The Carolina Hurricanes straight-up walloped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Sunday night, sweeping their back-to-back road set. And get this: no overtime. That’s right, the Hurricanes and Flyers didn’t go to the extra period, which is practically unheard of for these two teams. Seriously, these squads usually love to drag things out.
No Captain, No Problem? Carolina Shakes Off Slow Start
What makes that 4-1 score even wilder? The Hurricanes did it without their captain, Jordan Staal, who was ruled out before the game with a lower-body injury. Tripp Tracy did mention seeing Staal do some warm-up exercises with the team, which is a good sign for sure, but he definitely didn’t hit the ice. In his spot, Mark Jankowski slid into the third line center position, and Nicolas Deslauriers jumped back into the lineup on the bottom line, centered by Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
The first period was a bit sleepy, honestly. You could tell the Hurricanes were finding their rhythm without their leader. But man, did they ever find their legs in the second! They charged ahead, snagging a two-goal lead. Andrei Svechnikov got on the board, making it his seventh point in just seven games this season, which is just ridiculous production early on. Shayne Gostisbehere also lit the lamp to double that lead.
Streaks Extend as Hurricanes Shut Down Flyers
The Flyers, who are missing a trio of notable players themselves, eventually got a good tip-in from Christian Dvorak off a Nick Seeler shot to cut the lead. But Sebastian Aho was like, “Nah,” and extended Carolina’s lead right before the second intermission. Aho is absolutely on fire, pushing his own point streak to six games now. He’s making plays every night!
The third period was all business. Only one more goal was scored, and guess who? Mark Jankowski, man. That goal made the final score 4-1, and it means Jankowski has now scored in four straight games. Talk about stepping up when the captain’s out! Jordan Martinook even snagged his 200th point in a Hurricanes sweater with the assist on Jankowski’s goal. And hey, even in Philly, the Canes were getting their ‘hype music’ like Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ blasting through the arena. You gotta love that energy!
This big win pushed the Hurricanes’ win streak to five games. When you’re racking up wins like that, especially on the road and with key players out, you know this team is cooking. It’s an awesome start to the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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