Hurricanes trail for first time in 2026 playoffs, rally to beat Flyers in OT

Chip Alexander, The News & Observer on May 4, 2026

Published in Hockey

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes keep on winning playoff games.

But for the first time in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Hurricanes faced some adversity. For the first time, they had to play from behind and had to go to overtime Monday to turn back the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, in Game 2 of their second-round series at Lenovo Center.

The best-of-seven series now shifts to Philadelphia for the next two games — Game 3 on Thursday and Game 4 on Saturday.

Canes winger Seth Jarvis, who had not scored in the playoffs, tied it 2-2 with 8:39 left in regulation. Taking a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers in a rush into the Flyers zone, Jarvis unleashed a shot from the right circle as the building shook.

Defenseman Jamie Drysdale had a power-play goal early in the first period and Sean Couturier scored 41 seconds later for the Flyers, who were shut out 3-0 in the opening game of the series by the Canes’ Frederik Andersen.

Ehlers had a power-play score, his first goal of the playoffs, for the Hurricanes in the opening period. There would be no further scoring in a penalty-filled game until Jarvis broke through in the third.

Andersen and Flyers goalie Dan Vladar both made critical stops in the third period to get the game to overtime. Both also absorbed some contact, Vladar responding to having the Canes’ Logan Stankoven bumped into him by using his paddle to smack a fallen Stankoven on the backside a few times.

Flyers coach Rick Tocchet believed his players were on their heels to start Game 1, falling behind 2-0, and needed to be more assertive. The Flyers were Monday, pursuing more pucks with a purpose and making more plays along the walls.

And scoring.

The two Philadelphia goals in the first period came 39 seconds apart. First, Drysdale grabbed the puck and got off a shot from the top of the slot for a power-play score and a 1-0 lead.

For the first time in six playoff games, the Canes were behind. For the first time in the playoffs, the Flyers had scored the first goal of their game.

Then, it was 2-0. In a matchup of fourth lines, Couturier set up in front of Andersen and jammed in a pass from winger Carl Grundstrom for his first goal of the playoffs at 4:41 of the first.

The Canes, a step slow early in the game, then began to pick up the pace and spend more time in the offensive zone.

Ehlers’ goal, on a one-timer from the right circle, came with five seconds left on the power play after Flyers defenseman Cam York was called for holding.

Both teams were 0-4 on the power play in Game 1. By the end of the first period in Game 2, both had scored power-play goals.

The teams spent much of the second period killing off penalties – the Canes had three and the Flyers two. The Canes had the better of the even-strength play in the period and had 16 shots, but could not tie it up.

Carolina had 18 scoring chances to the Flyers’ 5 in the second period, and an 11-2 edge in high-danger chances.

Late in the period, Andrei Svechnikov jumped out of the penalty box and was off on a two-on-one rush with Mark Jankowski, only to have Jankowski’s attempt go wide and high.

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