There’s something about games out of NHL-mandated breaks that gets the Flyers going. Last season, they beat the Vancouver Canucks, who were atop the NHL standings at the time, out of the holiday break and the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers after the combined bye week and All-Star Weekend.

Just as important as the performance of Cates and his linemates on Saturday was the play of Samuel Ersson, who was all out of sorts going into the Christmas break. The Flyers’ No. 1 goalie finished with 31 saves in his best performance since Halloween night in a 2-1 win over the Blues.

The Flyers had a lovely 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks to kick off their west coast road trip. However, the biggest takeaway isn't about Noah Cates continuing