Losing Streak Hits 5 as Flyers Routed by Hurricanes

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

The past week has slowly morphed into the ghosts of last season for the Flyers. After getting the doors blown off in Tampa, then somehow salvaging a point against the Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes showed what the top team in the Metro can do to a team that is struggling on all fronts.

The Flyers were blown out again, this time by a 6-3 margin against the Hurricanes on Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center, sending the Flyers to their fifth straight loss.

The Flyers got off to a fast start. Just 50 seconds in, Claude Giroux used some hard work behind the net to muscle the puck in front for Ivan Provorov, who buried it for his second goal of the season. The play was reviewed on a goalie interference challenge by Carolina, but the call on the ice stood.

That gave the Flyers a power play, but they were unable to do anything with it and shifted momentum in Carolina's favor.

The Hurricanes got a power play of their own seven minutes into the period. They did not score, but ultimately got the game tied at 13:40 on a snipe from Sebastian Aho. 

The Hurricanes were back on the power play later in the period, but it was the Flyers taking advantage of a special teams opportunity. While shorthanded, Joel Farabee got the puck with speed through the neutral zone and made a great move around Seth Jarvis. He then fired a shot past Antti Raanta for the shorthanded goal, his sixth of the season, to make it 2-1 Flyers.

Despite the highlight-reel goal from Farabee that put them back in front, the Flyers once again leaned on Carter Hart throughout the first, getting out-shot, 17-6.

It took the Hurricanes just 23 seconds to tie the game up in the second. Aho scored his second with another snipe from the high slot.

The Flyers had a quick answer though, getting the lead back just 53 seconds later. Rasmus Ristolainen was able to step into one and fired a blast by Raanta to make it 3-2 Flyers.

The lead was short-lived as the Hurricanes struck back right away with a goal just 41 seconds later. After Hart made two big saves, the third chance was put home by Jesper Fast to tie things up at three.

After the Flyers failed to score on a power play, despite getting a couple close chances and hitting the post, the Hurricanes came back down to take the lead. A quick passing play from Tony DeAngelo to Jarvis to Jesperi Kotkaniemi allowed the Hurricanes to move ahead, 4-3, at 5:48 of the period.

That was the score for most of the period until the Hurricanes padded the lead. Steven Lorentz took a pass and had all day to walk in and pick his spot after making a move, making it a 5-3 game with 3:38 left in the second.

Through two periods, shots were 26-18 Carolina.

The Hurricanes got the only goal of the third period at 4:50 as Andrei Svechnikov fired a shot past Hart to make it 6-3.

Hart had 30 saves in the loss. Raanta made 20 saves in the win.

Aho, DeAngelo, and Kotkaniemi each finished with two points. 

The Flyers head back on the road on Sunday night to take on the New Jersey Devils at 7 p.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary

1st Period

• PHI Ivan Provorov (2) (Claude Giroux) 0:50
• CAR Sebastian Aho (9) (Teuvo Teravainen) 13:40
• PHI Joel Farabee (6) SH (Unassisted) 17:02

2nd Period

• CAR Aho (10) (Martin Necas, Brett Pesce) 0:23
• PHI Rasmus Ristolainen (1) (Morgan Frost, Cam Atkinson) 1:16
• CAR Jesper Fast (6) (Nino Niederreiter, Ian Cole) 1:45
• CAR Jesperi Kotkaniemi (4) (Seth Jarvis, Tony DeAngelo) 5:48
• CAR Steven Lorentz (3) (DeAngelo, Kotkaniemi) 16:22

3rd Period

• CAR Andrei Svechnikov (8) (Jordan Staal, Brady Skjei) 4:50

Game Statistics