2023-24 Regular Season, Game 21: Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers (Postgame)

Playing on the road for the first time since visiting Long Island a few weeks ago, the Carolina Hurricanes traveled to Philadelphia for their third meeting with the Flyers this season. The homestand came to an exciting end on Sunday evening, resulting in Andrei Svechnikov scoring his first goal of the season to win it. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be available for the game with an illness, but the good vibes were felt all night in the City of Brotherly Love. 

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (5:39)- Michael Bunting (5) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (13) & Dmitry Orlov (7))

2nd Period

PHI (7:14)- Travis Konecny (12) (assisted by Tyson Foerster (4))

CAR (13:25)- Brendan Lemieux (2) (unassisted)

3rd Period

CAR (16:34)- Seth Jarvis (9) (assisted by Sebastian Aho (14) & Michael Bunting (9))

CAR (17:16)- Jesperi Kotkaniemi (8) EN (assisted by Jesper Fast (3) & Teuvo Teravainen (6))

My Thoughts

This was about as solid of a road win as you could want. It didn't feel like the Canes were running away with the game, but it felt like they were in complete control once they regained the lead late in the second period. This game was completely different from the first two meetings with the Flyers this season. The first game was tight all night before Teuvo Teravainen won it late. The meeting in Raleigh to start the homestand was dominated by the Flyers. This was the Canes' best effort against Philadelphia this season by a wide margin. 

Svechnikov's absence due to illness forced Rod Brind'Amour to make two changes to the lineup. While I'm a little surprised he didn't opt to go 11/7, he re-inserted Brendan Lemieux into the lineup for the first time since they were on Long Island. This meant Michael Bunting was promoted to the top line with Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Both changes yielded positive results tonight. First, Bunting broke the ice early, burying a rebound chance less than six minutes into the contest. Next, Lemieux scored the eventual game-winner late in the second period to break a 1-1 tie on a rebound of his own creation. Bunting would add a secondary assist on the dagger for his second multi-point effort in the last three games. It's nice to see guys jump into the lineup and make an immediate impact in tough spots. 

I'm not ready to say the Canes have found their answer in the net for the moment, but it's hard not to be appreciative of what Pyotr Kochetkov has been able to do since being recalled. He's won three of his last four starts, has allowed just eight goals in five appearances in November, and was once again phenomenal tonight. Philadelphia had sustained pressure for large portions of the first and second periods, but Kochetkov was up to the challenge. There weren't many saves he needed to make tonight that were out of this world. It was a pretty standard night for him. The only goal Philly scored was on a breakaway with Travis Konecny cherry-picking in the neutral zone. After that, the defense made life a little easier for him, and the offense took over the game. It's fun when you're winning games, but it's even better when your goalie is pulling his weight. 

Honestly, this was a pretty easy game to watch. There weren't many points when I felt like the Canes were in trouble of losing. They controlled the second half of the game after Konecny's tying goal. The goal from the fourth line helped, and outside of a crossbar early and a few chances late, it didn't feel like the Flyers stood a chance. Seth Jarvis' backbreaker was a weak one, being accidentally kicked in by Hart after it got stuck under his pads for a moment. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the second game in a row, finding the empty net to put the game away. The power play was fine despite not scoring. The penalty kill didn't have to work much, but the Canes had better chances short-handed than the Flyers did on the power play. It was a complete effort in every aspect, something we've rarely seen from the Hurricanes this season. I could get used to more games like this. 

My Three Stars of the Game

3rd Star- Brendan Lemieux- 1 goal

I'm a big fan of fourth-line players making the most of the limited opportunities they get. Lately, we've seen a lot of that from Drury and Noesen. Tonight, it was Lemieux's turn to make an impact. He scored the game-winner, giving him his second goal against a former team this season. 

2nd Star- Sebastian Aho- 2 assists

One big part of Philadelphia's win over the Canes in Raleigh a few weeks ago was the Flyers' stars taking over the game. Aho helped to correct that tonight. His line was the Canes' best all night. He finished the night with primary assists on both goals by his linemates. He also led the team with six shots. 

1st Star- Michael Bunting- 1 goal, 1 assist

I'm not convinced there isn't a person on this team Bunting couldn't play with. After several games producing on the fourth line, Bunting was given an opportunity to play on the top line, and he meshed well with Aho and Jarvis once again. He set the tone with his early goal, then added another point with a secondary assist on Jarvis' backbreaker. 

Up Next- The Hurricanes will be back at PNC Arena for two more games this week. They'll have another ESPN+ divisional game with the Islanders in town on Thursday night. Their final home game for almost two weeks will be on Saturday night against Buffalo. After that, it's the second long western road trip of the season, playing four games in Western Canada beginning next week.