Cates scores in 5th straight, Flyers get past Ducks

ANAHEIM -- Noah Cates scored for the fifth straight game, helping the Philadelphia Flyers defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 at Honda Center on Saturday.

"I feel like I've been playing good hockey for a while," said Cates, who has six goals this season. "A couple goals here lately, it's been going in for me, but I've got to keep playing the same way, playing smart, just playing the right way. That momentum and that positive karma comes to you later on, or whenever, during the season."

Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee also scored, and Samuel Ersson made 32 saves for the Flyers (16-16-4), who had lost four of five. They opened a five-game road trip following the holiday break.

"We wanted to get back to a more defensive game. Just try to limit their chances," Philadelphia defenseman Travis Sanheim said. "I thought we played pretty well defensively and you get rewarded offensively off those good plays, so I thought it was a good effort tonight and a good start to the road trip."

Troy Terry scored, and Lukas Dostal made 22 saves for the Ducks (13-17-4), who have lost three of four.

"You've got to score goals in this League to win," Anaheim forward Ryan Strome said after his team was held to one goal for a second straight game. "We've got to try to generate a little bit more, have a little more confidence. Hopefully, we can find it here because it seems like we're doing a lot of good things. I don't want to get too down on the group."

Cates gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 4:03 of the second period. As Philadelphia forward Bobby Brink carried the puck behind the net, Dostal sprawled to prevent a wraparound at the left post. But Brink passed the puck to Cates at the left hash marks, and he scored into the open top half of the net.

"He's been a good player for us,” Brink said of Cates. “The pucks are going in for him and he deserves it. You see his two-way game and every shift he's out there, and he's making an impact and he deserves these pucks going in."

Terry tied it 1-1 at 15:38. He received a pass at the Philadelphia blue line and brought the puck into the offensive zone before his shot from the left circle went between the legs of Sanheim and beat Ersson to the short side.

“I thought we had a lot of shots from the point with a lot of traffic in front, but it didn't feel like we had a lot of slot opportunities, like Grade-A's,” Terry said.

Frost put the Flyers back in front 2-1 at 5:57 of the third period when he banked the puck off Dostal from below the goal line after driving to the net.

Farabee scored into an empty net at 17:40 for the 3-1 final. After serving a penalty for too many men on the ice, he left the box, stole the puck from Olen Zellweger and converted on a breakaway.

"I think we've come a long way," Strome said. "I hate taking moral victories and trying to find positives, but I feel like in this situation we kind of have to do that, and we have to try and find positives because when you get negative, you get down on yourselves and it's even harder to score goals."

Flyers rookie forward Matvei Michkov did not play in the third period and finished with a season-low 9:01 of ice time. Michkov had 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) through his first 27 games but does not have a point in his past seven.

"It's just been a struggle, energy," Philadelphia coach John Tortorella said. "The skating, energy, it's just not there. You could see him struggling before the break. If I have to take him out I will, or bench him during a period. It was my call."

NOTES: Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier played against the Flyers for the first time since he was traded to Anaheim by Philadelphia on Jan. 8 for defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who faced the Ducks for the first time since the trade. Gauthier, the No. 5 pick by the Flyers in the 2022 NHL Draft, had three giveaways and took a hooking penalty in the first period. He played 13:19. Drysdale, selected No. 6 by the Ducks in the 2020 NHL Draft, had two blocked shots and two hits in 17:03. ... Scott Laughton assisted on Frost's goal to give him an eight-game point streak against Anaheim (one goal, eight assists). ... Frost has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past seven games against the Ducks. ... Flyers forward Travis Konecny played his 600th NHL game, finishing with one shot on goal in 20:17. ... Anaheim goalie John Gibson was unavailable because of an illness. Calle Clang was recalled from San Diego of the American Hockey League and backed up Dostal.