Travis Sanheim made a heroic goal-line save. But it wasn’t enough for the Flyers to even the series.
Sanheim also played a game-high 31:19, blocked five shots, and nearly won it in OT.
RALEIGH, N.C. ― If the Flyers had won Game 2 on Monday night, it would’ve been in large part due to Travis Sanheim. After Philadelphia got out to a quick 2-0 lead less than five minutes into the first period, Carolina responded in kind with a goal of their own with 9 minutes, 39 seconds left in the frame.
The Hurricanes ramped up their shots on goal in the second, firing a game-high 16 pucks at goalie Dan Vladař. The Flyers’ netminder stopped all of them, but in one sequence needed the help of his defenseman, who had his back — literally — 14:14 minutes into the period.
» READ MORE: Flyers squander two-goal lead, lose 3-2 in OT to fall into 2-0 series hole
Carolina was on the power play, and drove the puck down into the Flyers’ zone. Seth Jarvis flipped a wrister from the point toward Vladař, and Andrei Svechnikov, who was standing to the right of the net, tipped it between the goaltender’s legs.
As the puck slid toward the goal line, it seemed inevitable that it would go in.
But Sanheim, standing behind Vladař in the goal crease, reacted quickly to extend his arms, reach out his hockey stick, and clear the rubber disk from the blue paint just in time, robbing Carolina of a game-tying goal.
He kept his stick there and, in tandem with Vladař, knocked it out again a few seconds later, when former Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere threw the rebound toward goal .
“Big-time play, big-time save,” said defenseman Jamie Drysdale. “I think someone owed Vladdy a save or two tonight. He was unbelievable and completely kept us in it. A lot of great saves across the board tonight.”
It was a heroic sequence from Sanheim, but not enough to earn his team a much-needed win. And the moment was quickly overshadowed by what happened next.
Carolina tied things up in the third period on a goal from Jarvis. The game went into overtime, and the Flyers came out aggressive, firing nearly twice as many shots on goal as the Hurricanes did.
Sanheim, who played a game-high 31:19 of ice time and had five blocked shots, then drew a penalty with 13:31 left in the extra period after Svechnikov was called for hooking as the defenseman attempted to score from in close. But Drysdale and Matvei Michkov couldn’t convert on good opportunities with the man-advantage, keeping Carolina’s chances alive.
As the clock dwindled down to the one-minute mark of OT, Sanheim was in a similar spot when he made his two saves in the second. He was standing just past Vladař, in the goal crease, as a gaggle of Hurricane players crowded around the net.
But this time, he wasn’t able to clear the puck. Carolina left winger Taylor Hall fired a shot on goal and was perfectly positioned right in front of the goal for the rebound, and swept it in to give his team a 3-2 win, and a 2-0 series lead.
The result wasn’t what Sanheim or his teammates wanted, but it was a far more competitive game than Saturday’s 3-0 loss. The Flyers played faster, more aggressively, and with a better overall energy; the kind of energy they’ll need to keep pace with the Hurricanes.
But on Monday night, it just wasn’t enough.
“At the end of the day, it’s still a loss,” Sanheim said. “Move on, and get ready for the next one. I think it helps our confidence, though, going into the next one. Much better effort from our group.”
» READ MORE: There’s no shame in the Flyers’ Game 2 loss. The Hurricanes are just better.
