NHL Predictions: January 6th Anaheim Ducks vs Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Storylines

One of the Flyers’ worst losses of the season on New Year’s Eve was followed up by arguably their best win on Saturday in Edmonton. Now they return home for the start of a four-game homestand, where the Flyers are 11-5-4 this season.

It will be a big night for Trevor Zegras, who faces his former team for the first time. Zegras remains in the team lead in points with 39 but has been held without a point in three of the last four games.

Monday was a big day for Christian Dvorak, who signed a five-year contract extension with the Flyers. The pair of Dvorak and Zegras have been together on a line essentially all season and look to continue that chemistry. The line of Denver Barkey, Sean Couturier, and Owen Tippett was at its best on Saturday. Now that Barkey has his first NHL goal under his belt, we’ll see how quickly more follow.

Predictions and Best Bets

Score Prediction: Flyers 5, Ducks 2

The home crowd should be especially juiced for this game, welcoming back Gauthier in the typical Philly villain way. That energy was present from start to finish a year ago, when the Flyers rolled to a 6-0 win on home ice against the Ducks. This season, it won’t be that lopsided, but the Flyers are playing well, and the Ducks have hit a rough patch after a surprise start. Expect the Flyers to take this one.

For best bets on the Ducks, Gauthier was held off the board last season against his draft team. This season, he finally breaks through. He has just one goal in the last nine games, so he’s due.

For the Flyers, go with the former Duck in Zegras, who is on pace for a career year and should have a chip on his shoulder in this one. Zegras has gone six straight games without a goal.

Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.