Flyers-Hurricanes Game 1: Dominant Carolina cruises to 3-0 win

The Flyers got rocked by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Skating in Game 1 of the second round against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Flyers were handed a sound 3-0 loss.

From the drop of the puck, it seemed as if the Flyers were overmatched by a team that has more speed, plays man-on-man, and puts more shots on goal from every angle compared to the team they just sent golfing, the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s a much different team, a much younger, hungrier, and more skilled team.

Down 3-0 and creating very little offensively, the Flyers' frustration finally boiled over.

First, Trevor Zegras took elbowing and slashing penalties on Jackson Blake after a battle behind the play with just over eight minutes left in the game. Both Zegras and Blake received 10-minute misconducts, with Zegras getting the extra two minutes. In the ensuing scrum, Taylor Hall and Travis Konecny were also handed matching roughing penalties.

Less than two minutes later, Nick Seeler and former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere were sent to their respective locker rooms to join Zegras and Blake with matching misconducts of their own.

There have been 35 minutes played in Game 1, but the Flyers have yet to find their legs.

Frederik Andersen has seen just eight shots thus far, as the Hurricanes lead 2-0 and have outshot the Flyers 18-8.

The Flyers' best chance of the night didn't even result in a shot on goal, as Porter Martone was tripped by Andersen just before the rookie reached to tuck one into an open net. The Flyers were awarded a power play on the play, but did not capitalize. They are now 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

The Flyers will be without a key contributor on Saturday night, as winger Owen Tippett is not able to go due to an unspecified injury. Tippett is considered day-to-day.

He stayed on the ice with the scratches long after the regulars left Saturday's optional morning skate, a sign that he was likely to miss the game. Tippett has regularly missed practices and morning skates during the Flyers’ playoff run for maintenance, as he's dealt with a lingering injury.

“It’s the same thing, it’s a game-time decision,” coach Rick Tocchet said Friday. “They’ve all been game times with him. We’ve just got to continue in that mode.”

There's been a lot of talk recently that the Flyers are playing with "house money" and that they can be happy whatever happens in this series.

Don't tell that Rick Tocchet, who reiterated Friday that that notion couldn't be further from the truth.

“The way that I think, and I try to explain to players, you’re always going to have your doubters, so you’re not trying to prove to the doubters, you’re trying to prove [to] the people you’re with, hey, you’re here to do your job, and that’s really when it comes down to it,” Tocchet said.

Dennis Boyle walked the concourse of the sold-out Spectrum, unable to see much of anything thanks to the oversized mascot head he wore. It was his second day as Slapshot, the orange mascot introduced by the Flyers in November of 1978.

Day No. 1 was a hit: Slapshot skated between periods, showed some fancy moves, slapped a puck in the net, and listened to the crowd roar. Navigating the arena a day later presented a different challenge.

“Doesn’t a guy come up to me, a typical Philly fan, and [sucker punches] me right in the gut,” Boyle said. “Man, I don’t know if you’ve ever been suckered in the gut. But you think you’re going to die.”

We're back with more trivia questions from our quiz that helps teach fans what the Flyers are like off the ice. And these two have to do with food ...

Which Flyers player fancies himself a home chef, with his specialty being steaks?

Which Flyers player enjoys making homemade pasta sauce as part of his postgame routine?

If that headline is confusing, we don't blame you. Maybe we should've said Das Skate instead — like Jason Kelce did when he first saw the Carolina Hurricanes' new way to serve beer at the Lenovo Center. Because really, there's no other way to explain what you're about to see ..

Does "beer skate" make more sense now? It's reminiscent of the das boot, the boot-shaped glass mug made popular by the film Beerfest.

Let me guess, the Flyers are doing well, all your friends are wearing orange, and you’ve suddenly decided you want in.

You’re a “hockey person” now, despite no prior interest or knowledge of this game aside from what you’ve seen in Heated Rivalry and the fact that Gritty exists.

It’s OK, you’re not alone — Google search trends reflect a spike in folks trying to understand how hockey works and what the playoffs entail.

Could Owen Tippett be out for Game 1? The Flyers forward, who has been noted as banged up all postseason and has not skated in several practices or morning skates, including Friday’s practice in Voorhees, was on the ice at the Lenovo Center on Saturday morning in the team’s optional skate.

That didn’t hint at anything, as the last time he hit the ice was for the Flyers series clincher against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. But then he stayed out after guys like Noah Cates, Nick Seeler, and Cam York came off. And he was still on after his teammates, Cates and Denver Barkey, spoke to the media.

It would suggest that he will not suit up against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Plus, it comes less than 24 hours after Rick Tocchet again said Tippett was a game-time decision — and after the bench boss shot down the assumption that Alex Bump was a placeholder for Tippett on the Flyers’ top line with Trevor Zegras and Porter Martone at the Flyers Training Center.

It’s been a while since the Flyers have been relevant this late in the year, and there are a lot of new faces wearing orange and black, so we don’t blame you if you’re still trying to figure out the difference between Alex Bump and Oliver Bonk, or Noah Cates and Noah Juulsen. We also think we might be able to help you get to know the upstart Flyers, especially their off-ice personalities. We compiled a 15-question quiz to help you familiarize yourself with the players, and we'll be sprinkling some in here throughout the day leading up to the game.

Here's our first ...

Which Flyer — and proud cat dad — loves his three cats and even dresses them up for Halloween?

Beginning on Saturday night, the Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes will meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time.

But don’t confuse that anomaly for unfamiliarity, as the Hurricanes have several players, coaches, and front-office personnel with ties to the Flyers and Philadelphia, headlined by general manager Eric Tulsky, head coach Rod Brind’Amour, and players Nic Deslauriers, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Sean Walker.

Though the Hurricanes, opening the series at home as the Eastern Conference’s top seed, are big favorites, the Flyers may be the hottest team in hockey with a 22-9-1 record, including playoffs, since the restart after the Olympic break.

It was a win against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second-to-last game of the regular season that clinched the Flyers’ spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now, they’ll look for four more against the ‘Canes in the second round to continue their quest for the Cup.

While the Flyers’ record against Carolina this season is 1-0-3, they kept things even in regulation. All four games were decided in overtime or a shootout, although the Flyers’ lone win did come when the Hurricanes were resting several key players.

One difference heading into this series is that playoff hockey eliminates the shootout. Also, instead of a three-on-three overtime like in the regular season, the traditional five-on-five, 20-minute format stands in overtime in the postseason.

It’s not just the four tight contests this season that represent the familiarity between these two Metropolitan Division teams. The connections run deep.

Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour played for the Flyers from 1991 to 2000 and was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in November of 2015. He and Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet played together for the Flyers during the 1991-92 season, Brind’Amour’s first with the Flyers, and Tocchet’s last of his first seven-year stint. They nearly crossed paths again in 2000, when the Flyers reacquired Tocchet at the trade deadline. However, they had dealt Brind’Amour two months earlier as part of the Keith Primeau trade.

Brind’Amour still holds the franchise record for most consecutive games played with 484, and played 633 games overall for the Flyers before being traded to Carolina.

Tonight's Game 1 between the Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes will air on ABC at 8 p.m, the first time the two franchises have ever faced off in the playoffs.

Calling the game is Mike Monaco alongside analyst Ray Ferraro. Emily Kaplan will report from the Lenovo Center.

ESPN's pregame coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with The Point, featuring Steve Levy, Mark Messier, P.K. Subban, and Arda Öcal.