Carolina won because Andersen conceded 1.60 goals below league average on 36 shots, providing the cushion that absorbed Philadelphia's 39.7% faceoff performance across 78 minutes of hockey.
⚡TURNING POINT
Ehlers' power-play goal at 10:21 of the first period ended Philadelphia's early two-goal lead and reset the contest to a one-goal game before the period expired. Without that conversion, Carolina enters the second period chasing two goals instead of one — the entire second and third period pressure dynamic changes.
🏆WHY CAR WON (ranked by impact — most decisive first)
1
Goaltending: Andersen conceded 1.60 goals below league average on 36 shots — in a 3-goal game decided in overtime, that margin was structural insulation against Philadelphia's 36-shot output.
2
Faceoff dominance: CAR 60.3% (44/73) — puck retrieval superiority in overtime and third-period defensive-zone situations denied Philadelphia the extended possession needed to generate a winning chance.
3
Shot volume: CAR 43 shots to PHI 36 — sustained territorial pressure across regulation and overtime created the conditions for Hall's winning goal at 18:54 of OT.
📉WHY PHI LOST (ranked by impact — biggest failure first)
1
Power-play failure: PHI 1/8 (12.5%) — converting only once in eight opportunities surrendered the most direct route to extending or protecting their first-period lead.
2
Faceoff deficit: PHI 39.7% (29/73) — losing the dot by 20.6 percentage points surrendered zone entries and defensive-zone draws at critical late-game junctures.
3
Structural collapse: PHI outscored CAR 2–1 in period one, then produced zero goals across the final 49 minutes of regulation and overtime, generating 49 hits but no finishing results.
Three Stars
Taylor Hall1st
CAR, L
1G 0A 1P3 SOGTOI 21:04
Hall's overtime winner at 18:54 was the direct consequence of sustained CAR territorial pressure, converting a Blake–Walker setup into the decisive goal.
Nikolaj Ehlers2nd
CAR, L
1G 1A 2PTOI 21:35+/- +1
Ehlers both scored the turning-point power-play goal and assisted the overtime winner, making him the connective thread across Carolina's comeback arc.
Seth Jarvis3rd
CAR, C
1G 0A 1P4 SOGTOI 23:47+/- +1
Jarvis's equalizer at 11:21 of the third period neutralized Philadelphia's lead and forced overtime, with 4 shots on goal demonstrating consistent offensive pressure across his 23-plus minutes.
