Jordan Martinook recorded two assists Thursday night in Carolina's 4-1 victory over Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center, but neither came from sustained offensive-zone possession. The first came on Jalen Chatfield's shorthanded goal, the product of a Flyers turnover. The second came on Nikolaj Ehlers' transition tally in the third period. Both assists fit the pattern that has defined Carolina's second-round series: the Hurricanes are winning by forcing Philadelphia into mistakes, then capitalizing before the Flyers can reset defensively.
The Hurricanes now lead the series 3-0, one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina improved to 53-22-7 (113 points) during the regular season, controlling 56.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck. But Thursday's victory wasn't built on possession dominance. It was built on special teams execution and Philadelphia's inability to solve Carolina's transition game.
Carolina went 2-for-9 on the power play. Philadelphia went 0-for-5, managing just one shot on goal during all five opportunities, including a 1:15 five-on-three advantage late in the second period. That single shot attempt during extended man-advantage time tells the story of Philadelphia's offensive structure breaking down when Carolina applies pressure.
The Special Teams Gap
Jordan Staal's power-play goal at 17:27 of the first period opened the scoring, assisted by Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere. The goal came off a faceoff win, not a lengthy possession sequence, and set the template for how Carolina would win. Philadelphia couldn't generate clean entries on their own power plays, and Carolina's penalty kill turned defensive assignments into offensive chances.
Chatfield's shorthanded goal at 15:59 of the second period, assisted by Staal and Martinook, came directly off a Flyers turnover at the Carolina blue line. Chatfield led all Carolina defensemen with five shots on goal, and his 48% on-ice expected goals percentage during the regular season suggests he's not a primary offensive driver. But on a shorthanded rush where Philadelphia's structure broke, Chatfield had space to shoot and finished.
"Carolina's shorthanded goal restored their lead," according to NHL.com's game recap. The Flyers had tied the game 1-1 on Trevor Zegras' goal at 2:31 of the second period, assisted by Emil Andrae and Porter Martone, but couldn't hold momentum. Philadelphia generated 19 shots on goal for the game, and the inability to convert man-advantage opportunities into sustained pressure meant Carolina could dictate pace.
Andrei Svechnikov's power-play goal at 3:52 of the third period, assisted by Aho and Gostisbehere, effectively ended the game. Svechnikov's 63% on-ice expected goals percentage and +6.9 goals versus expected in 82 regular-season games position him as one of Carolina's elite possession drivers. When the Hurricanes need a goal in a structured situation, Svechnikov gets opportunities. When Philadelphia's penalty kill broke down, Svechnikov finished.
Philadelphia's Power Play Breakdown
The Flyers' 0-for-5 performance on the power play, with one shot on goal total, represents a structural failure. Philadelphia won 51% of faceoffs but couldn't translate faceoff wins into offensive-zone entries or shot attempts. The five-on-three opportunity late in the second period, where the Flyers managed one shot, should have been a momentum shift. Instead, it confirmed Philadelphia's inability to execute when Carolina loads the defensive zone.
As ESPN's recap noted, the Flyers are "in a 3-0 hole vs. Canes" with "penalties, power play costly." Philadelphia's 15.8% power-play percentage during the regular season ranked 27th in the league, and the Hurricanes' 80.3% penalty kill percentage provided a significant structural advantage. When Philadelphia couldn't score on extended five-on-three time, their special teams deficit became insurmountable.
Daniel Vladar stopped 26 of 30 shots for Philadelphia, but three of Carolina's four goals came on special teams: two power-play goals and one shorthanded. Vladar's performance wasn't the issue. Philadelphia's inability to generate offense with the man advantage was.
Martinook's Role in Carolina's System
Martinook's 47% on-ice expected goals percentage during the regular season suggests he drags Carolina's possession numbers down when he's on the ice. The 60% off-ice expected goals percentage, a 13-percentage-point gap, confirms that Carolina controls significantly more of the expected goal share when Martinook sits. Yet he played 15:11 on Thursday and recorded two assists, both on goals that came in transition rather than from sustained offensive-zone pressure.
The coaching staff isn't hiding Martinook's possession weaknesses. They're deploying him in situations where those weaknesses don't matter. On Chatfield's shorthanded goal, Martinook's role was to win a puck battle and feed the puck to Chatfield, who had space to shoot. On Ehlers' goal, assisted by Martinook and K'Andre Miller, Martinook again won a battle in the neutral zone and transitioned the puck to players who could finish.
Ehlers' 64% on-ice expected goals percentage and +6.9 goals versus expected in 82 games position him as a possession driver. Miller's 56% on-ice expected goals percentage and +2.1 goals versus expected in 72 games make him a functional complementary player. When paired with Martinook, whose role is narrow - forecheck hard, win battles, get the puck to finishers - the unit becomes functional because the play design doesn't require Martinook to sustain offensive-zone time.
What Philadelphia Needs to Change
The Flyers trail the series 3-0. Philadelphia finished the regular season 43-27-12 (98 points), and their 51% expected goals share at all situations, per MoneyPuck, is respectable. But Carolina's system, which creates transition chances off turnovers and capitalizes on man-advantage opportunities, has overwhelmed Philadelphia's structure.
Philadelphia's 40 hits and 17 blocked shots in Game 3 suggest a team playing reactive hockey, trying to slow Carolina down rather than dictating pace. The Flyers need to force Carolina into more structured play, where Martinook's 47% on-ice expected goals percentage becomes a liability rather than an irrelevance. If Philadelphia can limit turnovers and make Carolina grind for offense in extended offensive-zone shifts, the Hurricanes' deployment strategy becomes riskier.
But Philadelphia hasn't shown the ability to do that. The 0-for-5 power play, with one shot on goal, indicates the Flyers can't execute when given man-advantage time. Carolina's penalty kill doesn't just defend - it creates turnovers that become offensive chances. Until Philadelphia solves that, the series is effectively over.
The Hurricanes will close out the series with the same approach. Martinook will continue playing 15:11 per night, not because he's a possession driver but because the coaching staff uses him in situations where his weaknesses don't compromise the system. Chatfield will continue logging 18:00 per night, paired with players like Staal who can cover his defensive-zone liabilities while capitalizing on transition chances. Carolina's special teams will continue dominating Philadelphia's, and the Hurricanes will advance.
This isn't depth winning through skill parity. This is Carolina deploying limited players in narrow roles where their strengths - forechecking, puck battles, physical play - enable elite drivers like Svechnikov, Aho, and Ehlers to finish. Philadelphia has no answer for it.