The Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks meet for the first of two times in the 2026-27 season, and both teams arrive in very different places than they were a week ago.
A week earlier, the Flyers were still looking for their first win of the season. The Ducks had opened with four victories in their first five games.
Now Philadelphia is riding a three-game winning streak, while Anaheim has dropped five in a row, including all three games on a four-game East coast road trip. Game time is 1 PM.
Philadelphia’s recent surge has been driven by the young forwards finding the net. Last Saturday, Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov scored.
On Monday, Michkov delivered twice. On Wednesday, Cole Knuble scored two goals.
That run of offense has helped push the Flyers to three straight wins.
The power play has been a major piece of that stretch as well. Philadelphia has scored with the man advantage in three consecutive games, and that’s become a common thread in the winning streak. If that continues in a game that should carry extra emotion, it could swing the afternoon.
There should be no shortage of energy around this one. The Flyers are coming in hot, and former Flyers draft pick Cutter Gauthier only adds to the noise. Philadelphia can try to use that atmosphere to chase a fourth straight win, something it did not manage at any point during the 2025-26 regular season.
The Flyers’ projected forward group features Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak and Noel Acciari on the top line, with Porter Martone, Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov next. Alex Bump, Sean Couturier and Tyson Foerster are listed together, while Denver Barkey, Jacob Gaucher and Cole Knuble make up the fourth line. On defense, the projected goalies are Joseph Woll and Dan Vladar.
Anaheim’s projected lineup includes Jackson LaCombe and Drew Helleson, Tyson Hinds and Noah Warren, plus Nick Jensen and Tristan Luneau on defense. Lukas Dostal and Ville Husso are listed in goal, and Dostal is expected to start.
Dostal’s most recent outing came in a loss to the Islanders on Tuesday, when he stopped 22 of 25 shots. He has now lost three straight starts and four of his last five.
The Ducks’ special teams numbers show a middle-of-the-pack power play at 21.9%, which ranks 16th, and a penalty kill at 77.1%, good for 21st.
Anaheim’s offense has been getting production from a few key names. Leo Carlsson has two goals and 11 points.
Beckett Sennecke has five goals and eight points in 10 games. Jackson LaCombe has seven assists and eight points in 10 games.
The Flyers’ young talent has also started to stack up in the record book. Cole Knuble is the seventh Flyers rookie to post his first multi-goal game in two or fewer appearances.
The last one to do it was Todd Bergen in 1984-85. Flyers rookies have combined for nine points, which is tied for fourth among all teams.
There’s also a clear pattern in the way Philadelphia’s games have unfolded. The Flyers have allowed 27 goals combined in the second and third periods, compared to just seven in the first period. Anaheim has allowed 24 goals in the second and third periods combined, along with nine in the first.
History tilts toward Philadelphia too. The Flyers have gone 5-0-0 in their last five games against the Ducks, tied for their longest active winning streak against any opponent with San Jose. In those five meetings, Philadelphia has outscored Anaheim 23-8.
Trevor Zegras will be one of the names to watch on Philadelphia’s side. The former Duck scored twice in his first game against Anaheim last January and has been on a roll lately, with three goals and six points in his last five games.
Gauthier brings his own storyline into the matchup. The former fifth-overall pick of the Flyers has two goals and five points in nine games this season, and just one assist during Anaheim’s current losing streak. He scored his first goal in Philadelphia last January and will be back in that building with plenty of attention on him.
Denver Barkey summed up the connection he’s built with Knuble this way: "He's been great. I think we play similar games.
He likes to get in there. He's not afraid.
He's got a will, he's got passion. He's got speed.
He's got hockey smarts too. So it's been fun.
I think we're complimenting each other well."
He also said the group has already been talking about the matchup: "We came in this morning, a lot of us were talking about it in the room. Just remember last year's game, how intense that was.
There's a little bit more to it this year again, I think. We're all looking forward to it."
In Other News...
Flyers Suddenly Have A Good Problem As Win Streak Faces Test
The Flyers head into Anaheim with a little momentum and, for once, a roster conversation that feels more encouraging than worrisome. After winning three straight, Philadelphia has gotten a lift from rookie Cole Knuble, who made a noticeable impact in the last game with two goals and has started to strengthen his case for a larger role as the lineup settles into a better rhythm.
Philadelphia may also have a veteran option back in the mix, with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen a possibility to return after missing time since the second game of the season. That kind of decision can be a good problem for a team that has been looking for stability, but it also puts the Flyers in a spot where recent performance may force some tough lineup choices before the streak gets its next test. [Read more 🡒]
Michkov Is Giving The Flyers Something They Have Been Missing
Matvei Michkov keeps giving the Flyers the kind of finishing touch they have long been searching for. In a recent game, the young winger added another burst of offense for Philadelphia and continued a fast start to the 2026-27 season, building on the promise he flashed as a rookie and showing a scoring pace that has put him near the top of the NHL early on.
The encouraging part for the Flyers is not just the production, but the way it has fit into the lineup with Noah Cates beside him. Michkov, Cates and goalie Joseph Woll all offered their thoughts after the game, underscoring how much attention this stretch of play is drawing as Philadelphia looks for more consistent offense from its best young creator. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Waste Another Michkov Night In Frustrating Rivalry Loss
Matvei Michkov gave the Flyers another night they should have been able to build on, scoring twice in a game that also featured Rasmus Ristolainen back in the lineup after missing nine games with an injury. Instead, Philadelphia let two leads slip away in a 5-4 loss to Anaheim, a result that snapped a three-game winning streak and left the building with the familiar feeling of a missed opportunity in a rivalry game.
For a team trying to stack positive results, the frustration was in how quickly control faded after the Flyers had taken command. The scoring touch was there, and Michkov again looked like a player capable of swinging the night, but Philadelphia could not protect its advantages long enough to turn his performance into two points. [Read more 🡒]