3 Takeaways from the Game of Flyers 3 Losing vs. Hurricanes – Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

Fortunately, the Flyers would strike early in the second half. With Carolina’s delayed penalty, Zegras capitalized on a chance to bury the double, his first tally since Game 3 of the first round. It was a great moment for the Flyers up man, something that would only get better as the night went on.

In the series, the Flyers shot just 4.5% (three goals on 74 shots), below their 10.32% rate from the first round and 11.49% mark in the regular season. The strange thing is that the Hurricanes beat the Flyers in a way that is almost the same as how teams usually beat them, the Canes can’t finish with chances due to the lack of players with high skills but not real players. Still, their lineup outperforms the Flyers’ on paper, and it’s shown through the first three games of this series.

Up the Person, Down the Goal

It’s no secret that the Flyers’ power play isn’t a strength. That was on display in Carolina, where the Flyers were hit oh-fer in Game 1 and managed just three combined shots on seven attempts in Game 2. The first of those went into the net, and Philadelphia applied pressure with a chance in overtime, but their work still has a lot to do.

That only grew on home ice in Game 3. The Flyers’ first inning was boring enough, but it would be the highlight of the next. On both their second and fourth chances, Jamie Drysdale hit a penalty while the Flyers were on the PP.

But the biggest mistake was Drysdale’s failure to put the puck in after winning a faceoff late in the second. That led to a Carolina run the other way, and Drysdale and Zegras’ attempt to switch coverages to avoid a 2-on-1 only opened up Jalen Chatfield to connect the ropes on a painful one.

In some ways, the Flyers had a good chance to turn things around in the near future. Drysdale’s second power-play penalty (third overall) looked like it would result in a 4-on-4, but Seth Jarvis was called on Travis Konecny’s dominant play as the game ended. Then, unsportsmanlike conduct on the Carolina bench opened a 75-second 5-on-3.

Even the switch to a front five unit, which produced Martone’s first career goal in the same situation late in the regular season, couldn’t solve the problems. Penetration was a big problem all night (Drysdale’s first penalty was for interference while trying to pick up the blue line, though it wasn’t a flashy play), and even when the Flyers were organized, their shots were only coming from the right spots and their passing games were productive.

Fans were upset that Carolina’s first shorthanded power play was a bit much, as Taylor Hall’s dangerous hit on a kneeling Travis Sanheim against the wall was a dangerous check. But even if the five-minute call had been authorized, there is little evidence to suggest the Flyers would have spent the money. Carolina scoring two power play goals, including a 4-on-3 playoff goal from Andrei Svechnikov, added more salt to the wound.

Sit or Stay in It

If you’re looking for one sliver of hope for the Flyers, their 5-on-5 performance over the past two games has sounded good. It’s not enough that it matters as much as it usually does in the playoffs.

Philadelphia has been shorthanded eight times Thursday, the most in a playoff game since the bracelet crash in Game 3 of the 2016 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Somehow, the rings came off again in Game 3, which again put the Flyers in a 3-0 series hole, although they mercifully stayed on the court this time.

In the last two games combined, the Flyers have an expected 5-on-5 (xG) share of 45.75% (via Natural Stat Trick). That’s a significant improvement over their 38.42% mark in Game 1 and slightly better than their 44.44% in the regular season when they avoided losing control in all four meetings.

Some calls were debatable – they always are in the playoffs – but post-whistle penalties like Christian Dvorak’s late late second period foul won’t happen. Otherwise, the Flyers will only play four playoff games against the Canes, too.

What’s Next

It’s amazing that one Eastern Conference semifinal series hasn’t even started and the other is already over. But this is where things stand now, the Buffalo Sabers are winning 1-0 against the Montreal Canadiens, and the Hurricanes could close the series on Saturday at 6 pm before that series even changes places.

You could argue that it would be a good thing if Carolina pulled off back-to-back sweeps. If the Sabres-Canadiens series goes the distance, the Eastern Conference finals could start as early as May 20. That would be an 11-day layoff for Carolina if they finish things off in Game 4.

Flyers will try their best to avoid that. The last time the franchise was swept in the playoffs was the 1997 Stanley Cup Final by the Detroit Red Wings. They have played well enough in the last two games to believe that they can at least keep that footnote intact. But a Flyers team that has prided itself on defying the odds for the past two months appears to have finally encountered a mountain too steep to climb.