Unknowingly or not, the Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] walked into an ambush in Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. Reaching Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs is no small feat for the little-engine-that-could Flyers, but things only get harder with each round. The group looked spent by the end of the first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and were perhaps fortunate to leave Xfinity Mobile Arena as victors via Cam York's hail-mary goal from long range. All three Hurricanes goals in Saturday night's 3-0 Game 1 loss were more than preventable, but as head coach Rick Tocchet told traveling media after the game, the Flyers looked "mentally unprepared" for the vicious Hurricanes. On Logan Stankoven's first goal, Matvei Michkov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/after-benching-matvei-michkov-delivers-flyers-another-clutch-moment] tried to beat the Hurricanes' pressure with a backhand pass to Travis Sanheim in his own zone. That got intercepted with ease, and the ensuing shot from the point was tipped for the goal. The second goal was equally silly, as Michkov lunged at Jackson Blake in the neutral zone, despite having a 2-on-1 numbers advantage defending with Sanheim. Both Flyers were caught flat-footed, and Blake skated onwards to backhand past Dan Vladar, who should have made a comfortable save but failed to do so. Lastly, for the dagger, Stankoven converted on a steal by Seth Jarvis, who hounded Noah Juulsen [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/unsung-hero-noah-juulsen-giving-flyers-tough-minutes] down in his own zone to force a turnover. Injured Key Flyers Forward Out Game 1 vs. Hurricanes [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/81020223-9c52-49b9-9ecb-1d130f6d4e47.jpeg] Injured Key Flyers Forward Out Game 1 vs. Hurricanes The Philadelphia Flyers have lost Owen Tippett for Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/injured-key-flyers-forward-out-game-1-vs-hurricanes] Juulsen has never been known for his prowess with the puck, but it has become a glaring issue in recent games. The Flyers may be better suited giving those minutes to Emil Andrae or David Jiricek [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/flyers-black-aces-could-have-strong-impact-vs-penguins], especially if the Hurricanes keep winning. A late flurry from the Flyers helped make things look manageable, but the game was lost inside the first 40 minutes, when they recorded just nine shots on goal to Carolina's 21. They were out-classed from start to finish, and all Rod Brind'Amour's crew needed to do was play on cruise control for the final frame. Looking at the Flyers, the main concern that everyone saw coming was how they would deal with the Hurricanes' pressure game and aggressive forecheck setup. The Flyers are a team comprised of young players and vets, many of whom are playing in the postseason for the first time in a long time, if they ever had at all. This Hurricanes team makes the playoffs every year, and while they obviously have not won when it mattered to reach the Stanley Cup Final, they are objectively a contender. The Flyers are not. Right now, we're seeing a winded Flyers team that has already squandered one of the four losses they can take before being bounced from the postseason. Owen Tippett didn't play [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers/latest-news/injured-key-flyers-forward-out-game-1-vs-hurricanes], and Michkov, Porter Martone, and Tyson Foerster are all going through growing pains in their dry spells. It would be good for this group to steal at least one or two games from the Hurricanes, but they haven't shown signs of being capable of that just yet.
