Heading Down To Carolina: Flyers vs. Hurricanes Game 1 Preview

After defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 in Game six, the Philadelphia Flyers will be moving on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and their next opponent isn’t going to be any easier. They will face the Carolina Hurricanes, who led the Eastern Conference with 113 points and finished second in the NHL behind the Colorado Avalanche for the Presidents’ Trophy. They are coming off a four-game sweep of the Ottawa Senators and are fully rested for their matchup against Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the Flyers are coming in as the underdogs once again. They are meeting the Hurricanes for the first time ever in the postseason, and all four games the Flyers played against them in the regular season went to overtime or a shootout, with the Flyers clinching a playoff spot against the Canes via shootout in game 81 of the regular season. But Carolina rested most of their starters for that game, so the Flyers will be playing against their regulars for the first time since December.

Minimize Going to the Box

Carolina ranked 4th in the NHL on the power play at 24.9%, but in the playoffs, that dropped to 13.3% as the 29th-ranked Senators killed off 13 of 15 Carolina penalties. The Flyers rank higher on the penalty kill, but that doesn’t mean one of Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov, or Nikolaj Ehlers could score on the man advantage.

The Flyers had a hard time keeping themselves on 5-on-5 during the battle of Pennsylvania. It was the little things such as excessive fighting which sent the players to the box. Although the Penguins didn’t convert much on the power play either, what the Flyers will have to do in Game one is to play 5-on-5. Giving the Hurricanes multiple power plays in one night would play into their strength, and a goal at any time can shift the entire outcome of the game.

Keep Carolina from Controlling the Pace

The Flyers’ biggest challenge in Game one will be controlling the pace. Carolina was one of the best teams in the NHL in the regular season dictating the pace and the possession of the puck. The Flyers showed at times that they can control the pace, but they have also shown what it is like when they lose focus and they are stuck failing to clear a puck in their own zone.

That can not happen in Game one. The Flyers will need to take possession early and keep it that way. If they are able to control the pace and create a two goal lead, all they’ll need now is their defense to preform and they’ll have a 1-0 series lead. Carolina focuses on trying to attack the goal as much as possible, and coach Rick Tocchet emphasized the Flyers will have to make changes.

“We know they way they play. It doesn’t matter what the other team does, that’s the way they’re going to play. We’re gonna have to tweak a little bit defensively, because you’re playing a team that’s a high shot volume team.”

Ride Off Vladar

Daniel Vladar is coming off his best performance in Game six, stopping 42 shots and picking up his second shutout of the playoffs. The Flyers need him to be reliable against the Hurricanes, as they can pick up momentum driven off of him. The Flyers could end up in long shifts in their zone, which gives the Canes sustained pressure and no matter how many times Vladar can deflect a puck, a rebound or a mistake could lead to a goal.

So, in Game one, the Flyers need to stay patient in front of him. Long shifts will have the players exhausted and frustrated, and that can lead to a mistake by either Vladar or a skater which has the puck in the net. One save or counterattack can change the game for the Flyers, and with the odds already in Carolina’s favor, timely goaltending may be the best path for the Flyers if they’re going to steal Game 1 away.

Game one on Saturday night can be viewed on ABC and can be listened to on 93.3 WMMR. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST.

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