"Do We Like Shootouts Now?": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 31: Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers

The Hurricanes and the Flyers will grow well acquainted this weekend, kicking off a home-and-home on Saturday in Philadelphia. The Canes have been very good this week, already knocking off a pair of division opponents. They'll have two more this weekend with a pair against the Flyers, who are trying to establish themselves as legit threats to the Wild Card and the top of the division. It also means we'll likely see four different goalies in the net. Pyotr Kochetkov and Samuel Ersson drew the first assignments for their teams.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

PHI (10:04)- Bobby Brink (8) (Trevor Zegras (18) & Travis Sanheim (12))

PHI (17:34)- Trevor Zegras (12) (Travis Konecny (18) & Jamie Drysdale (11))

2nd Period

CAR (9:11)- Nikolaj Ehlers (8) (Shayne Gostisbehere (20))

CAR (14:12)- Alexander Nikishin (4) (Joel Nystrom (5) & Taylor Hall (10))

3rd Period

CAR (12:26)- Seth Jarvis (18) (Andrei Svechnikov (11) & Shayne Gostisbehere (21))

PHI (12:49)- Carl Grundstrom (2) (Rodrigo Abols (1) & Noah Juulson (4))

Overtime

None

Shootout

CAR- Jackson Blake

My Thoughts

I used to hate the shootout. Truthfully, I still don't love it, but I don't dread it as much now as I used to. The Hurricanes improved to 3-1 in the shootout this season, earning consecutive wins in the skills competition. None of their shootouts have featured more than one goal. Seth Jarvis had the previous two winners. Tonight, the hero was Jackson Blake, who did a very good Jarvis impression with his finishing move from the opposite side while sliding it on the same side his teammate usually would. Meanwhile, Pyotr Kochetkov was stellar on the other end. He was active with his stick, using it as a ramp to stop Matvei Michkov and pulling out the poke check on Bobby Brink before Blake's winner. After not winning in the shootout last season, this has been a welcome change of pace.

The Canes were rolling early, but the Flyers snatched control with a pair of goals over the final half of the opening frame. The group has gotten into the habit of allowing the first goal this week. Entering the week, the Canes had conceded the first goal 13 times. They were 4-7-2 in those games. This week, they've allowed the first goal in all three games. However, they've won all three. I would like for them to start scoring first again. They're 13-2-0 when they do, tied for the best win percentage with the Rangers. Trevor Zegras was outstanding in the opening period, setting up the first goal by Bobby Brink before scoring one late. It wasn't a good showing for the group, making me think it was going to be a long one with how poorly the final 10 minutes went. 

Fortunately, they got things rolling in the right direction in the second period. It started with Shayne Gostisbehere and Nikolaj Ehlers. Gostisbehere read a play perfectly in the neutral zone, intercepting the puck and setting up Ehlers, giving him goals in back-to-back games. Ehlers had another phenomenal game, building off his two-point night in D.C. On the tying goal, it was Taylor Hall's hard work that got the puck to Joel Nystrom before he sent it over to Alexander Nikishin. The shot got a bounce off a skate, but the Canes earned the bounce after a few more iron shots. It was nice to see Nikishin back in the goal column as he picked up his second point in as many games. They earned their first lead of the night in the third. Andrei Svechnikov sent Jarvis in for his second breakaway of the night. After being stopped on the first one, Jarvis went to his shootout move to get the puck over the line. That's why he didn't do it when he faced Ersson in overtime. It would've been overkill. Still, he earned his 18th goal of the season off a slick feed from Svechnikov. 

With Ersson and Kochetkov getting the starts for their teams on Saturday, logic would dictate that Brandon Bussi and Dan Vladar will occupy the nets on Sunday evening. The Canes could pull the rug out from under us and start Frederik Andersen after he backed up Kochetkov tonight, but that would be a mistake. It should be Bussi, and I think it will be. I'm also looking for Sebastian Aho to get rolling again. He has been held off the scoresheet in the last four games. Nikishin, despite scoring a goal, was benched after the Flyers' tying goal. He pinched at a bad time, and it cost the team. I don't think it's enough for him to come out of the lineup, though I'm not sure. We'll also keep our eyes on the injured players and whether or not they'll be good to go. I'm not holding out any hope that Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Jaccob Slavin will play.

First Star of the Game: Shayne Gostisbehere

Sometimes, it just takes one little spark to help get the team going. Tonight's spark was Shayne Gostisbehere intercepting a pass in the neutral zone. Gostisbehere recorded a pair of assists in the game, adding the secondary helper on Jarvis's goal. He's now back in the Top 10 in scoring for defensemen with 21 assists and 24 points in 22 games. He also made a big defensive play, doing just enough to disrupt a 2-on-1 to force Zegras to miss the net.

Next Up: The Canes and the Flyers will meet again on Sunday night in Raleigh, marking the third of four meetings this season. Next week, it's another quick road trip, playing three more road games in four nights. They'll visit Nashville to conclude the season series on Wednesday before a Friday-Saturday double-header against the Panthers and the Lightning. The final game before Christmas is on December 23, when the Canes host the Cats.