Hurricanes become first team to sweep opening two best-of-seven rounds after beating Flyers
The Carolina Hurricanes completed a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in their second-round series on Saturday.
In doing so, they became the fifth team in the history of the NHL to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs with an 8-0 record, and the first to do so by sweeping two best-of-seven series since the change to the current playoff format.
The Hurricanes opened the postseason by sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round, and they pulled off another run of four in a row against the Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena thanks to a two-goal game from Jackson Blake on Saturday.
Blake first struck in the second period to tie the game at a goal apiece with a wrist shot that bounced in off of defenseman Jamie Drysdale, and he ended the series in overtime by letting one go that bounced in off of goalie Dan Vladar’s glove.
In between the two Blake goals was the seventh of the playoffs from Logan Stankoven. Both Stankoven’s goal and Blake’s series clincher were set up by primary assists from Taylor Hall, as that trio has formed the most dangerous line of the playoffs.
Carolina got the series started with a 3-0 Game 1 victory in which it completely outclassed Philadelphia. The Flyers brought a much stronger effort to Game 2, taking an early 2-0 lead and putting the Hurricanes behind in a game for the first time in the playoffs, but a game-long rally culminated in an overtime winner from Hall.
The venue shift to Philadelphia did little to help the Flyers, as the Hurricanes asserted their will throughout a 4-1 Game 3 win before closing the deal in a more hotly-contested matchup in Game 4.
Philadelphia’s season comes to an end in mostly encouraging fashion despite the sweep, as the Flyers look a bit ahead of schedule in their build back toward contention under first-year head coach Rick Tocchet, and a first-round win in the Battle of Pennsylvania will be remembered longer than the result of this series.
The Hurricanes will have plenty of time to rest before taking the ice in Raleigh for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against either the Buffalo Sabres or Montreal Canadiens. That series is guaranteed to go at least five games, and it could end as early as May 14 or as late as May 18.