A demoralizing homestand that consisted of rebuilding type of trades and rebuilding type of performances ended with a blowout loss for the Flyers.
They were outclassed, 5-0, Saturday night by the Hurricanes at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers (28-32-8) went a staggering 1-6-0 on this season-long seven-game stretch at home and were outscored 30-11. Their lone win was a 4-3 shootout decision Thursday night over the Lightning.
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"We wanted to give more to the fans," Owen Tippett said. "It's tough. You've got to take advantage of the homestands like this. It can boost or it can kill."
After the first two games of the homestand, the Flyers parted ways with three players at the trade deadline. In total, they moved five players in the span of five weeks.
"You kind of look around, it looks a little thinner, a little quiet in the room," Noah Cates said. "I think those guys get you through the tough times, the older presence and what they brought. I think guys stepped up a little bit, we were talking a little bit more. This is how it's going to have to be, younger guys are going to have to step up. We're not so young anymore, it's kind of that time. In the years ahead, we've got to do that stuff."
Since Jan. 23, John Tortorella's club has lost 14 of its last 20 games (6-12-2). Only the Sharks have fewer points than the Flyers over that span.
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"It's a hard time and we've got some things ahead of us," Tortorella said. "So we've just got to be together and try to help one another out because it's going to be very difficult."
The Flyers were swept by the Hurricanes (41-22-4) in their three-game regular-season series by a combined score of 15-5. They've lost 13 of their last 15 matchups with Carolina (2-9-4).
• Samuel Ersson made 25 saves on 30 shots. The 25-year-old has surrendered 24 goals over his last six starts.
"I think with Sam, as we move forward, we're hoping it's going to be a tandem," Tortorella said Saturday morning. "We're not going to ask Sam to play 55, 60 games if he's the guy. I think it's going to be a tandem. We're still evaluating. He has been inconsistent. Sometimes you watch him play and you think he has got it but then he falls off."
The Flyers were in a 2-0 hole at first intermission. The young defensive pair of Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae was on the ice for both of the Hurricanes' goals. The Flyers' fourth line also finished with minus-2 marks.
Tortorella sounded a tad concerned at morning skate about some of the Flyers' inexperience against an established team like Carolina.
"It's an eye-opener," Tortorella said after the loss. "It just gives you an idea of where we need to get to. And I think there are teams that are better. But they are one of those teams that are always on their toes and they just press. They're the best team in the league doing that. They force you into those battles, they're very confident they're going to win a lot of them. We certainly tried."
The Hurricanes tacked on two more in the second period. The first came just 19 seconds into the stanza after Ryan Poehling was whistled for tripping. The Flyers had an uphill battle at that point.
Carolina goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov entered 4-1-0 with a 1.81 goals-against average and .916 save percentage lifetime against the Flyers. The 25-year-old stopped all 26 of the Flyers' shots Saturday night.
• Tippett exited after taking a shot to the hand with 3:56 minutes left in the second period, but was able to return at the start of the third.
Nick Seeler had a painful blocked shot in the third period. The Flyers blocked 31 on the night.
"Our game needs to be compete, that's what we need to do in order to be competitive in this league," Seeler said. "We're not going to out-skill teams; we need to out-compete teams."
• Rasmus Ristolainen missed a second straight game with an upper-body injury. He has been considered day to day.
Garnet Hathaway practiced Friday in non-contact fashion and skated Saturday. The winger hasn't played in March after taking a blindsided hit at the end of February.
• The Flyers are back in action Monday when they visit the Lightning (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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