Hurricanes near Eastern Conference final after taking 3-0 series lead over Flyers

[p]With five of the teams' last six meetings needing overtime, they have played some close match-ups throughout the season. However, that would not be the case this time around as the Canes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/carolina-hurricanes-Sx0gl0tm/philadelphia-flyers-QySGG7oT/?mid=IcJ09DFU"]were the more clinical in front of goal.[/a][/p][p]A first period that saw the guests had more of the efforts, yet it almost seemed destined to stay goalless heading into the intermission. That all changed 2:33 before its conclusion, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svechnikov-andrei/6DbeHrlr/"]Andrei Svechnikov[/a]'s shot which missed the frame fell to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/staal-jordan/nybJM7z7/"]Jodran Staal[/a] right in front of the goal. The centre was first to the puck, finishing the chance from close range.[/p][embed guid="bce60a35-016e-49f7-95f8-73799f35df5c" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052550587472892042?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]It did not take the Flyers too long to respond, as two and a half minutes into the second, they got their equalizer. The puck was played towards goal by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrae-emil/ld0fld2n/"]Emil Andrae[/a], deflecting into a sea of bodies. It squeaked out to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zegras-trevor/r7up9Iwr/"]Trevor Zegras[/a], who finished from a tight angle to level the score.[/p][embed guid="2701ae96-fb58-43d8-9fd2-bd25e1e2c1ff" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052557939659903087?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Penalties palyed a role in this one, with both teams hitting double digits in the number given throughout the game. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hall-taylor/4dK9PWLO/"]Taylor Hall[/a] was called for boarding in the latter stages of the middle frame, leaving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/carolina-hurricanes/Sx0gl0tm/"]Carolina[/a] a man short. That did not seem to stop them though, as they won the face-off before breaking the other way. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chatfield-jalen/jcAIeFt0/"]Jalen Chatfield[/a] converted Staal's pass to give the Canes the lead back.[/p][embed guid="2af3de09-aed5-46af-bd54-7638f23a3339" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052564891181957553?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]It remained that way to the second intermission, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-flyers/QySGG7oT/"]Philadelphia[/a] once again finding themselves behind the eight ball. [/p][p]Things got worse for them early in the third when they had to try and fend off a 4v3 situation. That turned out to be pivotal, as Svechnikov made the most of the Hurricanes' opportunity by hitting a one-time shot past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vladar-daniel/AqbXiQ8C/"]Daniel Vladar[/a] to double his team's lead for the first time that evening.[/p][embed guid="e7e7594f-2d25-4896-810c-de24e5471db8" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052573957199442003?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]A few minutes later and it was 4-1, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ehlers-nikolaj/YJ2gELK1/"]Nikolaj Ehlers[/a] went on a breakaway. Going one-on-one with Vladar, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/danell-anton/MuERWDs3/"]Dane[/a]'s shot went into the top corner.[/p][embed guid="06e78785-e173-485a-b80d-485ccb6b9dda" url="https://x.com/NHL/status/2052576391946723498?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Carolina were able to hold on from there, as they have now won their first seven games in this season's playoffs. Goaltender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andersen-frederik/OhFcnMIJ/"]Frederik Andersen[/a] became the 12th goaltender to begin the playoffs with a seven-game winning streak, two years on from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shestyorkin-igor/8UABXiXo/"]Igor Shesterkin[/a] doing the same.[/p][p]The Hurricanes will have the chance to finish off the series on Saturday when the sides take the ice for Game 4.[/p][embed guid="705d0d19-b1f2-4cee-aca2-5f8d47256a66" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4VQvGzmCKU&pp=ygUDbmhs" social-type="youtube" /]