The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5–2, but despite it being the Flyers’ first home game of 2026, the atmosphere felt more like a playoff matchup.
On paper, the Flyers and Ducks shouldn’t have much “beef”—Anaheim plays in the West while Philadelphia is in the East—but once the infamous trade between the two clubs went down, things were never going to be the same.
That trade sent Philadelphia’s fifth overall pick, Cutter Gauthier, to Anaheim, while defenseman Jamie Drysdale came to Philly.
The two teams struck another deal this past summer, with the Flyers acquiring Trevor Zegras and the Ducks receiving Ryan Poehling along with draft picks. Flyers fans showed appreciation for Poehling during his tribute video, but they still had plenty of choice words for Gauthier, who never actually played a game in the orange and black.
Last season on this exact date, the chants were “Jamie’s better.” This year, they were far more aggressive. It seems this has become the new norm whenever the Ducks come to town.
On the ice, the Flyers put together a strong performance, led by Zegras, who scored a pair of goals against his former team. Philadelphia dominated Anaheim in offensive-zone time, playing a more aggressive style fueled by the emotion of the game and the clear investment from players like Zegras. After his second goal, Zegras delivered one of the best cellys of the night, clearly ecstatic to score against Anaheim. He pushed hard for the hat trick but remained upbeat about the overall result.
The downside of the night was the injury situation. Bobby Brink did not return after suffering an upper-body injury, and Jamie Drysdale exited the game following a frightening hit from Ross Johnston, who was assessed a game misconduct. Drysdale went face-first into the ice but, with assistance from the medical staff, was able to leave under his own power. Although a stretcher was brought out, Drysdale skating off was an encouraging sign. Still, it was a scary scene, and Johnston has a track record of using unnecessary force—something that simply isn’t acceptable.
After the game, Cam York said, “We have each other’s back here and we’re all brothers,” referring to Noah Cates stepping in after Jansen Harkins’ dirty hit on Brink. Cates downplayed the altercation, saying it wasn’t much of a fight since he just dropped the gloves, but emphasized that he was standing up for Brink.
If anything, every player who spoke with the media—including Zegras—made it clear how important this game was. The Flyers showed up for the fans, for Zegras, and most importantly, for each other. And that’s what this game was all about.
