Flyers @ Ducks RECAP: Anaheim Bounces Back from Disappointing Road Trip, COVID Woes with 4-1 Win Over Philadelphia
The Anaheim Ducks (17-11-7, 41 points) returned to Honda Center after a point-less two-game road trip to begin a four-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers (13-13-6, 32 points). In spite of a severely depleted roster to due COVID-19 and other illnesses/injuries, Anaheim rode on the backs of Troy Terry, who earned his first career hat trick, and outstanding goaltending from John Gibson, elevating them to a crucial 4-1 victory over Philadelphia.
Ducks Ravaged by COVID-19 Coming Into 4-Game Homestand
The Ducks entered tonight’s matchup against the Flyers with a plethora of COVID and non-COVID lineup scratches. Ryan Getzlaf, Trevor Zegras, Derek Grant, and Nicolas Deslauriers were all out of the lineup due to COVID protocol. Sam Carrick, Adam Henrique, Max Jones, and Josh Mahura were sidelined with non-COVID illnesses/injuries. This significantly depleted the Ducks forward group, which consequently saw Danny O’Regan, Bryce Kindopp, and Bo Groulx enter the starting lineup.
Team Rankings Heading Into Tonight’s Matchup (per ESPN & Evolving Hockey)
Anaheim Ducks
Powerplay: 4th in NHL in PP% (26.9%); 22nd in NHL in xGF/60 (6.49)
Penalty Kill: 3rd in NHL in PK% (85.4%); 16th in NHL in xGA/60 (7.34)
xGF% at 5v5: 16th in NHL (49.7%)
CF% at 5v5: 18th in NHL (49.6%)
Philadelphia Flyers
Powerplay: 26th in NHL (16.1%); 29th in NHL in xGF/60 (5.62)
Penalty Kill: 13th in NHL (81.4%); 22nd in NHL in xGA/60 (7.77)
xGF% at 5v5: 31st in NHL (44.2%)
CF% at 5v5: 23rd in NHL (47.0%)
1st Period
The Ducks showed no ill-effects from their depleted lineup, as they controlled play during the 1st period and notched a 54.6% xGF% and 58.1% CF%, respectively, at 5v5. With 16:39 remaining, the Ducks struck first as Hampus Lindholm rifled a shot towards the goal that was then tipped by Troy Terry past Carter Hart (assisted by Jamie Drysdale), giving the Ducks a 1-0 lead. The Ducks wasted little time in scoring again, as Troy Terry created a breathtaking breakaway opportunity and flipped a backhand shot over the shoulder of Carter Hart, tallying his 2nd goal of the game and team-leading 20th goal of the season (assisted by Isac Lundestrom and Jamie Drysdale), extending the Ducks’ lead to 2-0. The Flyers got on the scoreboard with 1:18 remaining in the period, as Cam Atkinson redirected a puck sent towards the net by Joel Farabee, cutting the Ducks lead in half to 2-1. The Ducks played a very solid first 20 minutes overall and headed into the 2nd period retaining their 2-1 lead.
2nd Period
Anaheim struggled at 5v5 during the 2nd period, posting a 30.8% xGF% and 44.4% CF%. Although the 2nd period was relatively low-event for the Ducks, a highlight of the period for Anaheim was a remarkable behind-the-goal puck flip by Sonny Milano that was nearly handled cleanly Vinny Lettieri, but was ultimately sailed over the net. With 2:11 remaining in the period, the Ducks’ power play was successful again, as Sam Steel fed a gorgeous one-time pass to Sonny Milano, who fired the puck into the back of the net for his 9th goal of the season, giving Anaheim a 3-1 lead. The goal was also assisted by Rickard Rakell. Philadelphia challenged the goal for goaltender inference, but the call on the ice ultimately stood, which sent Anaheim back onto the powerplay. However, the Ducks were unable to convert, and time expired in the period with Anaheim still leading 3-1.
3rd Period
The Ducks were out-chanced at 5v5 during the final frame, where they tallied a disappointing 33.2% xGF%, but out-shot the Flyers with a 53.1% CF%. In spite of their superior chance generation at 5v5, the Flyers were unable to convert on any of their good chances, and the Ducks were able to generate a powerplay opportunity with 2:18 remaining in regulation. Troy Terry capitalized on this opportunity and secured his first career hat trick and 21st goal of the season, increasing Anaheim’s lead to 4-1 and securing a vital victory for the Ducks.
Final Thoughts
Although Anaheim was out-chanced at 5v5 during this game (40.5% xGF%), their consistent shot volume (53.3% CF), excellent goaltending, and a standout performance from Troy Terry guided them to a much needed bounce-back victory against an inferior Philadelphia squad.
3 Stars
1. Troy Terry (1st career hat trick; 53.7% xGF%)
2. Sonny Milano (PP goal; 83.9% xGF%)
3. John Gibson (1 GA; 2.38 xGA)
Up Next
The Ducks (18-11-7, 43 points) square off against the Detroit Red Wings (16-15-3, 35 points) on Thursday evening for the second game of their 4-game homestand, with the puck dropping at 7 pm PST for Angels Night at Honda Center.
Note: all statistics included in this article are per Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, and ESPN.