Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier, right, talks with referee Kelly Sutherland (11) during the third period of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, May 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

RALEIGH, N.C. — It was a rough start for the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the NHL playoffs. Coach Rick Tocchet knows his team has to adjust quickly against the Carolina Hurricanes as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Hurricanes won 3-0 in Saturday night’s best-of-seven opener, with Tocchet saying his team didn’t react quickly enough to the Hurricanes’ aggressive skating that ultimately smothered the Flyers’ attack. Game 2 is tonight.

“You can’t have three or four games like that,” Tocchet said before the team’s practice. “You’ve got to figure it out quickly. Tomorrow night we want 21 guys wanting the puck. That’s the mindset.”

The Hurricanes pounced on the Flyers with a dominating first period, with Philadelphia struggling to apply any kind of pressure on Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen. The Flyers managed nine shots through two periods and managed just two through four power plays on the night.

Ultimately, Carolina had a 17-7 edge in scoring chances at 5-on-5 play and a 5-2 edge in high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Canadiens win

TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Newhook broke a tie with 8:53 left and the Montreal Canadiens outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Game 7 on Sunday night to end the thrilling first-round series.

The Canadiens will now face the Buffalo Sabres.