, they needed a change.
Tocchet broke things up. He put Trevor Zegras back on the wing and put Denver Barkey down the middle. He shifted the groups around, and this is what he landed on.
Tocchet said he changed up the lines because he did not like the teamâs start. He wanted to find a spark. From the time that he mixed things up to the end of the game, the Flyers did look better as a team. Maybe itâs because the Hurricanes werenât planning for those groups. Or maybe they truly did bring a spark.
Now, he might have something to think about for Game 2.
âI thought Barkey was our best player. Heâs skating, moving his feet. Hopefully, weâll get a lot more guys doing that,â said Tocchet after the game. He went on to say, âI actually donât mind Barkey in the middle. I thought he was effective.â
Maybe the Flyers have a new center on the roster, one that could put Trevor Zegras back on the wing for the time being. Though, for what itâs worth, Zergras was 67% from the dot on Saturday, which is one of his better nights.
But the center position is more than just faceoffs, and Barkey does look comfortable roaming in the middle.
The impact of no Owen Tippett for the Flyers
Owen Tippett has been battling injury since the start of the postseason. He has been a âgame-time decisionâ for every playoff game for the Flyers. Yet, Saturdayâs Game 1 against the Hurricanes was the first time that he came out of the lineup.
If he was going to miss a game, Game 1 is the time to do so. However, not having Tippett in the lineup made one thing evidently clear: the Flyers have to get faster, with and without Tippett.
The Flyers desperately missed the speed and physicality of Tippett. He might be the only player on the current roster who could match that of Carolina.
Whether itâs missing his ability to go end-to-end with the puck on his stick, his blazing speed on the forecheck or backcheck, or even just his homerun-hitter abilities when it comes to the highlight reel plays, Tippettâs impact was greatly missed.
You could tell he wasnât healthy from Game 4 onward against the Penguins. Tippett did not look the same for the Flyers. He needed some time off, and 2 days were simply not enough. Game 1 proved that the Flyers need him in Game 2 and beyond if they want a chance at matching the speed of the Hurricanes.
The Flyers will be hoping that the time off from Wednesday to Monday is enough to get Tippett back to form, and he can make a big impact in Game 2.
