Kaydee Gawlik
Defenseman Dougie Hamilton celebrates his goal with teammates Brock McGinn and Jaccob Slavin, establishing an early lead in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers in PNC Arena, Saturday, March 30. The Canes won 5-2 in regulation.
With the regular season winding down and their lead on a playoff spot growing smaller, the Carolina Hurricanes picked up a much-needed, 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at PNC Arena Saturday to snap a two-game skid.
The Canes (43-28-7) got goals from forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Brock McGinn and defensemen Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin and Dougie Hamilton. After melting down in the third period in three of their last five games, Carolina got the job done after carrying a 2-1 edge into the final frame against the Flyers (37-33-8).
The Canes’ power play, after an 0 for 14 stretch in their past nine games, played a major role in the win, as Carolina finished the game 2 for 2 on the man advantage. The Canes held the Flyers’ man advantage to 1 for 3.
“Special teams, we know how important they are,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “Tonight, that was the difference really. We gave up one, but we actually got a shorty on the empty net so it was a plus, for sure, in that category. You need that.”
Petr Mrazek, who put in a brief stint with the Flyers after last year’s trade deadline, put up another strong game in net, stopping blank of blank Philadelphia shots and making several big saves. The Canes’ netminder even picked up the rare goalie assist on the first of two empty-net goals that sealed the win.
“The defense did a great job,” Mrazek said. “I think the offensive guys supported them in the defensive zone and we got pucks in and out. It makes life easier.”
The Flyers did not get their first shot on goal until 5:47 into the game, but it came on a clear-cut breakaway for forward Michael Raffl, requiring Mrazek to make a sharp early stop against his former team.
“That could have changed the whole outcome of the game or the whole outlook of it,” Brind’Amour said. “We had a really good first period and we were going well and then we give up one of those that shouldn’t ever happen but it does. And then the goalie makes a save like that … it’s a vote of confidence. It’s like ‘Ok, we can keep playing and everything’s fine.’ [Mrazek]’s been solid, as has [Curtis McElhinney] and it’s comforting.”
Philadelphia jumped in front with 7:55 to play in the opening frame; forward Claude Giroux snapped home a cross-ice feed from forward Corban Knight on a two-on-one rush to make it 1-0.
The Canes took the lead not two minutes after with two goals in a span of 21 seconds. Teravainen tied it at one with the team’s first power-play goal since March 9 off a net-mouth scramble, and Hamilton snapped a shot past Flyers goalie Cam Talbot off a rebound to make it 2-1 Carolina.
Hamilton leads all NHL defensemen with 13 goals since December 17.
“I think it’s just about trying to find open ice and find certain plays,” Hamilton said. “A lot of times you’re just trying to get open for the forwards and hoping that they find you. Sometimes the puck bounces to you in different spots too. I pride myself on that, and a strong part of my game is joining the rush and trying to get open. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t”
Mrazek came up big again about seven minutes into the third period with a point-blank stop on Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim to keep the Canes in front.
Carolina finally grabbed an insurance marker with 8:03 left in the game on its second power-play goal; Faulked launched a bomb from the point that beat Talbot through traffic to make it 3-1.
Faulk’s tally would prove to be a big one; the Flyers cut the Canes’ lead back to one with a power-play goal from forward Oskar Lindblom shortly after.
The Flyers’ power play got a chance to tie the game after a tripping penalty to Canes forward Justin Williams with 3:30 left, and Philadelphia pulled Talbot to make it a two-man advantage. Slavin, however; fired a shot the length of the ice for the empty netter to seal the Canes’ win with just under two minutes to play. Mrazek picked up his assist on the vacant-net tally.
The Flyers pulled Talbot again, and McGinn added another empty netter with 18 seconds left to cap the scoring.
The Canes did not extend their lead over the teams chasing them Sunday as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens won, but still control their own destiny. Carolina is a point up on Columbus for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and Montreal for a playoff spot. The Canes have a game in hand on Montreal.
Carolina has four games left in the season as the team looks to secure its first playoff berth since 2009, starting with a quick turn around and a trip to face the Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday.
“It’s exciting to be in the playoff race,” Williams said. “It’s exciting to play meaningful hockey games. I think it’s what we enjoy; it’s what we love to do. It was an important game today, important one tomorrow, probably a bigger one the next game.”