Jackson Blake scored in the fourth round of the shootout to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-3 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all four Flyers attempts before Blake’s first career shootout goal clinched Carolina’s victory. Nikolaj Ehlers, Alexander Nikishin and Seth Jarvis scored in regulation for the Hurricanes, who have won six of their last eight games overall.
Bobby Brink, Trevor Zegras and Carl Grundstrom scored in regulation for the Flyers, who will try to exact revenge Sunday when the teams reconvene in Raleigh, N.C. Samuel Ersson made 18 saves for Philadelphia, while Kochetkov finished with 15 saves for the visitors.
With the game tied at 2-2 and under eight minutes remaining in the third period, Andrei Svechnikov unleashed Jarvis on a breakaway. The Hurricanes’ leading goal scorer went forehand-to-backhand at the last second and the puck trickled over the goal line for his 18th of the season.
Just 23 seconds later, though, Grundstrom skated in on a 2-on-1 and beat Kochetkov with a wrister.
Carolina controlled play for most of overtime, although both teams had a chance to prevail in the final minute. Travis Konecny and Zegras squandered a 2-on-1 before Ersson stoned Jordan Staal from point-blank range on the other end.
The first seven shootout attempts failed before Blake went backhand-to-forehand and stuffed one inside the post.
Brink opened the scoring midway through the first period. Zegras entered the zone with speed and left a perfect drop pass for Brink, who slammed on the brakes in the high slot and beat Kochetkov just inside the post.
Late in the period it was Zegras’ turn to find the back of the net. This time, the play was made by Konecny, who flipped a gentle pass into the slot that Zegras rammed home for his 12th of the campaign.
Carolina got within 2-1 early in the second period following a neutral-zone turnover by Philadelphia’s Ty Murchison. Shayne Gostisbehere intercepted the puck and found Ehlers, who snapped a wrister past Ersson.
About five minutes later, the Hurricanes tied it at 2-2 when Nikishin’s shot — which was going wide of the net — hit off the skate of the Flyers’ Noah Cates and zipped past Ersson.
