The chants were clear the moment the Ducks stepped on the ice for warmups. The Flyers faithful were not going to let up for one moment. They were going to make sure that Cutter Gauthier knew exactly how they felt.
In what would've been a random matchup of two rebuilding clubs in January, it ended up holding much more significance. The Flyers, mainly John Tortorella, tried to downplay what this game meant. But it was evident that the team was ready to put on a show.
"I hope we can play in front of a crowd like that about something meaningful. Not the s---, whatever you guys are talking about, I hope it means something to the organization as far as winning and losing. That's when we wanna see a crowd like that, not all this stuff you guys are talking about. I want it to be that we're a team to be reckoned with in a playoff series or whatever it may be, not this s---," Tortorella said after the game.
All that mattered was making sure the boos didn't reign down on them like they did during their poor effort against the Stars a few nights ago. But there wasn't a moment to dislike about what the Flyers did in an eventual 6-0 rout of the Ducks.
"Jamie's better!" Drysdale's goal highlights offensive outpouring
It's no secret that Jamie Drysdale has struggled with injuries and consistency since coming to the Flyers. The issue also followed him during his short tenure with the Ducks. It can take one goal to get a player going and Drysdale's effort on Saturday night may have been exactly what he needed.
Playing his former team for the first time on home ice, Drysdale had jump from the get-go. He, like Travis Sanheim, took chances to activate in the offensive zone to create opportunities. And late in the first period, Drysdale took advantage.
That’s OUR guy. #ANAvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/2i9Bzv9q00
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 12, 2025
And as they had previously, chants of "Jamie's better!" erupted from the Wells Fargo Center crowd.
"It was pretty special. You hear the crowd going like that, it brings so much energy to myself and the whole team. Unbelievable fans and they were rocking tonight," Drysdale said about hearing the fans chanting his name.
Six different players lit the lamp for the Flyers. Not one of them came from Travis Konecny, but he did tally four assists as his crisp passes led to the scoring chances. Matvei Michkov, easily one of the Flyers' most talented snipers, provided his own type of fireworks with a goal and electrifying celebration.
It highlighted what the Flyers hope to be one day. A team that has consistent scoring from up and down the lineup. That showed in the goals from Garnet Hathaway, Ryan Poehling, and Morgan Frost.
Sam Ersson shuts the door on the Ducks
It wasn't just the offense that was key in the Flyers' win. It was the play of Sam Ersson that showed what he can do when he's healthy. In his second game back from injury, Ersson was sharp as can be throughout the entire game. Sometimes it can be hard when a goaltender is not facing constant pressure as the Ducks were held to single-digit shots in each period.
But Ersson exuded confidence, as did the team in front of him. While there's still some question marks about the Flyers goaltending, Ersson did what he needed to do to quiet things for now.
"I think I'm in a pretty good spot. I had a half of [a shutout] the game before I got injured. I think my game is in a good place. Struggled a little bit before Christmas, but after that, I think it's been good," Ersson said postgame.
The Flyers will feel good about this one, but it's back to business on Monday as they play host to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. A team that has put up seven goals in the two-game series thus far.