The Anaheim Ducks ended week 4 on a high note, but you probably couldn't watch

The Anaheim Ducks finally snapped their 5-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a game that we had circled on our calendars in permanent marker, since the schedule was revealed. But if you lived out of market and did not have access to the NHL network, you missed out on one of the marquee matchups of the Ducks' 2026-27 season. And that's a problem.

Biggest gripe

Out of market viewing

The recent history of bad blood between the Ducks and Flyers organizations, has made for one of the most compelling opposite conference rivalries in the NHL. Even though the two teams only play each other twice in a regular season, every matchup is a must-see event. And from just a curious glance, Saturday's contest was no exception, with the Ducks securing a much-needed win at the conclusion of a difficult road trip.

We already have subscriptions to multiple streaming services, but as an out of market fan, this specific game was unavailable on those platforms. The only other options were to subscribe to another streaming service for access to the NHL network or to pirate the broadcast, neither of which are appealing. No offense to the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Nashville Predators, but if the Ducks were playing one of those teams on Saturday instead, we could care less. But against the Flyers in Philadelphia and we could not watch? That's unacceptable. This league shoot itself in the foot by limiting fans' access to viewing its product. You cannot preach about trying to grow the game and then barring those same fans from watching two teams who absolutely hate each other, clash on a Saturday afternoon. The hypocrisy is absurd.

Thanks for indulging the rant. On to this week's three stars.

Three stars of the week

Third star: Judd Caulfield

Even though he only appeared in 2 of Anaheim's 4 games of the road trip, after he returned home for the birth of his child, Caulfield made an impact in his return to the lineup, by scoring a goal to the tie the game against the Flyers.

New dad strength indeed, as Caulfield had a goal and an assist in week 4, despite averaging just 12:15 of ice time. Not bad work for a guy that we did not have pegged to be a mainstay on the Anaheim roster.

Second star: A.J. Greer

Greer has either bounced between the third or fourth lines, as Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has put the lines into a blender of late, trying to coax any offense out of his struggling team. Even though he only averaged 12:36 of ice time for the week, Greer was Anaheim's second leading scorer, notching 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist).

And with the Ducks lacking the heavyweight prescence of Ross Johnston or Radko Gudas to fall back on anymore, Greer has stepped up as the guy to throw punches when necessary.

First star: Leo Carlsson

Heading into the game against Philadelphia and outside of Cutter Gauthier, who's always hated by the Flyers fans, Carlsson would be under the most pressure to perform well, after everything that transpired during the offseason. And Carlsson passed with flying colors, notching a goal and an assist in Anaheim's win.

Carlsson led the Ducks in scoring for the week, with 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) and averaged 18:53 of ice time. The Ducks have been in an offensive malaise of late and seeing Anaheim's most important player finally break his goalless streak, was a welcome sight.

What's next?

The Ducks finally return home and despite ending the road trip on a positive note, on the whole, the 4-game East Coast swing was lackluster. The Ducks will only have two games on tap for week 5, as they face off against two teams on the opposite end of the contention spectrum; Vancouver on Tuesday and Buffalo on Thursday. Hopefully, the Ducks can keep the good vibes going, as they are still 3 standings points outside the playoff bubble.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow