The Anaheim Ducks are set to embark on a four-game road trip across the Eastern Conference, beginning Monday in New York. The team, which has an undefeated road record this season, will play four games in six days, aiming to build on its success away from home ice.
So far this season, the Ducks have found more success on the road than at home. They have secured three regulation wins in their three away games, remaining undefeated. In contrast, despite selling out their first four home games for the first time since their 2007 Stanley Cup-winning season, they hold a 1-3-0 record at home, with no regulation wins in those matchups.
The home losses have followed a similar pattern, with the Ducks relinquishing two-goal leads in three defeats. This occurred against the Boston Bruins, leading to a two-goal loss, and also against the Edmonton Oilers in a 5-2 defeat. A 2-1 lead also slipped away against the Calgary Flames. Following the loss to Boston, the team's special teams rankings dipped significantly. Their power play, previously second-best in the NHL, fell to a tie for seventh, while their penalty kill, once ranked fourth, dropped to a tie for 16th after an abysmal special-teams night where they lost the special-teams battle 3-0. Defenseman Jackson LaCombe emphasized the need for better communication among the group to address these issues.
During the game against Boston, Cutter Gauthier moved back to his amateur position of center and performed admirably, contributing to a notable goal. Mikael Granlund, who was out, will travel with the team and could return early in the trip. Coach Joel Quenneville is focusing on a "one game at a time" approach, prioritizing a strong start to the first game to build momentum for the rest of the journey. The dense schedule includes limited travel, with three games in the New York metropolitan area before a short trip south to Philadelphia.
The trip begins Monday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers, who are currently 5-0-0 on home ice. This contrasts with their previous season, where their 14 home wins were fewer than any other Eastern Conference team. The Rangers are dealing with injuries to their goaltenders; franchise goalie Igor Shesterkin is out for the rest of the season with a right knee injury, and veteran backup Joonas Korpisalo is also hurt. Dylan Garand has stepped in, winning his first two starts before being chased from a 7-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils and later earning a loss in a 1-0 overtime game against Columbus.
After a night in Manhattan, the Ducks will travel to Long Island on Tuesday to face the New York Islanders. The Islanders' leaders include Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer. They have also been impacted by knee injuries, with top forward Mathew Barzal experiencing issues with the same knee that caused him to miss a significant portion of the 2024-25 campaign. Defenseman Alexander Romanov sustained an ACL tear, marking his second consecutive season with a serious injury after a shoulder issue previously sidelined him for most of last year.
The Ducks will then face the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Thursday. This matchup will be the third game of their journey.
The road trip culminates in Philadelphia, expected to be a highly charged environment. The Flyers' faithful are described as surly, having lost nine straight games to start the 2026-27 season, and their negative energy is anticipated to be directed at Cutter Gauthier. Gauthier, originally drafted fifth overall by the Flyers, opted not to sign with them, leading to a trade where the Flyers received Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick, while the Ducks acquired Gauthier, who led them with 41 goals last season. The history between the two teams is further complicated by the trade of Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia last summer and Flyers GM Daniel Briere's substantial offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, which the Ducks matched. The Ducks have an unfavorable record against the Flyers, 0-3-1 in Gauthier’s career, including two losses in Philadelphia by an aggregate score of 11-2.
