Flyers’ Power Play Disappears in Game 1 Disappointment
May 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (31) defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) and left wing Mark Jankowski (77) stops the shot by Philadelphia Flyers left wing Alex Bump (20) during the third period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Flyers were most definitely caught by surprise by the Carolina Hurricanes. They were shut out in Game 1, 3-0. It was all Hurricanes on Saturday night, and though the expectations weren’t all that high, it was still very disappointing to see the power play go 0/4 once again.
The Flyers, who ranked 32nd out of 32 on the power play, with a rate of just over 15%, needed to make a change. This change looked to have been on the way, especially with the return of forward Tyson Foerster and the arrival of the rookie Porter Martone, who excels at crashing the net on the power play. Though the coaching strategies had not changed, lines and rotations had, giving a slight sign of hope.
In the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers, though not scoring on the power play in the first two games, scored twice on the man advantage during Game 3 at home, as a one-timer from Trevor Zegras and a beautiful 180-degree turn from Noah Cates gave the power play some juice, as they found ideas that worked.
The Flyers and the staff, however, have not been able to find whatever helped them on those two goals, as they continue to rotate around the point looking for a lane that won’t exist. Outside of the crease, there is little effort to find the open lane; the defender is always right on for the deflection or the steal.
With it being hard enough to find a lane at the point, the Flyers rarely get that chance on the power play, as a great faceoff team can’t seem to win the faceoff on the power play, allowing for the clear. Saturday, that showed, and the Flyers had a lot of trouble entering the zone, which has also been a constant theme.
The three times the Flyers were 5-on-4 (once on a 6-on-4 with a goaltender pulled on fourth power play), the Flyers did not register one shot at all in six minutes of power play time.
If the Flyers want to win Game 2 on Monday, they not only have to reduce turnovers and turn up the speed, but they also have to get their power play moving, even if it doesn’t result in a goal. If the Flyers not only don’t score on the power play but also don’t register shots and don’t enter the zone, it will greatly kill the momentum and give momentum and speed to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers need to solve the power play now.
Luke Raidy
Luke has covering the the Flyers and Phillies for Philly Sports Reports since 2025. He is a junior at North Penn and being a huge Philly sports fan has brought so many experiences, such as going to the NLDS, NLCS, and even the World Series in 2022. He has also met former superstars in the city of Philadelphia, such as Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers. Though being a student-athlete, Luke enjoys his time where he is writing and reporting on Philadelphia sports.
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