Early look The full preview opens on Thursday 31 December, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Philadelphia Flyers at Anaheim Ducks: game preview

Puck drop3 Jan · 8:00 PM ET
VenueHonda Center
All-time meetings50 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Six points apart last season

Philadelphia finished last season 11th in the league on 98 points. Anaheim finished 18th on 92.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 51

Across 50 completed games, Philadelphia lead the head-to-head 25-16-9.

All-time record25-16-9Philadelphia's record in the series
Meetings played50This is number 51
2025-26 series—
Last 55-0Philadelphia
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
18 Mar 2026PHI 3 – ANA 2 OT——PHI
6 Jan 2026ANA 2 – PHI 5——PHI
11 Jan 2025ANA 0 – PHI 6——PHI
28 Dec 2024PHI 3 – ANA 1——PHI
10 Nov 2023PHI 6 – ANA 3——PHI
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DatePhiladelphiaAnaheim
6 Jan 202622-12-7 · 51 pts9th21-19-3 · 45 pts24th
18 Mar 202632-23-12 · 76 pts16th37-27-4 · 78 pts13th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 6 Jan 2026, Philadelphia were 9th in the league and Anaheim 24th. By 18 Mar 2026 it was 16th and 13th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Philadelphia out-attempted Anaheim 132 to 130

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Philadelphia Flyers

132 att · 67 on goal · 8 G · 11.9%
Crease14 att · 2 G
Slot61 att · 1 G
Wing36 att · 3 G
Point19 att · 2 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G

Anaheim Ducks

130 att · 54 on goal · 4 G · 7.4%
Crease4 att · 1 G
Slot52 att · 2 G
Wing52 att · 1 G
Point20 att · 0 G
Neutral zone2 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Anaheim have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

PhiladelphiaAnaheim
1.95xG for per game2.19
4.51xG against per game3.49
30.2%xG share38.6%
−2.8FinishingGoals minus expected goals+2.6
+1.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+2.0

This season: 4 games for Philadelphia, 2 for Anaheim. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Philadelphia

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2615.7% · 32nd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2773.3%
Penalty kill · 2025-2677.6% · 22nd
Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 133/248
Drawn · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-2715 (3.75/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Anaheim

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.6% · 23rd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2785.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.4% · 27th
Faceoffs · 2026-2743.9% · 50/114
Drawn · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-277 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
14Sean Couturier40220.50
11Travis Konecny40220.50
74Owen Tippett41010.25
91Leo Carlsson21452.50
61Cutter Gauthier22242.00
64Mikael Granlund21121.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
24Nick Seeler40110.25
67Tristan Luneau20110.50
47Noah Warren20110.50
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 1 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 1 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Philadelphia crease

PHI · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 31 Dec

Dan Vladar.8632 GP · 0-2-0 · GSAx −1.6
Joseph Woll.9292 GP · 0-0-2 · GSAx +3.2

No appearances against Anaheim in the last meetings.

Anaheim crease

ANA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 31 Dec

Lukas Dostal.9182 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Philadelphia in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.3 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

18 Mar 20265 · PHI 3–2 ANA
6 Jan 20267 · ANA 2–5 PHI
11 Jan 20256 · ANA 0–6 PHI
28 Dec 20244 · PHI 3–1 ANA
10 Nov 20239 · PHI 6–3 ANA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Philadelphia1.254.253.052.96
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.3Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings6.2Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Philadelphia · injuries

Helge GransLower BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Nikita GrebenkinUpper BodyIRReturn8 Oct
Rasmus RistolainenUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Anaheim · injuries

Drew HellesonLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ian MooreLower BodyIRReturn16 Oct
Troy TerryHipIRReturn21 Nov
5 Oct · PHI

Reinstated C Jett Luchanko Barkey from injured reserve.

27 Sep · PHI

Agreed to terms with LW Garrett Wilson on a 1-Year contract. Loaned G Alexei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

25 Sep · PHI

Loaned Fs Jacob Gaucher, Cole Knuble and Jett Luchanko and D Oliver Bonk to Lehigh Valley (AHL).

1 Oct · ANA

Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.

30 Sep · ANA

Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · ANA

Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.

Injury report

Philadelphia · 2026 draft

See all: Philadelphia · 2026 draft →
#27Maksim SokolovskiiRound 1 · LondonD
#53Brek LiskeRound 2 · EverettD
#62Martin PsohlavecRound 2 · Karlovy Vary Jr.G
#120Marek SklenickaRound 4 · SeattleG
Full draft
#15Nikita KlepovRound 1 · SaginawRW
#28Marcus NordmarkRound 1 · Djurgarden Jr.LW
#45Jayden KurtzRound 2 · RogersD
#50Mathis PrestonRound 2 · VancouverRW
Full draft

Updated after every final