The second round got off to a very good start for the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. The week-long pause turned out to be a major non-factor for the group, who seemed very hungry when the puck was dropped. With the first game under their belts, the Canes can settle in and play their game, though the Flyers are almost certain to show a little more bite in Game 2.
Game 1: Despite the long layoff, the Canes wasted little time picking up where they left off. Logan Stankoven tipped Mike Reilly's shot past Dan Vladar just 1:31 into the opening period, and the Canes were off and running. Jackson Blake added to it about six minutes later, carving through the defense and sliding a shot past Vladar to double the lead.
Stankoven scored his second of the night late in the second period after the Flyers turned it over in their own zone. An errant pass hit Andrei Svechnikov's skate, and Seth Jarvis got it to Stankoven to make it 3-0. The third period was very chippy, and I'm expecting to see that carry into tonight's game. Frederik Andersen stopped all 19 shots that he faced, notching his second shutout of the playoffs.
On the Other Side: Philadelphia Flyers
Frustrations boiled over for the Flyers in the first game. They went from an incredible high on Wednesday in beating the Penguins in overtime to their lowest point early in these playoffs with a shutout loss. It's still early in the series, but you get the sense that another poor showing on Monday night could be a harbinger of bad things, even with the series going up to Philadelphia after tonight.
The Flyers played the opening game without leading goal-scorer Owen Tippett, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Tippett skated on Saturday morning before the game, and he was back on the ice when the Flyers practiced on Sunday. Head Coach Rick Tocchet didn't have an update on Sunday, keeping him at day-to-day for the time being. I would say that he may play tonight.
What to Watch in Game 2
Finding ways to generate offense: The Flyers shut out the Penguins twice in the first round. They were on the opposite side of it on Saturday night. It's not ideal in any situation, but it wasn't how the Flyers wanted to begin the series. Not having Owen Tippett in the lineup didn't help matters. With a day to gameplan, they'll need to come back on Monday night with something new.
Just because they won doesn't mean this can't apply to the Hurricanes as well. For five games, the majority of the scoring has come from one line. The Canes need something from their top line. Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov had assists in Game 1, but it would be nice to see either of them find the back of the net.
Zegras vs. Blake: One of the big incidents in Game 1 involved two big-time playmakers. Jackson Blake and Trevor Zegras exchanged several pleasantries, committing various penalties before it came to a head. Blake gave Zegras a slash, leading to an elbow and a cross-check from Zegras to Blake. Both players were told to hit the showers, bringing their games to a premature end.
Before his ejection, Blake had put together a strong game, assisting on the opening goal and scoring the second. Meanwhile, it was a frustrating night for Zegras. He failed to record a shot on goal and was largely a non-factor in the offensive zone. Naturally, now we must keep an eye on the two of them to see who is the more impactful player tonight.