5 Day Weekly Timetable Blank 6 Periods

5 Things: Flyers @ Hurricanes

John Tortorella’s Philadelphia Flyers (7-7-1) wrap up a four-game road trip on Wednesday as they play Rod Brind’Amour’s Carolina Hurricanes (9-6-0) in Raleigh. Game time at PNC Arena is 7:30 p.m. ET.

The game will be nationally televised on TNT. The radio broadcast with Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on the call is on 93.3 WMMR with an online simulcast on Flyers Radio 24/7.

This is the second of four meetings between the Metro Division teams this season, and first of two games in Raleigh. The Flyers and Hurricanes will rematch on Nov. 28 at the Wells Fargo Center and March 28 at PNC Arena.

On Oct. 30 at Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers lost, 3-2. A late third period goal by Teuvo Teräväinen proved to be the difference.

Owen Tippett and Garnet Hathaway scored first period goals to send Philly to the first intermission with a 2-1 lead. The Hurricanes controlled most of the opening stanza and scored first on a Stefan Noesen tally. But goalie Fredrik Andersen (26 saves) was fooled by a changeup off Tippett’s stick and then Hathaway stuffed a close-range shot between the pads for a Flyers’ lead. Andersen settled in over the rest of the game and was excellent in the third period.

In the second period, the play went in spurts of momentum for each club. Carter Hart (30 saves) made 10 saves in the stanza but yielded a screened power play goal to Michael Bunting directly off a faceoff. The game entered the third period tied at 2-2.

The Flyers controlled the majority of the play in the third period, and seemingly had the Hurricanes on the ropes with a spate of scoring chances. None were better than a point-blank Travis Konecny chance one-on-one with Andersen at the doorstep. The Flyers’ inability to finish several Grade A scoring opportunities and one fatal mistake in their own defensive zone sent them down in a frustrating defeat.

Philly has had a number of similar games against Carolina the last few years. The Flyers are 0-5-3 in their last eight meetings with Carolina. Among the five regulation losses, three have been by one-goal margins. A fourth was decided by a late third period Carolina goal plus a subsequent empty netter.

The Flyers last defeated the Hurricanes in a Nov. 12, 2021 road game. In that game two calendar years ago, the Flyers were led by 39 saves by Hart and a two-goal rally in the third period on tallies from Joel Farabee and then-Flyer Zack MacEwen to prevail, 2-1. Andersen absorbed the loss in that match.

Here are five things to watch in Wednesday’s clash in Raleigh:

1. Carter Hart returns to the net (for real)

Hart (4-3-0. 2.52 GAA, .913 save percentage) last played in the Nov. 1 home game against the Buffalo Sabres. In that game, Hart suffered a mid-body injury (which he later described as a lower back issue) after an awkward play in which the Sabres’ Kyle Okposo fell on top of him as he was making a save.

Hart attempted to play through it but soon realized it wasn’t going to work. He was immobile in allowing two goals in the game’s first 10 minutes plus a would-be goal sandwiched in the middle that was disallowed on a coach’s challenge for an offside.

As a result of the injury, Hart was replaced by Samuel Ersson at exactly the 10-minute mark. Hart subsequently missed the home-and-home rematch win with the Sabres in Buffalo, the 5-0 home loss to the LA Kings and the 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

By the middle of last week, Hart was physically ready to play again. He was slated to start last Friday’s game in Anaheim against the Ducks. Unfortunately, Hart suffered food poisoning from fish he ate for dinner on Thursday night. He was too ill to play in the game.

On Saturday, Hart woke up feeling a little better. He was announced as the starter for the night’s game in Los Angeles against the Kings. However, the 25-year-old goaltender felt worse again as the day progressed. Hart was scratched from the lineup as Cal Petersen subbed in net.

Hart is now feeling 100 percent healthy again. He practiced normally on Tuesday at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees before the team left for Raleigh. The Flyers reassigned Petersen to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The club also sent down defenseman Victor Mete to their Allentown-based farm team.

2. Foerster close to breakout game

Through the season’s first 15 games, rookie Tyson Foerster has dressed in 14 matches (he was a scratch on opening night in Columbus). To date, Foerster is still looking for his first goal of the 2023-24 season. He’s chipped in three assists.

However, Foerster seems to be on the verge of a breakthrough.

Over his last nine games, he leads all Flyers players with 25 individual scoring chances at 5-on-5. That includes 15 high-danger chances. Extend the numbers to his shifts on power play, and you’ll find an additional three scoring chances, with two of them from high-danger areas.

3. Third forward line, third D pair

In the Flyers’ game in Los Angeles, Noah Cates (1g, 3a) was moved down to center the fourth line. Ryan Poehling (12 games played, 0g, 1a), who has mostly played the 4C role with Nick Deslauriers and Hathaway, moved up to a line with Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee.

Before the start of the season, Tortorella publicly voiced a desire to “free up” two-way center Cates to take on increased offensive responsibilities now that veteran Sean Couturier (13 games played, 3g, 7a) has returned to play after losing a season-and-a-half due to two surgeries on his back.

“Noah’s fought it,” Tortorella said after Tuesday’s practice.

“I’ve got to be careful, because I expect so much out of him. He’s fought it but he still does some good things for us. Switching him and Poehls wasn’t a bad thing. I’m not sure what the lines will be [on Wednesday], but we need to get some offense from Catesy also.”

Tortorella said that, for the most part, he liked how Poehling performed in his first Flyers opportunity to play regular shifts in the top nine of the forward rotation. Poehling also skated a couple shifts with his more accustomed linemates, Deslauriers and Hathaway.

With Poehling and Morgan Frost (eight games played, 2g, 1a) both in the lineup in LA — the first time since the season’s second game that Couturier, Frost and Poehling have all been in the lineup on the same night — it meant that someone else had to come out. Rookie Bobby Brink (13 games played, 3g, 5a) was scratched in the LA game. After splitting the season’s first two games with Foerster, Brink dressed in each of the next 12 games before being scratched this past Saturday.

Tortorella said that he’d noticed some “leveling off” in Brink’s play over the past couple weeks. With the exception of a nifty breakaway goal in Buffalo, Brink’s scoring chances and volume of creating chances for linemates dipped a bit in recent outings.

Meanwhile, on the blueline, rookie defenseman Egor Zamula (12 games played, 1g, 3a) was scratched in LA. Mete made his Flyers debut, starting in place of Zamula. With Mete now back in Lehigh Valley, Zamula will return to the lineup in Carolina. Tortorella said that he sat Zamula due to ongoing inconsistency in his play.

“We’re going to be making these decisions all year with younger guys as well as with older guys. We’re trying to grow [younger players] but we’re trying to win hockey games, too,” Tortorella said.

Injured veteran defensemen Marc Staal (ribcage, four games played) and Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body, yet to play) practiced with the team on Tuesday. However, neither is ready to play yet.

4. Inside the numbers: Puck possession will be a tough challenge

In the first meeting of the 2023-24 season series between the Flyers and Hurricanes, Carolina dominated the faceoff circle. The Canes won 39 of 55 draws (71 percent), led by Jordan Staal going 15-for-19, Sebastian Aho going 5-for-7 and Seth Jarvis going 7-for-10.

Staal has been one of the NHL’s elite faceoff men for 15-plus years but the Flyers can’t allow him to dominate to quite the same degree as he did the last time they played the Hurricanes. The Flyers also cannot afford to have the other Carolina centers win draw after draw.

Philly’s inability to win faceoffs cost them a goal in the previous game, although they otherwise managed well around the instant puck possession that the Hurricanes gained time and again. However, in what was ultimately a one-goal disparity, the lopsided faceoff differential made an impact.

Toward this end, the Flyers will collectively need their centers to avoid losing draws cleanly to the Hurricanes and for their wingers to assist if the draw turns into a 50-50 puck battle. Last time against Carolina, Frost went 6-for-20, Couturier was 6-for-16, Cates was 1-for-9, and Laugton was 2-for-5. Poehling did not play.

The Flyers have made big strides this season in terms of playing with improved pace, generating chances in transition and establishing a forecheck. However, doing so against the Hurricanes is a tough challenge. In recent years, Carolina has been one of the NHL’s top puck possession clubs and fastest-skating teams.

Carolina typically is more of a chip-and-chase team than a club that relies on controlled entries into the attack zone. The Canes are able to do it effectively because they get so many first touches and retrievals with the pace they establish.

So far this season, the Hurricanes are the NHL’s No. 1 team in terms of shot attempt differentials: 60.37 percent Corsi at 5-on-5. In terms of shot quality, the Canes rank fifth in the NHL at a 55.71 percent expected goal share.

With the way the Flyers have typically played so far this season, they’re better equipped to hold their own in puck possession even against Carolina. Philly enters this game ranked 11th in 5-on-5 shot attempt differential (53.77 percent Corsi) and eighth in shot quality (53.98 percent expected goal share at 5-on-5).

In terms of special teams, the Flyers’ struggles on the power play — this season as well as each of the two previous seasons — have already been discussed extensively. They’ve shuffled personnel and tried some different alignments and are still looking for something to click. The Flyers enter the game ranked tied for 30th in the NHL at 7.7 percent (4-for-52) on the power play. They’ve allowed one shorthanded goal.

The Hurricanes’ penalty kill ranks 17th in the NHL at 78.2 percent. Opposing power plays are 12-for-55 against Carolina. The Canes have scored four shorthanded goals so far this season (two by defenseman Jaccob Slavin, one apiece by forwards Aho and Teräväinen.

The Flyers’ penalty kill has had a couple hiccup games in the first 15 matches but has mostly been solid. Philly enters this game ranked 15th in the NHL with a 79.2 percent success rate on the PK. Opponents are 10-for-48 on their power plays against the Flyers. Philadelphia has scored four shorthanded goals so far this season — two apiece by Konecny and defenseman Sean Walker — but three came in a single game against Dallas back on October 21.

Philly faces a tall order against the Carolina power play. The Hurricanes have connected on more than one-in-four power play opportunities — 14-for-55, 25.5 percent –to rank ninth leaguewide. Carolina has coughed up four shorthanded goals.

5. Behind enemy lines: Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are undefeated so far on home ice, going 4-0-0. Overall, the club has won six of its last 10 games.

Carolina enters this game coming off a 4-0 shutout road win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Pyotr Kochetkov recorded a 22-save shutout. Carolina received goals from Teräväinen (PPG, 9th), Aho (4th), Brent Burns (3rd) and Noesen (4th).

For the season, Jesperi Kotkaniemi (6g, 7a) and Aho (4g, 9a) share the team lead with 13 points apiece. They are followed by Martin Necas (5g, 7a), Brady Skej (2g, 10a, +7), Teräväinen (9g, 1a), Seth Jarvis (5g, 5a), and Bunting (3g, 6a). Slavin, one of the NHL’s best shutdown defensemen, has posted eight points (3g, 5a, +5) and averaged 21:06 of ice time).

Since returning to the Carolina lineup, Andrei Svechnikov has posted four points (0g, 4a) in seven games. Defenseman Brett Pesce has also dealt with injuries but has since returned to the lineup (7 games played, 1g, 1a, +5).

Andersen (4-1-0, 2.87 GAA, .894 save percentage) is out indefinitely due to a blood clotting issue.Antti Raanta (4-2-0, 3.01 GAA, .877 save percentage, one shutout) and Kochetkov (1-3-0, 3.11 GAA, .876 save percentage, one shutout) 

Former Flyers defenseman Tony DeAngelo (1g, 5a, minus-8) has dressed in 14 of 15 games this season. He was a healthy scratch in last Friday’s 5-2 road loss to the Florida Panthers. He returned on Saturday against Tampa. Another player who was a Flyer last season,winger Brendan Lemieux (1g, 0a, 31 PIM), has dressed in eight games.