Carolina won because Philadelphia's penalty discipline collapsed β 38 PIM, 10 power play opportunities surrendered β and CAR converted twice while adding a shorthanded goal to turn a tied game into a rout.
β‘TURNING POINT
Svechnikov's power play goal at 3:52 of the third pushed Carolina to a 3β1 lead while PHI was already depleted from 38 penalty minutes β it erased any realistic path to a Philadelphia comeback and locked the game's outcome. At that point, PHI needed two goals against a team on a five-game winning streak operating with a structural advantage; the deficit was functionally insurmountable.
πWHY CAR WON (ranked by impact β most decisive first)
1
Penalty Kill Discipline Differential: PHI 38 PIM vs CAR 18 PIM β that gap created 10 CAR power play opportunities to PHI's zero net advantage, and Carolina converted twice plus added a shorthanded goal for a net 3-goal special teams swing.
2
Goaltending Margin: Andersen conceded 0.90 goals below league average on 19 shots β in a 3-goal final margin, that cushion directly preserved the lead.
3
Shot Volume: CAR 30 SOG vs PHI 19 β Carolina generated 58% of total shot volume, maintaining offensive zone pressure that forced the penalties driving the special teams imbalance.
πWHY PHI LOST (ranked by impact β biggest failure first)
1
Penalty Indiscipline: 38 PIM, 10 power play opportunities surrendered at 0% kill rate on goals β Philadelphia handed Carolina the game's decisive structure before puck skills even mattered.
2
Goaltending Margin: Vladar conceded 1.00 goal above league average on 30 shots β in a game PHI needed to stay close to capitalize on any momentum, that extra goal was the difference between a contest and a blowout.
3
Shot Generation: PHI 19 SOG β Philadelphia could not sustain offensive zone time, limiting their ability to generate the penalties or momentum swings needed to offset the special teams deficit.
Three Stars
Andrei Svechnikov1st
CAR, R
1G 1A 2P3 SOG1 PPG
His power play goal at 3:52 of the third was the algorithmic turning point, and his assist on the opening PP goal bookended Carolina's special teams dominance.
Jordan Martinook2nd
CAR, L
0G 2A 2P+2assisted on the shorthanded goal and the even-strength fourth goal
His +2 rating reflects direct involvement in the sequences that buried Philadelphia in the third.
Porter Martone3rd
PHI, R
0G 1A 1P5 hits+1
His assist on the Zegras equalizer and team-high 5 hits represented Philadelphia's most complete individual performance on a night the team collectively failed structurally.
