Blake scores in OTHurricanes complete sweep of Flyers in East 2nd Round

PHILADELPHIA -- Jackson Blake scored at 5:31 of overtimeand the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 to complete the Eastern Conference Second Round best-of-7 series sweep at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

Carolina will advance to the Eastern Conference Final and is the fifth team in NHL history to have an 8-0 start to the postseason.

"How we've gone about itwe're getting some huge performances," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "Everybody is doing it. It's how we have to get it done. Go down the listevery guy had his hand in these two series wins."

Blake scored the winner after taking a pass from Taylor Hall in the slot. He put a wrist shot on net that bounced off the glove of Philadelphia goalie Dan Vladar and trickled over the goal line.

"A lot went down on that goal," Blake said. "'Slavvo' (Jaccob Slavin) makes an unbelievable playand then 'Stanks' (Logan Stankoven) middle line drives and pushes those (defensemen) backand 'Hallsy' makes a play that not a lot of people can make there. Fortunately got the bounce and it went in."

Blake finished the game with two goals and an assistHall had three assistsand Frederik Andersen made 15 saves for Carolinathe No. 1 seed out of the Metropolitan Division.

Andersen is the fourth goalie in NHL history to allow two goals or fewer in each of his first eight starts of the playoffsand the first since Jacques Plante with the St. Louis Blues in 1969.

"He's so calm and you're almost just expecting it every nightand that's unfair to him," Hall said. "He forces them to almost make the perfect shot or make the perfect play to score on him."

Tyson Foerster and Alex Bump each scoredand Vladar made 37 saves for Philadelphiathe No. 3 seed out of the Metropolitan.

"I think it was tighter than a 4-0 series," Flyers captain Sean Couturier said. "If we get a couple bounces our way at key momentswe maybe pull out a win or two. I don't know how many posts we hit the last couple games. We had our chances. We didn't capitalize when we needed it."

Foerster put the Flyers ahead 1-0 at 7:50 of the first periodscoring from the right hash marks with a shot over Andersen's left pad. It was the forward's first point in 10 postseason games.

Blake scored his first goal of the game at 12:35 of the second period to tie it 1-1. Hall won a face-off on the right side of the Philadelphia zoneand as Carolina cycled the puckBlake's wrist shot from outside the right face-off circle hit Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale at the net front and went in.

"In the first intermissionwe knew that wasn't the greatest first period for us," Hall said. "Us as a linewe want to get to our game and play in their endforecheck. We know that the strengths of our gameas a team and as a lineis forecheckingdisruption and we got to that in the second period."

Carolina appeared to take the lead when Mark Jankowski scored at 13:03but the goal was overturned after the Flyers challenged for goaltender interference.

Stankoven put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1 at 4:13 of the third period. Blake broke the puck out of the Flyers zone and slid it to Hallwho hit a streaking Stankoven for the wrist shot.

Bump tied it 2-2 at 5:52. Travis Konecny's hard forecheck knocked Hurricanes defenseman K'Andre Miller off the puck behind the Carolina net. He centered it to Bump in the slot for a one-timer.

"'Bumper,' he makes the mistake on the second goalthen he gets the tying goal," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "He gets right back out there. That's the stuff you want to see. He's not on the bench sulking. He knew he made the mistake. He goes out therebangit's in the net."

That was all Andersen would allowstopping the Flyers' final five shots of the third period and two saves in overtime. With just 10 total goals allowed across eight postseason gamesthe Hurricanes are off to the Eastern Conference Final for the second straight season and the third time in four.

"I remember 'Hallsy' told me this last yearwhat you're doing right now isn't normal," Blake said. "You don't always get to go to the (Eastern Conference) Final. It being my second yearto reach it againit's pretty special. And the culture and the group we have this yearit's another level even from last year."

NOTES: The last team to start the postseason 8-0 was the 1985 Edmonton Oilerswho won their first nine games. The only other teams to win their first eight were the 1969 St. Louis Bluesthe 1960 Montreal Canadiensand the 1952 Detroit Red Wings. ... Besides Andersen and Plantethe only goalies to allow two goals or fewer in each of their first eight playoffs games are Terry Sawchuk with the 1952 Red Wings and Clint Benedictwho did it in nine straight with the 1928 Montreal Maroons. ... Carolina has won five straight overtime playoff gamesdating to Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference First Round. ... The Flyers were swept in a best-of-7 series for the first time since losing to the Boston Bruins in the 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals. ... Foerster was the 16th Flyers player to score during the playoffsmatching 1987 for the most through Philadelphia's first 10 games of a postseason. In the past 30 years the only team League-wide with more are the 2025 Panthers (17).