Ducks battle back, take a point in sluggish OT loss to Flyers
Cutter Gauthier's two-point night helped Anaheim overcome a two-goal deficit, including a game-tying goal by Leo Carlsson with under two mintues remaining. Philadelphia cashed in on an overtime mistake and bounce to claim the crucial extra point.
Philadelphia Flyers left wing Noah Cates (#27) celebrates after a game-winning overtime goal during an NHL match against the Anaheim Ducks on March 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California. ANAHEIM, Calif. – Pulling out points from games you shouldn’t have is essential to banking a standings stockpile towards a playoff berth, and while the Anaheim Ducks did just enough to get on the board on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Flyers showed how tight the margins can be in a playoff dogfight.
Anaheim overcame a two-goal deficit with a second-period strike from Cutter Gauthier and a game-tying marker from Leo Carlsson with just under two minutes to play, but an overtime turnover and a bounce gave Philadelphia the victory, 3-2, and the extra point at Honda Center. The Flyers’ overtime-winner went to an offside review initiated by the NHL’s Toronto situation room, but the call on the ice was upheld. “Pressed the game a little bit more,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said of the comeback.
“You're taking some risks, and offensively, we had some momentum going, got rewarded there with an icing, and a nice play around the net, but it's a hard fought game. They were better than us first half, and we got way more competitive, and put us in a good spot. I'm very disappointed with the call at the end.
” In overtime, Beckett Sennecke attempted a between-the-legs pass just inside the offensive blue line, and that play was broken up the other way. Noah Cates corralled a bouncing puck as Matvei Michkov dragged across the blue line, but there wasn’t conclusive enough video evidence to overturn the call. “100% offside from the way I looked at it,” Quenneville said emphatically.
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