{"id":182633,"date":"2026-05-03T05:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T05:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/182633\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T05:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T05:05:08","slug":"tocchet-flyers-werent-mentally-prepared-for-hurricanes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/182633\/","title":{"rendered":"Tocchet: Flyers weren’t ‘mentally prepared’ for Hurricanes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> coach Rick Tocchet said his team wasn’t “mentally prepared” in its Game 1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

The Hurricanes won their fifth postseason game in a row with a 3-0 shutout<\/a> over the Flyers, who advanced to the second round for the first time since 2020 by eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> in six games.<\/p>\n

Tocchet said the euphoria from that overtime win against their rivals on Wednesday night may have negatively impacted their focus on Game 1 in Raleigh.<\/p>\n

“I don’t know if we were mentally prepared to play tonight. Winning our playoff series, [almost] not making the playoffs … there was a lot of excitement. I don’t think we got down to earth quick enough for this game. And then that’s what happens: Your legs aren’t there,” he said. “We just didn’t make any plays.”<\/p>\n

That was evidenced by a dud of a first period for Philadelphia. The Hurricanes had the shot attempt advantage (20-10), the shots on goal advantage (12-4) and carried a 2-0 lead into the dressing room on goals by Logan Stankoven<\/a> and Jackson Blake<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We had a good start. That’s what won the game. After that, there wasn’t much happening,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’amour said.<\/p>\n

The Hurricanes played their trademark style of suffocating defense and stellar penalty killing, as the Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play.<\/p>\n

“It’s a good baptism for how some our players are going to have to play. We’re going to have to play with some quickness and reactionary time,” Tocchet said.<\/p>\n

The Flyers’ offense did take a hit before the game as forward Owen Tippett<\/a> was unable to play due to injury and is listed day-to-day. While he had just a goal and an assist in six playoff games, Tippett led the Flyers with 28 goals in the regular season.<\/p>\n

But overall, Philadelphia learned their second-round opponent is a formidable one. The Hurricanes became the eighth team in the last 50 years to allow five or fewer goals through their first five contests of a postseason, having given up just five goals overall against Ottawa and now Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

“The Penguins were a good hockey team. So is Carolina. They played well. We didn’t play well,” Tocchet said, when asked whether this was a step up in competition. “I don’t think we gave them anything to worry about for the first half of the game.”<\/p>\n

Game 2 is Monday at Lenovo Center.br\/]<\/p>\n

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