Playing two days after signing a six-year, $37.8 million contract, Ward stopped 25 shots for Carolina. The Hurricanes came up empty on all eight of their power-play chances and were shut out in their opener for the first time in franchise history. Emery finished with his ninth career shutout.
With Sergei Samsonov serving a double-minor for high-sticking, Carter gave Philadelphia the lead 25 seconds into the period when he backhanded a rebound past Ward. Moments later, Richards made it a two-goal game on a deflection through traffic.
That wound up being plenty of offense for Emery, who spent last season in Russia but returned to the NHL hoping for more performances like this. He picked up where he left off in the preseason, when he had a 1.78 goals-against average and .943 save percentage.
Emery's last three appearances against the Hurricanes have ended in shutouts. His last complete-game regular-season shutout was a 2-0 victory over Carolina in February 2007, when he was with Ottawa. The following season, he and Martin Gerber teamed to blank the Hurricanes, but Emery logged only about 5½ minutes of ice time in that game.
He was one of two key offseason acquisitions for the Flyers, who also added defenseman Chris Pronger, and they wound up locking down Carolina's offense. Nobody came closer to scoring for the Hurricanes than Eric Staal, whose apparent goal midway through the first was disallowed because teammate Andrew Alberts was called for a hand pass.
NOTES: Philadelphia LW James van Riemsdyk recorded his first NHL point when he assisted on Richards' goal. ... Flyers C Danny Briere, who had at least one point in each of his last four preseason games, assisted on Carter's goal. ... Carolina C Matt Cullen skated in his 800th career game. ... Hurricanes D Tim Gleason and Flyers LW Dan Carcillo traded punches in the first.
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