Have the Flyers and Ducks officially become a rivalry? Depends on who you ask.
The return of former Flyer Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson's desire to remain in Anaheim have brought renewed vigor to the cross-coast matchup.
Over the last two years and after two tense installments at Xfinity Mobile Arena, have the Flyers and Ducks built a real rivalry?
“We came in this morning; a lot of us were talking about it in the room, just remembering last year’s game, how intense that was,” the Flyers’ Denver Barkey said. “There’s a little bit more to it this year again, I think, and we’re all looking forward to it.”
The Flyers and Ducks have stumbled into one of the NHL’s most improbable rivalries, built across conferences and coasts. Three years ago, former No. 5 overall pick Cutter Gauthier spurned the Flyers and was traded to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick.
Then, the Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras from the Ducks the following offseason, and he put on his own revenge game, with a “hang up the phone” goal celebration.
“Since I’ve been a part of them, they’ve always been fun,” Zegras said. “I guess being on both sides makes it a little more interesting for me, but it’s kind of, for me, getting to the point where it’s just another match, and it’s behind me.”
The latest wrinkle in the rivalry is this summer’s offer sheet on the Ducks’ young star center Leo Carlsson. After Carlsson signed the five-year, then-record $90 million offer sheet with the Flyers, it felt like he might suit up in orange and black.
But Anaheim ultimately matched the offer sheet, keeping Carlsson on the West Coast. He said directly after that he signed because he earned a deal that no one could turn down, but “really wanted them to match. I want to be an Anaheim Duck.”
» READ MORE: Flyers squander two-goal lead in loss to Cutter Gauthier and the Anaheim Ducks
Unlike Gauthier, Carlsson didn’t exactly snub the Flyers. The Flyers’ Hail Mary attempt to land a star center didn’t work out, but ultimately, Carlsson did sign the contract. His staying in Anaheim or leaving was ultimately out of his control past that point. Zegras, Carlsson’s former teammate in Anaheim, said that from his perspective, it didn’t contribute to the rivalry.
“I think that’s more of a fan thing,” Zegras said. “As players, you just wait and see what happens. We never really had him. It would have been cool, but it didn’t work out. It is what it is.”
In an informal, unscientific Twitter poll, hockey analyst JFresh asked NHL fans for their top-three most hated opposing teams. Flyers fans picked the Penguins first, the Rangers second, and as to be expected, their third-most hated team was Anaheim. The feeling was mutual: Anaheim fans also ranked Philly as their third-most hated team.
But compared to previous installments, Saturday’s game was downright friendly. There was still a small smattering of signs along the boards at warmups, including one “Cutter Who?” near the Anaheim bench, but the pregame energy was nowhere near the previous two meetings. The crowd managed just a small boo as Anaheim took the ice, and a slightly bigger one as Gauthier left the ice after warmups.
He got heartily booed after he was announced as one of the starters, and a vulgar chant rang out during his first shift of the game and periodically throughout. He got booed each time he touched the puck, and received more boos after he assisted Carlsson on Anaheim’s first goal of the game.
» READ MORE: Flyers must decide how returning vets mix with young upstarts: ‘Internal competition always makes your team better’
Carlsson didn’t get the same treatment — an early third-period power play passing sequence saw the crowd mute and boo as he and Gauthier passed back and forth.
“I feel like any, what do you call it, attention, was on some other guys,” said Carlsson, who had a goal and an assist. “I didn’t feel anything different, to be honest, just because I was never here, really, so it’s a different thing.”
Gauthier logged one assist on Carlsson’s goal, and declined requests to speak to media after the game.
Unlike the first two matchups, the Flyers couldn’t pull out a dramatic, emphatic win, instead blowing a 2-0 lead to ultimately lose 5-4. Maybe that’s part of why this crowd stayed more muted. But even still, there’s plenty of hate left in Philadelphians’ hearts for Gauthier.
