Philadelphia Flyers vs. Carolina Hurricanes: Game 2 Preview

If the Philadelphia Flyers thought they would ride the wave of an overtime clincher in Game 6 of the first round into the second, they were immediately proven wrong in Game 1. The Carolina Hurricanes ambushed them, striking early for two quick goals and never looking back.

Now comes the crucial Game 2 on Monday night, the Flyers last chance to steal a game on the road before the series returns to Philadelphia.

Game 2 is set to begin at 7 PM.

How to Watch

Time: 7 PM
Location: Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC
TV: ESPN
Radio: Rock 104.1 and the Rock 104.1 Free Mobile App
Streaming: ESPN+

Projected Flyers Lines vs. Hurricanes

Injury & Roster Updates

Lineup Updates: The Flyers did not hold a morning skate. Owen Tippett practiced on Sunday, but remains a game-time decision. Any other lineup changes will be known closer to game time.
Starting Goalie: Dan Vladar gets the start for the Flyers. Vladar made 20 saves on 23 shots in the loss in Game 1. He is 4-3 with a 1.82 GAA and .928 save percentage in the playoffs.
Injuries
- Owen Tippett: undisclosed injury, game-time decision
- Nikita Grebenkin: upper-body injury, out since March 26
- Rodrigo Abols: fractured ankle, out at least two months from Jan. 21

Opponent Snapshot: Carolina Hurricanes

Penguins Projected Lineup vs. Flyers

37 Andrei Svechnikov - 20 Sebastian Aho - 24 Seth Jarvis
71 Taylor Hall - 22 Logan Stankoven - 53 Jackson Blake
27 Nikolaj Ehlers - 11 Jordan Staal - 48 Jordan Martinook
28 William Carrier - 77 Mark Jankowski - 50 Eric Robinson

74 Jaccob Slavin - 5 Jalen Chatfield
19 K'Andre Miller - 26 Sean Walker
4 Shayne Gostisbehere - 21 Alexander Nikishin

31 Frederik Andersen
32 Brandon Bussi

Special Teams
- Power Play: 10.5% (12th)
- Penalty Kill: 96.0% (1st)
Who’s hot?: Logan Stankoven has six goals. Taylor Hall has six assists and eight points. Jackson Blake has two goals and six points.
Who’s in net?: Frederik Andersen gets the start for the Hurricanes. Andersen stopped all 19 shots faced in Game 1 for a shutout win. He is 5-0 with a 0.90 GAA and .961 save percentage in four games in the playoffs.
Injuries: Alexander Nikishin did not play in Game 1, but could be an option for Game 2.

Keys to the Game

Need for Speed: The Hurricanes' speed was on full display in Game 1. For the Flyers to have any chance, they need to counter that speed through the neutral zone and have strong entries.
Quick Puck Movement: Two of Carolina's goals were the direct result of turnovers. The Flyers need to move the puck quickly to maintain possession and get into the attacking zone.
Test the Goalie: Through two periods of Game 1, the Flyers were down 3-0 and had just nine shots on goal. They need more on Frederik Andersen to truly test him and see if they can find any signs of weakness.

By the Numbers

The Flyers have no goals in the first period in the playoffs. Carolina has four first-period goals, including two in Game 1.
Carolina's power play is 2-for-19 in the playoffs. The Flyers are 2-for-21 with both power-play goals coming in Game 3 against Pittsburgh.
The Hurricanes have outscored opponents, 14-5, in the playoffs and never trailed in the five games played.

Quotable

"I don't know if we were mentally prepared to play tonight in the sense of winning our playoff series, [almost] not making the playoffs. There's a lot of excitement. I don't think we got down to earth quick enough for this game." - Rick Tocchet on the Game 1 loss to Carolina.

X-Factors

Travis Konecny: The Flyers need someone to supply offense. Konecny was the team's leader in points in the regular season and needs to step in and make something happen to get something going for the Orange and Black.
Logan Stankoven: It's been Stankoven's world in the playoffs with six goals in the first five games. Stopping him and his linemates from taking control of the game is the top priority for the opposition right now.

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.