The Anaheim Ducks need a rebound game after falling flat against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (Jan. 9). They were torched by several of the Blues’ weapons in the game’s opening 10 minutes and never recovered. It was one of those throwaway games that are bound to happen over a grueling six-month, 82-game schedule. You take it on the chin, forget about it, and focus on the next.
That next one is tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers. These two clubs last met on Dec. 28, a game in which the Ducks had no answers offensively and ultimately lost 3-1. What’s so interesting about the second and final game of the season series between these two teams, you might ask?
Cutter Gauthier is in Philadelphia for the first time since his trade out of town 367 days ago. It made waves in league circles then and should again tonight as these clubs prepare for battle. Let’s dive into that juicy storyline and others in a preview of the matchup.
We’re About to Find Out How Much Philly Hates Gauthier
The trade may have been a hair over a year ago, but no one is going to soon forget the way in which Gauthier found himself in a Ducks sweater. After stating in a post-draft interview that he was meant to be a Flyer, he reversed course before ever suiting up for the club, which facilitated his exit from the organization. The fiasco left us with memorable sound bites from many, including head coach John Tortorella, who said in a post-trade interview that he wouldn’t know Gauthier “from a hole in the wall,” and that he preferred to discuss Jamie Drysdale, who the Flyers received in return.
Related: Ducks September Series: 2024-25 Expectations for Cutter Gauthier
Well, we’re about to find out how much the fans despise the 20-year-old’s actions and the emotions that it will bring out of the players on both teams. Should be as electric, intense, and fun of a regular-season game as the Ducks have had in a while. The boys will have Gauthier’s back, and you can bet he needs no added motivation to get up for this one.
Outside of Headlines, the Trade Hasn’t Delivered Much on the Ice (Yet)
Both teams knew they were getting pieces who weren’t going to be difference-makers immediately. Gauthier was an NCAA hotshot with Boston College, and while Drysdale was already an NHL regular at the time of the trade, he too has yet to make any impact with the Flyers. You could even make the argument that he hasn’t proven anything in his 366 days with his new club that we didn’t know about him already – he has potential offensively but is undersized and a tremendous injury liability.
I’ll be the first one to admit that I was rooting for Drysdale in Anaheim. He is a right-shot defenseman who can skate and facilitate in ways that no Ducks defenseman could for a long time, but it might be time to start thinking about ‘what if’ scenarios for Drysdale. He likely has a lot of career left, but currently, he has seven points in just 30 of the Flyers’ 42 games and is last on the team in plus/minus at minus-16. Yikes.
Gauthier, on the other hand, has had an understandably bumpy start to his first NHL campaign. It took him 16 games and loads of shot attempts to get his first goal. His goals come few and far between, but that’s no knock on the rookie. With five goals and 13 assists in 41 games, he is on pace for a 36-point rookie season, which is right where I predicted he would be before the season began. Head coach Greg Cronin shuffled many of his players around, Gauthier included, early in the campaign in response to a severe lack of scoring threats, but the youngster has found a home recently alongside Mason McTavish and Robby Fabbri. Let’s see how that line holds up tonight.
Key to the Game for Ducks: Score on the Power Play
The Ducks are mired in one of their worst stretches of the season when it comes to the power play. It’s eerily reminiscent of their early-season struggles when they could barely maintain possession, let alone gain the offensive zone. Oftentimes, the lack of offense generated on the man advantage does more harm than good. They got a power-play goal earlier this week against the Calgary Flames (Jan. 7) because Gauthier realized he had an opportunity to throw the puck into traffic from up high. McTavish got a piece of it, and it went in. It was nothing fancy, and sometimes, that’s what it takes.
The Ducks are going to get chances tonight on the man advantage. The Flyers are middle of the pack in terms of minor penalties taken and kill percentage (PK%). It’s not outlandish to think they might take one or two extra tonight, giving Gauthier a rough ride. If they do, then the Ducks need to take advantage.
Emotional Hockey Games Are Fun…So Expect Electricity in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is an energetic town that brings a raucous crowd to all of its sporting events. A player that wanted nothing to do with your team or city returning in another uniform for the first time? Well, that’s what one would call gasoline for a fire. If nothing else, these off-ice headlines should make this game a must-watch if you’re a fan of either team or a hockey fan who likes drama. Tune in at 7 PM EST to watch it all go down.
