PHILADELPHIA — The Carolina Hurricanes showcased their dominance on Saturday night with a decisive 5-0 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, marking their seventh consecutive win. Mark Jankowski led the charge by scoring twice, while Pyotr Kochetkov delivered a stellar performance with 26 saves, earning his second shutout of the season.
In addition to Jankowski’s contributions, Sebastian Aho added a goal and an assist, while Taylor Hall and Scott Morrow also found the back of the net. Assists were provided by Eric Robinson and Shayne Gostisbehere, who each contributed two.
The Philadelphia Flyers’ goaltender, Samuel Ersson, also made 26 saves but couldn’t prevent the onslaught from the Hurricanes. The Flyers are enduring a tough stretch, having lost six out of their last seven games.
The match began with Aho putting the Hurricanes in the lead at 8:21 in the first period. Jankowski then doubled the score with only four minutes and fourteen seconds left in the opening segment. Hall capitalized early in the second period on a power play, thanks to Gostisbehere’s shot reaching Aho, who then redirected it for Hall to finish.
Jankowski’s impressive run continued as he scored his second goal of the evening, marking his eighth of the season and second multi-goal game within four matches since joining from the Nashville Predators. He managed only four goals across 41 games with Nashville. Morrow then wrapped up the game by scoring in the last minute.
Takeaways from the game include the Hurricanes achieving their fifth shutout of the season, solidifying their position in second place within the Metropolitan Division with an eight-point advantage over the New Jersey Devils. Meanwhile, the Flyers struggle near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, having lost seven of their last nine matches.
A key moment occurred late in the first period when Robinson advanced down the right side and sent a puck that eventually found Jankowski, who quick on his feet, redirected it past Ersson to set the score at 2-0. Additionally, the Flyers continue to struggle on power plays, going 0 for 2 during this game, extending their poor run to 0 for 18 over their past eight games.
Looking ahead, the Hurricanes are set to play the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, while the Flyers prepare to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
