Recap: Canes Complete Comeback Win In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA - The Carolina Hurricanes erased a two-goal deficit and held strong in a shootout, knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

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Although Pyotr Kochetkov's night started strong with a stellar shorthanded two-on-none save, the Flyers opened the scoring midway through the opening frame. A Christian Dvorak screen paved the way for Bobby Brink's game-opening goal, and before Carolina could make it back to their locker room down one, Trevor Zegras doubled the home side's advantage.

Unhappy with how the final 20 minutes ended, the Canes returned to the ice with a vengeance and wiped away the scoreboard deficit. Nikolaj Ehlers started the response with his second goal in as many games, putting home a Shayne Gostisbehere setup. The momentum then swung completely in Carolina's favor when an Alexander Nikishin slap-pass ricocheted off a Flyer and in to reset the score.

In the third, Seth Jarvis went back to the same well that earned his team a win in the shootout on Thursday in D.C., scoring with the same move on a breakaway for Carolina's first lead of the night. However, the advantage was short-lived, as Philadelphia answered back just 23 seconds later to make it a 3-3 game.

After stopping 15 of 18 shots in regulation, Kochetkov was untested in overtime but came up clutch in a four-round shootout, turning aside each Flyers attempt. At the other end, Jackson Blake potted the only goal of the decisive skills competition with a slick backhand-to-forehand maneuver, tucking the puck away and securing a crucial extra point for Carolina.

Stats & Standouts

• Forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the second straight game. His eighth tally of the season ties Jackson Blake for the fourth-most among Hurricanes.
• Forward Seth Jarvis potted his seventh goal in his last nine games. Now with a team-leading 18 on the year, Jarvis trails only Connor Bedard (19) in goals scored by a player under the age of 24 this season.
• Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere led the team with two points (both assists) on the night, collecting his sixth multi-point performance of the season and tying Sebastian Aho for the most such showings by a Hurricane this year.
• Fresh off signing a four-year contract extension on Friday, rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom picked up his second assist in three games, climbing to five helpers on the year.
• The Hurricanes became the third team to win 20 games in 2025-26 as they jumped back to the top of the Metropolitan Division. Reaching the benchmark in 31 games, Carolina tied its third-fewest games to 20 wins in a season, trailing 2020-21 (27 GP) and 2021-22 (28 GP).

They Said It...

Rod Brind'Amour assessing the game as a whole...

"Our start was a little rough. Actually, we came out for the first five minutes really well. Jarvis had a breakaway there, and then we just kind of let our guard down. They got up a couple, and then I give our guys a lot of credit. I think after that, second and third [periods], I really liked our game. We had a lot of good opportunities and didn't give up a ton. We had one, and then they put it in the net and you give them credit again for coming back, but overall, I think after that first, I liked the majority of that game."

Seth Jarvis on what flipped in the second and third...

"I think we just got a little pissed off. We didn't like the way the game was trending, and we wanted to make a difference and change the momentum a little bit. I think that's what we did, just started playing more simple and more direct, and I think it resulted in us getting a little more zone time and creating some more chances."

Jackson Blake on netting his first career shootout goal...

"It's so fun to go on those, one-on-one against the goalie. I love doing that. We have so many good guys that you can throw out there. So many guys. I didn't really know if I was gonna go or when I was gonna go, but I was happy Roddy gave me another shot at it and happy I got to execute this time."

Rod Brind'Amour on selecting Blake in the shootout...

"I don't know if he's scored in the shootout yet. He's been not very good, to be honest, but he's got courage. He's got the ability to [where] nothing's fazing him. He could be 0-for-10, but he's going to make a move. I feel like, in those situations, you've got to make moves. The goalies are too good. So you need guys that have the courage to, in bad ice, make moves and obviously, that's a nice move."

Rod Brind'Amour on the Ehlers-Stankoven-Blake line getting the offense going...

"That was the best line for us. We were a little flat, and then they came out and got the goal. Really, all night, they were all around it, generating some good looks. We need that. Up and down our lineup, we need different contributions, and they've been really good lately."

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes will fly home immediately post-game and get set to take on the Flyers again on Sunday, this time in Raleigh.
• Next Game: Sunday, Dec. 14 vs. Philadelphia | 5:00 p.m. ET | FDSNSO | Tickets | Parking