Hart has strong return, Flyers have season-high win streak after beating Hurricanes originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers are on a season-best three-game winning streak after picking up a 3-1 victory Wednesday night over the Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny and Ryan Poehling scored goals for the Flyers, who have outscored opponents 13-6 in this streak. They haven’t trailed and all three wins came on the road after the 2-1 loss to the previously winless Sharks.
Carter Hart was sharp for the Flyers (8-7-1) in his return from an injury and illness.
John Tortorella’s club is 1-1-0 against the Hurricanes (9-7-0) halfway through the regular-season series.
The Flyers’ previous five losses to Carolina all came by one goal. Wednesday night marked the team’s first win over the Hurricanes since November 2021.
• Hart felt like he hadn’t missed a beat after practice Tuesday.
He played like it, too, Wednesday.
The 25-year-old netminder saw his first game in two weeks after missing five games — the first three with a mid-body injury, the last two because of food poisoning.
Hart put up 31 saves on 32 shots.
Carolina didn’t crack him until over halfway through the game when the Flyers had a 3-0 lead. Stefan Noesen buried a nice feed from former Flyer Tony DeAngelo.
Thirteen seconds later, the Flyers committed a penalty but their penalty kill responded well, keeping the momentum from totally flipping to the Hurricanes’ side.
The Flyers played a hard-nosed game defensively, blocking 30 shots.
Their PK went 3 for 3, while the power play finished 0 for 1 and is now 4 for 53 on the season.
Carolina netminder Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 24 shots
• The Flyers scored early goals in the first and second periods, important tone-setters for a road team playing in a tough building.
Tippett started the game’s scoring just 1:50 minutes into the action. Morgan Frost picked up the primary assist, giving the 24-year-old center points in each of his last three games (two goals, two assists).
Konecny’s marker was timely, as well. Nick Seeler found the Flyers’ leading goal scorer in the slot with under a minute left in the opening frame.
Twenty-nine seconds into the second period, Poehling scored his first as a Flyer to cushion his team’s lead to 3-0.
The 24-year-old was playing his second game at third-line center and took advantage of it. He recorded a season-high 17:18 minutes, won 13 of 18 faceoffs and blocked four shots.
“There’s more to him,” Tortorella said Tuesday. “I wanted to give him an opportunity in more of an offensive role.”
• Bobby Brink was a healthy scratch for a second straight game. Egor Zamula, who was scratched alongside him last Saturday, reentered the lineup. The Flyers loaned Victor Mete back to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, giving them six healthy defensemen right now.
“It wasn’t because of rest,” Tortorella said Tuesday about sitting the two youngsters. “I thought Bobby had leveled out, I thought Z struggled. Part of the process with the younger guys, they know where we’re at, but it’s not a freebie, either. It doesn’t hurt to watch for a young guy.”
During the middle stanza Wednesday night, Zamula put the puck over the glass for his second delay-of-game penalty in his last two games. Penalties have become a bit of a problem for the 23-year-old defenseman. He has taken five in his last four games.
Zamula didn’t play in the third period. Tortorella clearly wanted to win this game as he shortened his bench to five defensemen for the final 20 minutes.
“When there are decisions to be made, you know you’re getting deeper in your lineup,” the head coach said Tuesday. “I’m not going to lose sight of the kids. We’ll see where it all goes.
“We’re going to be making these decisions all year long, whether it be older guys or the younger guys, as we continue. We want to grow them, but we’re trying to win hockey games, too, as we’re involved in the season.”
• The Flyers are scheduled to practice Friday at 11 a.m. ET in Voorhees, New Jersey before hosting a back-to-back set over the weekend. They welcome the defending champion Golden Knights on Saturday (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and the Blue Jackets on Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).
Subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Youtube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | RSS | Watch on YouTube
