Gostisbehere's Overtime Winner
Shayne Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal with 2:09 remaining in overtime, giving the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday. The defenseman one-timed a pass from Jackson Blake past Flyers goalie Joseph Woll from the top of the left face-off circle.[S1][S2]
Gostisbehere said he was simply trying to put the puck there and was thankful it went in, adding that it was not what they were trying to do and that they were on the wrong side, but at the end of the day they just have to make some plays and get the puck to the net.[S1]
Aho's Fast Start and Kochetkov's Return
Sebastian Aho had two goals and an assist, and Andrei Svechnikov had two assists for Carolina (1-1-1), which lost 5-2 at the Washington Capitals on Friday. Pyotr Kochetkov, in his first game since Dec. 20, made 16 saves. The goalie missed the remainder of last season following surgery for a lower-body injury.[S1]
Aho put the Hurricanes ahead 1-0 just 10 seconds into the game. Svechnikov rimmed the puck behind the Flyers net before William Carrier centered it to Aho in the high slot, and his shot went off Woll's glove and in. It was the fastest goal to start a game by a Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers player since Kevin Dineen scored 10 seconds into a game Dec. 3, 1990.[S1]
Aho said it was obviously nice to get a hot start and start the game the right way, but honestly he felt today they were playing their game the full 60-plus minutes. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said he could feel a sense of relief on the bench with the early lead, especially in the second game of a back-to-back, calling it the ideal start for a team looking for its first win.[S1]
Flyers' Early Season Struggles
Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov scored for Philadelphia, which has lost its first three games to start the season (0-1-2). Woll made 37 saves. Tippett tied it 1-1 at 8:03, putting the puck through a maze of players in front with a snap shot from the slot. Michkov put the Flyers ahead 2-1 at 7:20 of the second period. Travis Konecny outmuscled Jesperi Kotkaniemi on a puck in the Hurricanes zone and centered it for Michkov alone in front of the net, and he lifted the shot over a sliding Kochetkov.[S1]
Following Michkov's goal, however, the Flyers had just two shots the remainder of the period and were outshot 20-8 for the remaining 35:31 of the game. The Flyers had two power plays during that stretch, including one that carried into the first 34 seconds of overtime. But, in the entirety of the game, they went 0-for-4 on the man-advantage with four shots on goal and just one during their 4-on-3 power play in overtime.[S1]
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said there are some chunks of the game that you like and some chunks that you don't, adding that the last few games they are taking some dumb penalties too and that it was too mixed bag for him. He also said you have to get the puck, you have to execute plays, and their execution is not good this year, and if you don't execute, you're not going to get shots, so they have to execute.[S1]
Notes and Streaks
Aho scored his second of the game to tie it 2-2 at 4:59 of the third period on the power play from above the hashmarks in the center of the offensive zone. It was a rematch of the Eastern Conference Second Round series between the teams that the Hurricanes won in four games.[S1]
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen left the game after playing one shift in the third period because of an undisclosed injury. Tocchet said Ristolainen would be evaluated Sunday. Carolina won its opening road game for the ninth straight season, matching the NHL record held by Philadelphia (1980-81 to 1988-89). It's the first time the Flyers have lost the first three games of a season since opening 0-2-2 in 2014-15. Carolina forward Jordan Martinook played his 800th NHL game.[S1]
