May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) celebrates his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline
Two posts, a great save by goalie Frederik Anderson and another by defenseman Jaccob Slavin, and a rebound goal off the boards is how the frustrating first 20 minutes went for the Flyers.
And the night didn't get much better after that.
The Carolina Hurricanes took advantage of some of that early luck and a lot of undisciplined play by the Flyers as they opened up a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 4-1 win. Carolina can clinch the series on Saturday when the teams meet at 6 p.m. at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Flyers started out the game with plenty of energy and chances, but just couldn't take advantage when opportunities were presented. Travis Konecny and Porter Martone each had excellent, wide-open chances. Konecny — who failed to put Game 2 away with a breakaway — got another one Thursday, but hit the crossbar to the left of Anderson. Martone put one off the post when he found himself alone in front, and Alex Bump got robbed by an Anderson pad after a nifty play that found him with the puck right out in front.
The Flyers literally got within an inch of getting a goal in the first when Rasmus Ristolainen came up on a rebound to the left of Anderson and fired a laser that got through the goalie and trickled to the goal line, only to be poked away just in time by Slavin.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead he stuffed in a rebound off the boards on a shot from Andrei Svechnikov. Stall began the play by burying the Flyers' Christian Dvorak on a hit from behind to at the back of the net. The puck worked it's way out to Svechnikov, who missed the net with his shot, but it came off the boards to the left of Dan Vladar and Stall was right there for the 1-0 lead.
The teams traded goals, and some penalties, in a feisty second period where the teams combined for seven penalties. The Flyers tied it while they had the man advantage on a delayed penalty. Martone threw one on net from the point that hit Emil Andrae's body and bounced to the left of Anderson. Trevor Zegras corralled it and scored from a tough angle just 2:31 into the period:
Trevor Zegras ties it up!
(Via @BR_OpenIce) pic.twitter.com/ooMH44pZtw
— OnPattison (@OnPattison) May 8, 2026
Carolina answered to regain the lead at 2-1 just as the Flyers began a power play. A faceoff scrum for the puck drifted toward Jamie Drysdale at the right point. But Stall poked it away, which led to a breakout for Carolina that ended with Jalen Chatfield roofing a wrister on a pass from Staal that Vladar had no chance of saving.
After Cam York was called for goalie interference — the Flyers eighth of 14 penalties — the Canes upped the lead to 3-1 when Sebastian Oho put a perfect pass to Svechnikov. who one-timed one off the left pad of Vladar. A little over three minutes later, Nikolaj Ehlers found himself with a free puck at the blue line with one one in front of him and he put it past Vladar and sent many of the orange clad fans to the exit with 12:52 to go in the game.
