They improved to 7-0 in the 2026 NHL playoffs with a 4-1 road victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, May 7. And in doing so, they showed why they are so formidable.
Advertisement
A turning point occurred in the second period with the game tied 1-1. Taylor Hall rocked Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim into the boards.
“I was in a vulnerable spot and he decides to finish his check and it just felt like his hands drove my head right through the wall,” Sanheim said. “I thought it was a pretty dirty play.”
Hall was called for a five-minute major in order to trigger a review. A two-minute penalty was issued instead.
The Flyers weren’t happy, but they still had a power play in order to break a tie. But 11 seconds later, it was the Hurricanes who broke the tie when Carolina forced a turnover and Jordan Staal fed defenseman Jalen Chatfield for a short-handed goal.
Here’s why the Hurricanes are unbeaten in the playoffs:
Advertisement
They’re hard to play against
Carolina plays an aggressive style that frustrates opponents. The ‘Canes never trailed in the opening sweep of the Ottawa Senators and added to that in Game 1 against the Flyers.
But Philadelphia scored two quick goals in Game 2. No problem. The Hurricanes kept chipping away, tied the game and won 3-2 in overtime.
Philadelphia had a 5-on-3 power play in Game 3 and wasn’t able to muster much.
1 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 29: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) checks Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26).
1 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 29: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (92) checks Vegas Golden Knights center Nic Dowd (26).
2 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jeff Malott of the Los Angeles Kings and Jack Drury of the Colorado Avalanche fight during the first period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 26, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
3 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 22: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Travis Konecny (11) checks Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Rickard Rakell (67) in Game 3.
4 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres and Andrew Peeke of the Boston Bruins fight during the third period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center on April 21, 2026, in Buffalo, New York.
5 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Tensions rise as Carolina Hurricanes left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) fights with Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) in the second period of Game 4.
6 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 13: The Seattle Kraken’s Melanson and Los Angeles Kings’ Samuel Helenius fight during the first period at Climate Pledge Arena.
7 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 11: The New York Rangers’ J.T. Miller fights with the Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
8 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 5: The New York Rangers’ Noah Laba (42) fights with the Washington Capitals’ Hendrix Lapierre during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
9 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
April 4: The New York Rangers’ Will Cuylle fights the Detroit Red Wings’ Ben Chiarot during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
10 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 30: Anaheim Ducks’ Radko Gudas and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Max Domi fight during the first period at Honda Center.
11 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 27: The Chicago Blackhawks’ Sacha Boisvert (12) fights with the New York Rangers’ Will Borgen during the third period at Madison Square Garden.
12 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 25: Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres players get into a scrum after the whistle during the first period at KeyBank Center.
13 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 21: San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves (75) fights against Philadelphia Flyers left wing Garrett Wilson (10) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose.
14 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 14: The Vegas Golden Knights’ Jeremy Lauzon (5) fights the Chicago Blackhawks’ Tyler Bertuzzi during the third period at T-Mobile Arena.
15 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 10: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) collides with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram (39) after being hit by Darnell Nurse.
16 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 8: Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Corey Perry (10) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Beck Malenstyn (29) fight during the second period at KeyBank Center.
17 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
March 2: The LA Kings’ Taylor Ward (52) checks the Colorado Avalanche’s Sam Malinski into the boards during the second period at Crypto.com Arena.
18 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: Referee Cody Beach stops the fight between the Washington Capitals’ Connor McMichael and Montreal Canadiens’ Kaiden Guhle (21) during the third period at the Bell Centre.
19 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk (7) battles along the boards with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Brandon Carlo in the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
20 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 28: The Nashville Predators’ Filip Forsberg hits the boards alongside the Dallas Stars’ Nils Lundkvist during the third period at the American Airlines Center.
21 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 5: The Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk (left) and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman fight during the second period at Benchmark International Arena.
22 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 4: The St. Louis Blues’ Brayden Schenn fights with the Dallas Stars’ Justin Hryckowian during the second period at the American Airlines Center.
23 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Feb. 1: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman fight during the second period of the 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium.
24 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 29: St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (left) fights Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer during the second period at Enterprise Center.
25 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 27: Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) fights with San Jose Sharks defenseman Timothy Liljegren during the second period at Rogers Arena.
26 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 19: San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (left) fights Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena.
27 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) fights with Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) during the second period at United Center.
28 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan. 15: Boston Bruins center Alex Steeves (21) and Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton (26) fight during the third period at TD Garden.
29 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Jan 10: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) checks Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
30 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 30: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
31 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 20: Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nicolas Deslauriers (44) and New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) are separated by officials and teammates after a fight during the second period at Madison Square Garden.
32 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec 8: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua (81) and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier (24) fight during the third period at Scotiabank Arena.
33 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 4: Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Bokondji Imama (14) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) fight in the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
34 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Dec. 1: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center.
35 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
36 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Philadelphia Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway (19) checks New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) during the second period at UBS Arena.
37 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 28: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) checks Carolina Hurricanes center Justin Robidas (46) during the first period at Lenovo Center.
38 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 24: Members of the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings fight at the end of the third period at Prudential Center.
39 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 22: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) and Edmonton Oilers center Trent Frederic (10) fight during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
40 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Utah Mammoth center Jack McBain (22) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) fight during the third period at Delta Center.
41 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 16: The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings engage in a major scrum after their game at Madison Square Garden.
42 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) fights Minnesota Wild center Tyler Pitlick (19) after his hit injured Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield.
43 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Los Angeles Kings right wing Corey Perry (10) and Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer (10) fight during the third period at Crypto.com Arena.
44 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 6: Buffalo Sabres center Josh Dunne (44) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
45 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 4: New York Islanders and Boston Bruins players get in a scrum after Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) was roughed by Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the second period.
46 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) fights St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) in the first period at Nationwide Arena.
47 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov 1: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (9) hits St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) along the boards in the third period at Nationwide Arena.
48 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Nov. 1: Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) and Buffalo Sabres left wing Jordan Greenway (12) fight during the first period at KeyBank Center.
49 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 24: Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley (64) fight in the first period at Canada Life Centre.
50 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 23: Boston Bruins left wing Tanner Jeannot (84) fights with Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston (44) during the second period at TD Garden.
51 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 21: Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby (83) fight during the third period at Bridgestone Arena.
52 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) is held back by a linesman after scuffling with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Marchand is holding Dahlin’s helmet and later pulled off the straps in the penalty box.
53 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 18: Tampa Bay Lightning center Curtis Douglas (42) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Mathieu Olivier (24) fight during the first period at Nationwide Arena.
54 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 16: Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Boston Bruins center Michael Eyssimont (81) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
55 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 14: Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) checks Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) during the first period at the American Airlines Center.
56 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Calgary Flames left wing Ryan Lomberg (70) and St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (75) fight during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome.
57 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena.
58 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 11: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Luke Schenn (5) fight during the first period at Canada Life Centre.
59 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) checks San Jose Sharks center Philipp Kurashev (96) at center ice during the third period at SAP Center.
60 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh (43) and Ottawa Senators left wing Kurtis MacDermid (23) fight during the first period at Benchmark International Arena.
61 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Carolina Hurricanes left wing Jordan Martinook (48) checks New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) during the third period at Lenovo Center.
62 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (26) checks New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) as he goes after a loose puck during the second period at KeyBank Center.
63 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct 7: Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott (39) points to Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) after he finished fighting Josh Manson during the first period at Crypto.com Arena.
64 / 64
NHL physicality: Players fight, deliver big hits
Oct. 7: Chicago’s Nick Foligno fights with Florida’s A.J. Greer during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena.
Hurricanes have scoring depth
Thursday was Staal’s night with a goal and an assist. It was his first goal of these playoffs.
The Hurricanes have more than enough scoring to go around.
Advertisement
Logan Stankoven is tied for the playoff goal lead with six. Hall has nine points and Jackson Blake has eight. Nikolaj Ehlers has goals in each of the past two games. They’re unbeaten despite Andrei Svechnikov not scoring until Thursday.
Andersen had a regular season to forget with a 3.05 goals-against average and .874 save percentage. Brandon Bussi supplanted him at one point.
But coach Rod Brind’Amour went with the veteran Andersen in the playoffs, and it has paid off. Andersen has two shutouts and has given up two or fewer goals in each game. He’s just the third goalie in the last 30 years to open 7-0.
Advertisement
The Flyers are banged up with Owen Tippett and Noah Cates unable to play. But unless the Flyers can figure out the Hurricanes, they, like the Senators, will be swept.
Then it comes down to whether the Hurricanes and Brind’Amour can get past the conference finals. The way they’re playing, it’s possible.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricanes beat Flyers to remain unbeaten in playoffs: Why they’re 7-0
