It has been a rollercoaster ride for Carolina Hurricanes fans these past few weeks, especially with the team trading wins and losses almost every game. The Canes ended October on a win, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in an electrifying match in Philly.
The Hurricanes (6-4-0) extended their win streak to three after losing three games in a row during a six-game road trip, while the Flyers (4-4-1) fell for the second game in a row. Carolina’s penalty kill was in full force, denying each and every attempt on goal throughout five Philadelphia power plays.
Carolina got on the board first after right wing Stefan Noesen scored his first goal of the 2023-24 season. After a cross-zone pass from right wing Andrei Svechnikov, Noesen slipped the puck past the Flyers’ netminder to make the score 1-0. Svechnikov, who recently returned from injury, made his season debut on Friday, Oct. 27 and quickly eased his way back into Carolina’s lineup.
The Flyers didn’t back down easily, scoring two goals before the first period came to a close. Carolina finished the period leading with 12 shots on goal to Philly’s seven, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Flyers from taking a quick 2-1 lead.
It was the second period when the Canes got back on the board, tying the game 2-2. After earning a power play opportunity, Carolina got to work. Left wing Michael Bunting took a pass from Noesen and sniped the puck past Flyers goaltender Carter Hart. Bunting — a new fan favorite — notched his eighth point of the year in ten games.
The Hurricanes pulled ahead in the third, making the final score 3-2 off of a snapshot from left wing Teuvo Teravainen. For his eighth goal of the season, Teravainen beat Hart’s glove-side with three minutes left in the period to keep the Canes in the win column.
It wasn’t just the Carolina offense buzzing around the ice — the Canes’ defense was also putting in the work all night long. Defensemen Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin both recorded over 23 minutes of ice time against the Flyers, with defenseman Brady Skjei following close behind with 20.
Goaltender Frederik Andersen played the full 60 minutes between the pipes for Carolina, stopping 26 out of 28 shots on goal from the Flyers. Finishing with a .929 save percentage, Andersen is definitely getting back into his groove.
Carolina will remain on the road for its next pair of games, traveling to the Big Apple to take on the New York Rangers and Islanders on Thursday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 4, respectively. Puck drop on Nov. 2 against the Rangers is set for 7 p.m.
