Entering the Christmas weekend, the Flyers and Hurricanes reached their unofficial halfway point. Jesper Fast scored two first-period goals and the Carolina Hurricanes were on their way to their franchise-record 14th consecutive game with a point, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5 on Friday in Raleigh, N.C.
Stefan Noesen also scored in the first period for the Hurricanes, who have won eight consecutive games. Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Martinook, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored in the second period. The Flyers were down big 6-2 heading into the second intermission.
On To The Game
It was a rough NHL debut for Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson, who gave up five goals before he was replaced before the game’s midway mark. However, when normal No. 1 goalie Carter Hart was injured late in the second period, Ersson was summoned back to duty and finished with 25 saves.
Travis Sanheim, Tony DeAngelo, Nick Seeler, Scott Laughton, and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, who lost for the third time in four games. The Laughton and Konecny were scored shorthanded. The Flyers have scored 4 shorthanded goals through their last three games.
Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta made 26 saves as he played in consecutive games for the first time this season because rookie Pyotr Kochetkov was dealing with what coach Rod Brind’Amour said in the pregame was a minor ailment.
Ersson, who was called up to the Flyers a day earlier, allowed a goal on the first shot he faced.
Hart played in a fifth straight game when he took Ersson’s place. But he was injured with 2:08 left in the second period, meaning Ersson went back in.
Hart’s injury came on Kotkaniemi’s power-play goal, with Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen pushing Carolina’s Seth Jarvis into Hart.
The Flyers didn’t have a power-play opportunity until the third period. Then after Seeler’s even-strength goal, Laughton and Konecny scored short-handed goals to close the gap to 6-5 with 7:36 left.
The Hurricanes had standout forward Sebastian Aho back after a seven-game absence caused by an injury.
DeAngelo, a defenseman, picked up an assist on Philadelphia’s first goal in his first appearance in Raleigh since playing the 2021-22 season with the Hurricanes.
This And That
– Flyers were 0-2 on the power play now 16 for 104 14% for the season
– Flyers eclipsed the 1,000 shots for so far on the season.
Matt Bednarczyk is your host of Talking Philly Sports With Matty B. He is a proud retired US Army Sergeant First Class, he is also a combat veteran with over 80 months served in Afganistan, and Iraq . Huge Hockey Fan. Matt is a lifelong 4 for 4 Philly sports fan. Born and raised on the Mayfair and Tacony neighborhood lines of Northeast Philly. He brings over 40 years of Philadelphia Sports passion and provides a realistic look at our Major Sports Teams and the most passionate sports fans on the planet. Look for his show live on Edge of Philly Sports.
