Noah Cates scores OT winner to give Flyers a 3-2 win over Cutter Gauthier and the Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. ― Facing the Anaheim Ducks for the fourth time since the Flyers acquired Jamie Drysdale for Cutter Gauthier in January 2024, the Flyers once again showed what they got, staying perfect with a 3-2 overtime victory.

Philly has outscored Anaheim 17-5 in the process, capped off by Noah Cates’ second overtime goal of the season. Cates got the puck when Beckett Sennecke tried to pass the puck across through his legs, and the center broke out two-on-one with Matvei Michkov. He tried to find Michkov, who couldn’t lift the puck over Lukáš Dostál, and after Cates tried to put it back in front, it went in off Dostál’s skate.

It took a while to be official, however, as the play was reviewed for offside. But unlike twice earlier this year, the call went the Flyers’ way.

“Obviously, the bounce and then the offside was definitely a little scary. It was tough to see; we were all in here and waiting it out,” Cates said as most of the Flyers had vacated the bench as the goal was being looked at.

“But I think the hockey Gods were looking down on us after we played a hard game.”

» READ MORE: Ducks forward Ryan Poehling ‘forever grateful’ to the Flyers for helping him ‘fall in love with hockey again’

In a matchup that has become a heated rivalry, this game had it all: goals, big saves, a fight, another near fight, and lots of underlying drama with the stands full of fans from both sides.

The Flyers earned a point for the fourth straight game and have won seven of the past 10. They moved six games back of the two wild card spots with a game in hand on the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, and seven points back of the New York Islanders, who hold the third seed in the Metropolitan Division.

The Flyers almost found themselves in a hole in the first 30 seconds of the game.

Former Flyers forward Ryan Poehling swiped the puck to the middle, and it found a streaking Gauthier as he got behind Flyers defensemen Cam York and Drysdale. Gauthier tried to beat Dan Vladař five-hole, but the 6-foot-5 goalie got down and squeezed the pads before stopping Jacob Trouba’s rebound.

Vladař was once again excellent in net, stopping 34 of 36 shots. It is his 22nd win of the season and his 29th game where he has allowed two or fewer goals, the best in the NHL.

Eventually, the Flyers struck first — and from the fourth line.

Garnet Hathaway, who was back in the lineup for Carl Grundström, and Luke Glendening went three-on-two in the right corner of the Ducks’ zone in the first period.

As the puck went to the left corner, York came down from the point to keep the pressure on Jansen Harkins, who tried to play it back to new Duck defenseman John Carlson. Hathaway was on Carlson immediately, which allowed York to get the loose puck and feed a wide-open Glendening in front for a goal to put the Flyers ahead, 1-0.

The goal was not just his first goal for the Flyers — it was his first of the season and snapped a 77-game goal drought. Claimed off waivers on March 6, Glendening had four assists in 52 games with the New Jersey Devils. His last NHL goal was on Feb. 23, 2025, against the Seattle Kraken when he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“They were terrific,” coach Rick Tocchet said of the fourth line of Glendening, Hathaway, and Sean Couturier. “They stuck to the game plan. They did a [heck] of a job for us. I thought they were obviously our best line.”

In the second period, the Flyers took a 2-0 lead on a goal by Owen Tippett. Nikita Grebenkin, who has been elevated to Trevor Zegras’ wing, carried the puck in deep and then sent it back to Travis Sanheim at the point.

He sent the puck deep to Tippett behind the net, who, as he whiffed on a centering pass that kept the puck along the boards with Zegras and Grebenkin, slipped to the front of the net. The puck ended up back with Sanheim, and his quick shot deflected off the leg of Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger to an open Tippett for the easy goal.

“I think that’s something that we’ve kind of been lacking the last couple of games, is just having that traffic in front of the net,” Tippett said. “If you don’t have that traffic, you’re not going to get those bounces.”

The goal is Tippett’s 23rd of the season and his fourth in the past six games.

» READ MORE: Trevor Zegras returns to Anaheim for the first time at the top of his game. Now, can he master playing center?

As for Gauthier — who got booed heavily by the large contingent of Flyers fans in attendance — he eventually scored on his third shot on goal and fourth shot attempt after hitting the post, cutting it to a 2-1 game on a power play with 38 seconds to go in the middle frame.

The Flyers started the shift four-on-four when a Zegras pass off the rush went straight through to Sennecke in the Ducks’ zone. A Calder Trophy candidate, Sennecke carried the puck in and got a return feed, but the former Ducks defenseman, Drysdale, blocked the shot.

The Flyers looked OK for the moment, but Rasmus Ristolainen was knocked off the puck by Pavel Mintyukov in the corner. Gauthier got the puck and skated across the crease before scoring on a backhander over the glove of Vladař. The goal came right as the Ducks started a power play.

Leo Carlsson tied the game with 1 minute, 54 seconds remaining as he sneaked down to the right post. Troy Terry swiped on a rebound off a Gauthier shot, and the puck bounced to Carlsson with the Ducks’ goalie pulled for an extra attacker. Sixteen seconds prior, Christian Dvorak just missed on the empty net attempt, setting up the deep faceoff.

“We played a really good game through two periods. It was unfortunate the way the second ended, with giving them one back and just a mistake on our part,” said Sanheim. “We controlled a lot of the game, and going into the third, just wanted to stay positive and gut this one out, and we give up one late, but stay with it and find a way to get it done.”

Zegras was honored with a video tribute in the first TV timeout. … Dvorak played in his 600th NHL game. … York’s assist was the 21st of his season, surpassing his previous career high set two seasons ago. … Defenseman Nick Seeler dropped the gloves with Jansen Harkins in the third period. Reminder, Harkins was the one who blindsided Bobby Brink in Philly. … Mintyukov wanted to go with Michkov and dropped the gloves, but the Flyers winger skated away. They both ended up minors. … The Flyers’ power play continues to struggle, going 0-for-4.

The Flyers head north to Los Angeles to take on the Kings on Thursday as Flyers after dark rolls on (10:30 p.m., NBCSP).