Michkov Nets Two, But Flyers Fall Late in Heated Game Against Ducks
Oct 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A scuffle breaks out between the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks in the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Flyers started strong Saturday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena, but allowed the Anaheim Ducks to get back into the game and control the pace and dictate the physicality as the game went on. The Ducks took home a hard-fought 5-4 win, snapping their five-game skid, in a game where tempers flared frequently.
In a game where both teams have had circled since the schedules were released, the bicoastal bad blood continued with this offseason’s drama of the Flyers signing an NHL record offer sheet for Leo Carlson to join the team, and the Ducks being forced to match the offer, adding another chapter to this geographically unorthodox rivalry.
Matvei Michkov drew first blood with a power play goal after the first skirmish of the game. He patiently waited at the point for a screen from Porter Martone, and when Martone moved into place, he snapped a shot that went into the net. Roughly a minute later, while still on the power play, Travis Sanheim made a terrific pass to Porter Martone, who tipped it into the empty net to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead.
Carlson got the Ducks on the board in the second period off of a pass from Cutter Gauthier to make the game 2-1. Later in the second, Greer scored on a shot that was not controlled by Joseph Woll and barely squeezed past the line for a goal, tying the game at two.
The Flyers took the lead shorthanded on a breakaway by Tyson Foerster, which went five-hole on Lukas Dostal. On the same power play for the Ducks, Judd Caulfield tied the game at three.
Tristan Luneau broke the tie in the third period with a snap shot that Woll didn’t secure, and it went through the five-hole for a 4-3 lead. They extended the lead when Beckett Sennecke camped in front of Woll on a power play to make the game 5-3.
Michkov answered back immediately when he rushed the goal, chasing the rebound off of a Martone shot and kept at it until the shot went in, pulling within one, 5-4, which was as close as the Flyers would get.
Cross-Country Rivalry Heats Up
There was no doubt that this game would be a very physical contest, and halfway through the first period, the powder keg finally exploded when, in a board scrum, A.J. Greer was trying hard to get Hunter McDonald to engage in a fight, and when McDonald went to get away from it, Sam Colangelo jumped in to fight McDonald instead, which was significant because the ensuing instigating penalty on Greer, in addition to the roughing he got, opened the door for the Flyers to score two power-play goals.
While the game was back and forth, the Ducks got the last laugh as they composed themselves late and took advantage of the Flyers playing too aggressively. The Ducks kept them off-kilter after the first intermission by playing physical and taking chances that the Flyers were not in hard checks and greasy play in front of the net.
Saturday was the first time the Ducks got the Flyers’ upper hand in their last five matchups. This is something that the coaching staff needs to make note of for the Flyers’ trip to Anaheim on Jan. 3.
Michkov and Martone Power Play Magic
The power play for the Flyers has lacked teeth for the large part of five seasons, even in the time where the Flyers struggled early, the power play looked disjointed and like there was no leadership. This was the case until head coach Rick Tocchet changed the primary power play forward grouping to Martone, Trevor Zegras, and Michkov.
Over the past four games, this unit has played very well, and now the power play unit has been setting the tone on offense.
With the power play on track, the rest of the offense can follow suit and even off the power play this group is strong when on the ice together. In this game, watching how seamlessly they pass the puck between each other, they have the chemistry of a group that has played together for multiple seasons. This will be something to watch as the season goes on, as scoring at 30% on the power play is not sustainable, but they can take some of this early success and use it to jump start the offense at large.
Woll Has Up-and-Down Game in Loss
For the first 30 minutes on Saturday, Joseph Woll was making some of the most exciting saves that he has all season. The goals that he let up early appeared to be ones where he just didn’t finish the play. The second goal was one where the puck got through the five-hole, and he just didn’t seal off the ice with his skate, and the puck snuck under to tie the game. This was a moment where the momentum shifted in that moment, and after this the complexion of the game changed.
But along the way Woll made some saves that can be called nothing short of incredible. With the game tied at three, Gautier had Woll in the splits with the whole goal exposed except the blocker on the bottom, and he made an incredible glove save, which kept the score tied in the moment.
The way that Anaheim took over in the third period was in part because there was a shift in momentum after the Caulfield goal in the second. This was a good start, but it was another game where the Flyers needed to play a full 60-minute game.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible; we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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