RAV4 Things: Flyers vs. Hurricanes

Playing their penultimate recreation of the 2025-26 common season, Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers (41-27-12) are dwelling on Monday to host Rod Brind’Amour’s Carolina Hurricanes (52-22-6). If the Flyers win this recreation, the crew will clinch third place within the Metropolitan Division and an computerized playoff spot in opposition to the Pittsburgh Penguins within the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal spherical.

Carolina is taking part in the entrance finish of a back-to-back set. They end their common season schedule in Elmont on Tuesday in opposition to the New York Islanders. Carolina has already clinched first place within the Metro. Their magic quantity to clinch the Eastern Conference common season championship — guaranteeing the house ice benefit for the primary three rounds of the playoffs — is down to 1.

Game time at Xfinity Mobile Arena is 7:00 pm EDT. The recreation will likely be broadcast on NBCSP.

The Flyers (94 factors, 26 regulation wins) enter Monday with one mission: win and so they’re in. They don’t need any of backup situations to come back into play.

Philadelphia enters Monday’s recreation coming off a 7-1 street blowout victory in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. The Flyers acquired stellar performances up and down the lineup. However, particular mentions exit to crew captain Sean Couturier, high defenseman Travis Sanheim and goaltender Dan Vladar. Meanwhile, the just lately struggling penalty kill went 3-for-3 with a shorthanded objective by Noah Cates.

With a back-to-back set to finish the common season, Brind’Amour might divide which gamers he attire and which of them he stays between the 2 video games. Carolina has received three video games in a row and has a 23-12-4 street report this season. The Flyers have truly been higher on the street (23-14-4) than they have been at dwelling this season (18-13-8).

Here are the RAV4 Things to comply with on Monday.

1. Exorcise two demons at one

The Flyers final made the playoffs within the pandemic-altered 2019-20 season. Entering the present season, they matched an undesirable crew report of 5 straight seasons of lacking the playoffs (beforehand set from 1989-90 to 1993-94). The lyers final hosted a playoff recreation — Game 6 in opposition to Pittsburgh — within the 2018 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal spherical.

With a win on Monday, that storyline might be put away.

So, too, can the Flyers’ struggles within the 2020s to beat Carolina whether or not at dwelling or on the street. Dating again to November 26, 2021, the Flyers are 1-9-7 of their final 17 video games in opposition to the Hurricanes. Their most win over the Canes got here again on Nov. 15, 2023 (3-1 street win). Since then, the Flyers are 0-4-4 in eight conferences with Carollina.

2. Home crowd vitality

Monday’s recreation is the only most necessary match the Flyers have performed for the reason that 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. It goes with out saying that the Flyers’ gamers are psyched up for this recreation and the Xfinity Mobile Arena ambiance will likely be electrical.

The problem for the Flyers is to feed off that vitality: Get off to robust begin (and construct a lead), do not take silly penalties and do not panic if Carolina periodically hems them within the defensive zone.

The Flyers have to stroll the advantageous line between adrenaline and impatience. They are the crew with all of the strain on their shoulders. Channel it into the strongest 60 minutes (or extra) of hockey they’ll play.

3. Balanced scoring

The addition of rookie Porter Martone (three objectives and 7 factors in his first seven NHL video games) and Tyson Foerster’s return from harm after lacking 4 months of motion have been a shot within the arm for Philadelphia’s assault.

Even extra importantly, the Flyers have an excellent rhythm going with their 4 ahead strains and their three defensive pairs. The spine of the entire course of has been robust goaltending.

Specific to the offensive assault, the Flyers have been getting contributions from totally different ahead strains — and from the protection — on totally different nights. If they’ll proceed that in opposition to Carolina, they’ve a stable probability to clinch their coveted playoff spot on Monday evening.

4. The Foerster-Zegras-Tippett Line

The one line that didn’t fireplace on all cylinders on the crew’s final two video games is the trio with Trevor Zegras (25 objectives, 41 assists, 66 factors) centering Foerster (13 objectives, 1 6 factors in 27 video games) and Owen Tippett (28 objectives, 23 assists, 51 factors). They had some robust shifts, too, however not the game-long dominance they’ve proven of their true A recreation.

Tippett has just one shot on objective previously two video games. Over the previous 4 matches, he has one level (0g, 1a). He’s posted two factors (1g, 1a) within the final 5 video games. He’s proven that he can take over video games along with his mixture of measurement and velocity. If Tippett can crank out one among his video games the place he presents a relentless risk to attain, he is able to placing the crew on his again for the one win they should recover from the playoff hump.

Zegras, the road’s major playmaker and most inventive participant, had a monster recreation within the crew’s win over New Jersey on April 7. However, he was much less efficient within the latter two-thirds of the loss in Detroit and comparatively quiet in Winnipeg.

Foerster, one of many crew’s greatest forecheckers and scoring threats wherever from the highest of the circle down towards the low slot, had a two objective efficiency of his personal in opposition to the Devils. As along with his linemates, he was held off the board in Detroit and Winnipeg. However, he actually had his moments the place he got here shut.

With this a lot expertise on the road, the trio can solely be held in relative verify for thus lengthy. A giant evening in opposition to the Hurricanes can be big for the crew and could not come at a greater time.