"Philadelphia, or Raleigh North": 2024-25 Regular Season, Game 67: Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers

After completing a perfect homestand, the Hurricanes head to Philadelphia to finish their back-to-back before earning some time off. The win last night against Detroit was tight but the offense showed up at an important time to ensure victory. Against a Flyers team that is starting to fall out of the playoff race, the Canes couldn't afford to take anything for granted. The Flyers always seem to give the Canes a good game, so it would be no small task to finish their weekend before a five-day hiatus.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

CAR (8:21)- Sebastian Aho (25) (Jackson Blake (12) & Seth Jarvis (25)) 

CAR (15:46)- Mark Jankowski (7) (Eric Robinson (15) & Tyson Jost (1)) 

2nd Period

CAR (0:19)- Taylor Hall (12) PP (Sebastian Aho (39) & Shayne Gostisbehere (29))

CAR (13:15)- Mark Jankowski (8) (Eric Robinson (16) & Shayne Gostisbehere (30))

3rd Period

CAR (19:28)- Scott Morrow (1) (Logan Stankoven (21) & Taylor Hall (19))

My Thoughts

To call a hockey game "perfect" feels cliche. Frankly, a team can't play a perfect game because they're due to take a penalty or do a thing or two that would otherwise be bad. Tonight the Canes were as close to perfect as you can get in Philadelphia. This was the dictionary definition of the word "dominance." It was certainly their most dominant effort during this seven-game win streak. Every facet of the team's game came together to create a formidable beast of a hockey team. The power play scored a goal. The penalty kill was perfect. They scored four times at 5-on-5. Pyotr Kochetkov didn't allow a goal. Everything that could go right for the Hurricanes went right on Saturday night, completing a perfect back-to-back with another victory.

While not the easiest shutout of Kochetkov's young career, he certainly made it look easy. The Flyers showed spurts of offensive pressure in the game, but the Canes netminder was on top of it. His toe save on Bobby Brink late in the first period was stellar, setting the tone for a perfect night in the net. Like Frederik Andersen, Kochetkov has been incendiary since dropping his first start after the break in Toronto. He's won five straight and allowed just six goals during his personal win streak. It feels like there's an internal battle between the tandem to one-up the other. With each great performance by Andersen, Kochetkov is there to respond with an equally dazzling game. It's a great sight for a team whose goaltending is often called into question.

Fair or not, the Canes have been under the public microscope with their handling of the Mikko Rantanen situation. What looked like a rough deadline has turned into a week of excellent hockey from the new guys. Mark Jankowski has suddenly turned into an automatic goal machine, maintaining his perfect shooting percentage after burying two more goals tonight. Logan Stankoven had a goal taken off the board by a successful challenge, but he still found the scoresheet with the primary helper on Scott Morrow's first NHL goal. Even when he isn't scoring, Stankoven is finding ways to help the team next to the Jordans. Taylor Hall, who has been with the team since the first trade flurry almost two months ago, is starting to get rewarded consistently. After just two points in his first 12 games with the Canes, Hall has five points in his last five as he extended his point streak to three games and his goal streak to two.

This most recent call-up for Morrow has been incredible. Playing in Dmitry Orlov's place while he battles an injury, Morrow has the first three points of his career, including a goal tonight in the final minute of regulation. While I have little doubt in my mind that Morrow will be sent back to Chicago once Orlov is ready to go, he's making this a tough decision for the organization. He's showing that he belongs in the NHL and could pose a problem for the league if he's given a full season to work. It strengthens the notion that the Canes are in excellent shape moving forward beyond this year. He's been a joy to watch as his improvement becomes evident with each game. 

#RaiseUp First Star of the Game- Eric Robinson

On a night when any player could've had a realistic shot to be the first star, I'm choosing Eric Robinson for his work in getting Mark Jankowski his goals. Robinson was one of five players with multiple points tonight, collecting a pair of primary helpers. After setting a new career-high in goals last night, Robinson made a pair of incredible passes to Jankowski in different ways. First, he used Ersson's pads to create a rebound on the first goal. Then, he chipped a puck along the boards for Jankowski to skate into and snipe. Robinson is on the verge of his first 30-point season, needing just one point to hit the mark.

Checking In on the Playoff Picture

Washington (10 Points Ahead for 1st)- The Capitals got back into the win column on Saturday, besting the San Jose Sharks 5-1 to conclude their road trip. Alex Ovechkin moved a goal closer to the all-time record, needing just eight more to be the new king of goal-scoring.

New Jersey (8 Points Behind for 2nd)- I'm not quite sure what happened to the Devils today in Pittsburgh, getting trounced 7-3 by the Penguins. It was a rough game for the Devils, who lost a little more ground in the battle for home ice with the Hurricanes.

New York (R) (14 Points Behind for 2nd, WC2)- There's a new team in the second Wild Card spot after the Rangers shut out the Blue Jackets in Columbus tonight. They'll have a chance to extend their lead with the Oilers at Madison Square Garden tomorrow night.

Columbus (16 Points Behind for 2nd)- The Blue Jackets have fallen below the line with their 4-0 loss to New York tonight. There is still plenty of time for them to get back above the line, but the recent run by Ottawa and New York's improvement make it a long run for the group on a three-game skid.

The Road Ahead- The Canes won't play again until Thursday when they begin their three-game California trip with the San Jose Sharks. They'll finish the trip with a back-to-back against Los Angeles and Anaheim before beginning another four-game homestand in Raleigh.