Lily McCabe
Center Mark Jankowski lunges for the puck during the game versus the Winnipeg Jets at the Lenovo Center on Sunday, March 9, 2025. Jankowski scored two goals for the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes beat the Jets 4-2.
The Carolina Hurricanes traveled to Philadelphia to face off against the Flyers and delivered a dominant performance Saturday, skating away with an impressive 5-0 victory.
With this win, the Canes (41-22-4) extended their winning streak to seven games, further solidifying their push toward the playoffs. It’s the third time in franchise history Carolina has had multiple seven-game winning streaks in the same season. Meanwhile, the Flyers (28-32-8) continued their recent struggles, dropping their sixth game in their last seven contests as their postseason hopes dwindled.
One of the key factors in the Hurricanes’ commanding victory was the exceptional performance of goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. The 25-year-old netminder was a wall between the pipes, turning aside all 26 shots he faced and securing his second shutout of the season. It marked Kocketkov’s 10th career shutout, becoming the sixth-fastest active goaltender to reach that mark.
Offensively, Carolina was firing on all cylinders, with multiple players stepping up to contribute. Center Sebastian Aho and left wing Taylor Hall led the charge, each recording a goal and an assist. Their chemistry and relentless pressure helped set the tone for the Canes’ offensive outburst. Additionally, center Mark Jankowski had a standout night, finding the back of the net twice, while young defenseman Scott Morrow capped off the scoring with a late-game dagger.
Jankowski, who the Hurricanes acquired at the trade deadline, became the first player on record to score on each of his first four shots on goal with any team.
The opening period saw the Hurricanes jump out to an early lead, with two goals that quickly put the Flyers on their heels. Aho got things rolling at the 8:21 mark, thanks to a setup by right wing Jackson Blake. Blake showed off his puck-handling skills as he weaved through the Flyers’ defense in front of the net before delivering a crisp pass to Aho, who wasted no time snapping a shot past Philadelphia goaltender Samuel Ersson.
Jankowski was next to get on the scorecard a few minutes after Aho’s goal. Assisted by left wing Erin Robinson and center Tyson Jost, Jankowski slid the second goal past Ersson to put the Canes up 2-0 heading into the first intermission.
Hall scored next in the second frame on a power play only 19 seconds into the period. In the right place at the right time, Hall caught a rebound shot from Aho to put the puck past Ersson to bring the score to a comfortable 3-0. The Canes continued to push as Jankowski scored his second goal of the night later in the frame to finish the second period up 4-0.
Carolina continued its relentless attack in the third period while remaining disciplined defensively. With under a minute left in regulation, Morrow put the finishing touches on the blowout 5-0 win.
Next, Carolina will travel to California to take on the San Jose Sharks at 10:30 p.m. Thursday.