On what would’ve been Flyers founder Ed Snider’s 93rd birthday, former Duck Trevor Zegras scored twice as Philadelphia won 5-2. The game was costly as the Flyers lost winger Bobby Brink and defenseman Jamie Drysdale to rather questionable hits.
The basics
First period: 4:15 – William Gauthier (Jackson LaCombe, Troy Terry) (PPG), 10:22 – Trevor Zegras (Christian Dvorak, Travis Konecny), 14:23 – Trevor Zegras (Cam York, Sean Couturier) (PPG)
Second period: 1:15 – Cam York (Nikita Grebenkin, Noah Cates), 14:40 – Travis Sanheim (Noah Cates)
Third period: 1:25 – Alex Killorn (Troy Terry, Jackson LaCombe) (PPG), 18:45 – Nikita Grebenkin (Unassisted) (ENG)
SOG: 39 (PHI) – 18 (ANA)
Some takeaways
Zegras is Z man!
The game marked the first time Trevor Zegras was playing against his former club. And from the first shift on, the Flyers were flying. The line of Zegras, Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny created a few good scoring chances, which was followed up by another high-paced shift by the line of Sean Couturier, Denver Barkey and Owen Tippett. And after Anaheim took the lead, “Ziggy” replied in kind. Dvorak took a puck that was still on the blueline back into the Ducks zone and passed it to Zegras on the side, who hammered it high by Ducks netminder Lukas Dostal.
Philly evens it up, and of course, Lukáš Dostál even has to give a smile, because it's Trevor Zegras. One-timer, high glove.
— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) January 7, 2026
1-1. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/sg6eTbpkpE
Zegras was clearly energized by the goal, and in subsequent shifts took apart the Anaheim rushes surgically with one takeaway after another. Zegras sent Konecny in alone but he didn’t score. The play gave Philadelphia their second power play of the evening as Anaheim was called for too many men.
The second Flyers goal? Well, just as [expletive] pretty! A gorgeous passing play saw Tippett made a little move before passing it cross ice to Couturier. Couturier’s tip went to an onrushing Cam York. York then fed Zegras in roughly the same spot for his second of the night!
TREVOR ZEGRAS DOES IT AGAIN FROM THE SAME ANGLE!!!
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) January 7, 2026
LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOO!!! pic.twitter.com/nHolEZmQsX
No Michkov
Matvei Michkov was missing his first game of the season due to injury. Michkov’s foot wasn’t 100 percent after taking some friendly fire a few days ago during a game by Zegras. Hopefully it’s more of a day-to-day issue and he’ll be ready to go Thursday night when the Flyers take on Toronto. Nikita Grebenkin was Michkov’s replacement on the line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink. And speaking of Grebenkin, he found himself on the second power play unit and had a solid chance in the slot on Philadelphia’s opening power play which, you guessed it, came up empty. He did score an empty-netter after a strong third period by the forward.
Brink injured after high hit
Bobby Brink got nailed with a hit from Jansen Harkins that was high and to the head. Although Noah Cates fought Harkins afterwards, the Flyers took an instigating penalty from the fight. Unfortunately, although Brink remained on the bench after the hit, he was taken to the locker room as spotters sent him in for concussion protocol. Meanwhile Cates was lost to the Flyers for the next 17 minutes (two for instigating, five for fighting, and a 10-minute misconduct), resulting in the Flyers going with just 10 forward for essentially the entire first period.
Unfortunately, the Flyers had a glorious chance while short-handed when a beefy rebound went to Carl Grundstrom who couldn’t finish the play. Anaheim went down shortly afterwards and William Gauthier (who received succinct self-pleasuring instructions late in the game from the crowd) scored to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, when the second period began, Brink was still in the locker room. But Cates, in the box most of the first, got a goal early in the second on a deflection off a Cam York wrister.
Drysdale blindsided
The Neanderthals, er, Ducks, delivered a cheap shot early in the second when Ross Johnston elbowed defenseman Jamie Drysdale in the head. A gutless, dirty hit if there ever was one. Drysdale left the ice clearly woozy and headed to the locker room. He obviously did not return, leaving the Flyers to go with 11 forwards and five blueliners the rest of the way.
Garnet Hathaway steamrolled Owen Zellweger.
— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) January 7, 2026
Ross Johnston retaliated with a cheap shot on Jamie Drysdale. The stretcher came out for Drysdale who refused to get on it then went down the tunnel with Tommy Alva. Johnston got a game misconduct for the hit.
pic.twitter.com/abzrsLQqPn
Two hits up high, two injured Flyers. Johnston was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Sadly, the Flyers didn’t blow things wide open, going the full five minutes with no goals. In fact, the Flyers kept Anaheim on the penalty kill for roughly seven of the opening 11 minutes of the second. Once again, no dice.
The Johnston hit came seconds after Garnet Hathaway delivered a hard hit on Olen Zellweger (who had the puck), sending him crumbling to the ice.
Barkey avoids injury
Jacob Trouba delivered a “forearm shiver” to the jaw of Flyers winger Denver Barkey. Barkey fortunately seemed okay aside from a bloody lip. The Anaheim defenseman was called for a minor penalty as Barkey was on the first unit. On a night where the Flyers were already down two skaters, it could’ve even been worse.
Risto runneth over
Rasmus Ristolainen was in fine form Tuesday night. He delivered a huge hit on tough guy Ross Johnston late in the first period that levelled the enforcer.
RASMUS RISTOLAINEN CRUSHES ROSS JOHNSTON#LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/krNh4h1ehN
— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) January 7, 2026
Ristolainen also did a good job on some of the Flyers power plays, really using the bumper a lot more often (and more easier) than some other blueliners.
Vladar with an interesting night
Dan Vladar had an adventurous evening which seemed out of the ordinary for him. After giving up the game’s first goal, Vladar settled down the rest of the period as Philadelphia took over in the first period. However, a second Gauthier goal nearly happened, but Vladar was able to realize it got by him, reaching around to cover the puck before it went over. In the second, after the five-minute major to Johnston, the Ducks had a few chances but Vladar made the stops. They weren’t works of art by any stretch, but were enough to keep Philadelphia with a two-goal lead.
As the Flyers began owning the shots on goal, Travis Sanheim finally solved Dostal again with a slap shot, making it a 4-1 game. However, Anaheim nearly scored seconds later as Vladar looked leaky again. The whistle went before any damage could be done.
In the third, Philadelphia took an early penalty and Anaheim capitalized, making it a two-goal game. The Ducks poured it on in the opening minutes of the third as Philadelphia was content to make simple clears. Again, Vladar came up with some important stops including one on Ryan Poehling. It wasn’t his finest effort of the season, not by a long shot. However, Vladar was able to keep Philadelphia with a two-goal lead.
Hathaway has a heavy hitting game
Garnet Hathaway had a stellar game. After nailing Zellweger in the second, he absolutely destroyed defenseman Ian Moore midway through the third period. Hathaway fought Radko Gudas seconds later and both got five minutes for fighting. For some reason, Gudas, who dropped the gloves, didn’t get an instigating penalty. Hathaway — who had a good chance to score his first of the season in period two — was once again quite engaged. With just under eight minutes to go, the veteran forward had three shots and twice as many hits. On a night where the Flyers might have wanted Nic Deslauriers in the lineup in hindsight, Hathaway did the job.
Gudas took another dumb penalty with an elbow to the neck of Cates after Grebenkin negated an icing with his speed. The penalty, with four minutes left in the game, was the Flyers’ eighth power play of the night. Philadelphia seemed more content with just not doing anything dumb and using the two minutes to kill the clock.
Kudos to Ryan Poehling
Speaking of Poehling, the Flyers had a brief video thank you to current Duck and former Flyer jack-of-all-trades. Poehling, who was part of the Zegras deal, has found a home on the fourth line but didn’t prove to be much of a factor on this night.
