Hurricanes Playoff Preview: First Playoff Matachup Against Flyers in Round 2 – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

After waiting a few extra days, the Carolina Hurricanes know their Round 2 opponent. Much like their first playoff meeting with the Ottawa Senators in Round 1, the Hurricanes will face the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time. In what can be deemed as the “Rod Brind’Amour Bowl”, what should Hurricanes fans be on the lookout for in Round 2?

Overcoming the Long Wait Between Rounds

Unlike the Flyers, who had to win their series in six games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it only took the Hurricanes four games to punch their ticket to Round 2. That said, the Hurricanes have been practicing over the last few days as they prepare for whoever they face in the next round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thankfully for them, the extra time off gave Nikolaj Ehlers and Alexander Nikishin much-needed rest to recover from injuries they sustained against the Senators.

While they have not been fully cleared, Brind’Amour has stated that they are on the right path and, hopefully, should be ready for Game 1. On top of that, the Hurricanes will be looking to continue where they left off ahead of their first playoff meeting against the Flyers. The second line tallied 16 points between Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake. Stankoven became the first player in franchise history to score four goals in the first four games of the playoffs. Furthermore, Hall alone had seven points, leading the way for the Hurricanes and the league at one point.

What helped the Hurricanes was that they took their aggressive forecheck and turned it up to 11 over the course of the series. The Senators tried to play back and wait for the Hurricanes to make mistakes. However, the Hurricanes instead forced the Senators into mistakes and smothered them all series.

On top of the second line leading the way, Frederik Andersen leads the playoffs with a 1.10 goals-against average (GAA) and a .955 save percentage (SV%). He will be looked at once again to bring that form against a Flyers team whose own goalie is having himself a playoff run so far. It’ll be a tough goalie matchup with Dan Vladar, who is sixth in GAA (1.61) and fifth in SV% (.937).

The Hurricanes will be looking at the top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov to make a massive imprint on the series. During their Round 1 matchup against the Senators, Aho scored three goals, with two of them coming in Game 4. Aho is no stranger to coming in clutch when it matters in the playoffs, as he has 37 goals and 88 points in 93 games in his postseason career.

Regarding Jarvis and Svechnikov, the former had two assists in Round 1, with both of them coming in Game 4. Jarvis only tallied five shots compared to Svechnikov’s 18. Jarvis has had success in the playoffs, and the Hurricanes will be leaning on their three-time 30-plus goal scorer to take control of the series against the Flyers. Svechnikov was impactful against the Senators, even if he didn’t end up on the scoresheet. The Flyers aren’t as stout defensively as the Senators, so there is a good chance the top line could make a bigger impact in Round 2 compared to Round 1.

One of the other components that hopefully turns the corner is special teams, more so the power play. The Hurricanes had the fourth-best power play heading into the playoffs, but through the first round, they went 2-for-15 (13.3%). On the flip side, they have the second-best penalty kill (95.2%), only behind the Boston Bruins (100%). If they can get to Vladar and cash in on those man-advantage opportunities, they can get back to where they were heading into the playoffs.

Don’t Show the Flyers Brotherly Love

During the regular season, the Hurricanes went 3-0-1 against the Flyers, with all four games going to bonus hockey. While regular-season stats don’t matter, it gives a glimpse into how the Hurricanes can take what they learned in the regular season, along with the Senators in Round 1, and use that in Round 2. The Hurricanes showed that they can play any type of game and win in any fashion. The depth is there across the board, along with their playoff experience. That said, there are some Flyers players to keep in mind to shut down in the series.

One player to watch for is the 2025 sixth-overall pick, Porter Martone, who has burst onto the scene for the Flyers. He tallied 10 points in nine regular-season games, and then another three in six postseason games. The 6-foot-3 Michigan State product is one to watch with how dynamic he is on and off the puck. Another is Travis Konecny, who is known to turn it up against the Hurricanes. He had four points in their six-game series against the Penguins. The Flyers will lean on his veteran leadership to take this young group through their matchup against the Hurricanes.

Other players to keep an eye on are Trevor Zegras (four points), Jamie Drysdale (three points), Owen Tippett (two points), and Matvei Michkov (one point). Their group of young players can score, but can also get into penalty trouble when under pressure. If the Hurricanes can shut them down as they did to the Senators, they could force the Flyers into mistakes.

When it comes down to it, the Hurricanes have the edge in 5-on-5, special teams, depth, experience, etc. It will come down to the goaltending, special teams, and who will blink first. The playoffs are a huge wildcard where anything can happen. However, if the Hurricanes can take what they did in Round 1 and replicate that in Round 2, along with getting scoring from everyone in the lineup, they can put the pressure on the Flyers from the opening puck drop. The Hurricanes will need to stay within their system and control the tempo right from the jump. If they can, this will be another interesting series against another first-time opponent in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.