In a high‑stakes showdown at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Philadelphia Flyers fell 4‑3 in a shootout to the Carolina Hurricanes, a result that left coach Rick Tocchet reflecting on the team’s response to relentless pressure.
Game Recap
The Flyers entered Saturday night with a 2‑0 lead in the second period, but the Hurricanes turned up the pressure and forced the Flyers to defend heavily. The Flyers surrendered the advantage and the game became a back‑and‑forth battle. Seth Jarvis gave Carolina a first‑deficit with a breakaway goal at 7:34 left in the third. Carl Grundstrom answered 23 seconds later, but the Flyers still struggled to hold the lead.
In the first period, Bobby Brink and Trevor Zegras each scored, giving Philadelphia a 2‑0 advantage. Brink made a sharp move before snapping a shot past Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov, while Zegras capitalized on a feed from Travis Konecny.
In overtime, Zegras and Konecny had a chance to win the game on a 2‑on‑1 rush, but neither could convert. The shootout decided the outcome, with Samuel Ersson making his fourth career shootout loss in 16 opportunities.
The Flyers finished the game with a 16‑9‑5 record and went 2‑2‑2 on their season‑long homestand. Three of the losses were to top‑10 teams: a 3‑2 regulation loss to the Avalanche, a 3‑2 overtime loss to the Golden Knights, and this 4‑3 shootout loss to Carolina.
Coach’s Perspective
“Full‑out blitz,” the head coach said. “It’s the way they play.”
After the game, Tocchet said, “There are positives, I’m going to take the positives. I think we’ve just got to start to learn when teams put pressure on us, we’ve got to find the pressure; we can’t back off. That’s what I believe in.”
He added, “I give the guys a lot of credit for this year, what they’re doing. There are going to be some times that we’ve got to figure this out when teams make a push.”
Tocchet also noted the Flyers’ power‑play struggles, stating that the team went on no power plays against Carolina and had a costly power‑play performance two nights ago in the overtime loss to Vegas.
Player Highlights
Trevor Zegras finished the season with his 12th goal, matching his total from the previous season. He had 12 goals and 30 points for the Flyers, tying his 12 goals from 57 games with the Ducks.
Bobby Brink and Zegras combined for the Flyers’ first two goals, but the defense struggled to maintain the advantage. Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen, both out with injuries, will return on the Flyers’ four‑game road trip.
York has been sidelined for the last four games with an upper‑body injury, while Ristolainen is recovering from surgery in March on a second triceps tendon rupture.
Ersson made 18 saves on 21 shots and recorded a massive stop on Jordan Staal in the final seconds of overtime. “We have a ton of confidence in our goalies,” Nick Seeler said.
Season Context
The Flyers are 0‑0‑2 in their four‑game regular‑season series with the Hurricanes, with a 20‑9‑2 overall record against Carolina. They have lost 15 of their last 17 games against the Hurricanes, with a 2‑9‑6 record in that span.
In games decided by one goal, the Flyers are 7‑4‑5. They have gone to overtime 12 times and are 5‑1 in the shootout.
Upcoming Matchup
The Flyers and Hurricanes will face each other again Sunday at the Lenovo Center, with the game scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on NBCSP.
Key Takeaways
- Flyers lost 4‑3 in a shootout to Carolina, falling 4‑3 after holding a 2‑0 lead.
- Coach Tocchet blames relentless pressure and emphasizes the need to adapt to opposing teams.
- Trevor Zegras matched his previous season’s goal total and remains a key offensive player.
The Flyers will look to rebound against the Hurricanes on Sunday, hoping to adjust to the relentless pressure and improve their power‑play performance.
