The Don't Bothers are forced to choose what's really important, as they face the Ducks at States.
Tropes:
- The Bet: Having forfeited the championship game, the Don't Bothers challenge the Ducks to a pickup game. If the Ducks win, the Don't Bothers have to disband; if the Don't Bothers win, they become the Ducks instead. The Don't Bothers win 4-3.
- Leads to an In-Universe Bait-and-Switch. In the immediate aftermath of the Ducks' loss Coach T refuses to uphold the terms of the bet; when Stephanie steps in and teases that she will "save the day", he is shocked when she does not. The audience has a pretty good idea that she will indeed concede the name, however.
- Break Out the Museum Piece: Before the third period, Gordon gives the Don't Bothers the original Ducks players' jerseys to wear.
- Call-Back: Plenty to the original film.
- The Don't Bothers wear the original Ducks jerseys. In addition, they switch uniforms before the third period, just like the O.G. Ducks did in the championship game in the second movie.
- Coach T reminds his team that they are bigger, stronger and faster than the Don’t Bothers, echoing Averman’s remark about the Iceland team in the second film (Averman added that Iceland also had more facial hair).
- The Flying V.
- As Bombay said once, and as he says again:"Are we Ducks or what?"
- Cannot Keep a Secret: When Evan discovers Sofi in tears nursing her injured knee, she insists that he cannot tell anyone, as they risk forfeiting if she is benched. She’s furious when he alerts her parents and coaches, leading to a heated argument in the locker room.
- Chekhov's Gun: Sofi's knee injury comes back to bite her in the ass when she has to be benched.
- Continuity Nod:
- Sofi calls a players-only meeting and locks out the coaches and parents. Alex acknowledges that she might have learned it from her when she did it in Episode 7.
- Koob performs the national anthem at the pick-up game, showing off the skills he demonstrated at Nick’s sleepover.
- Evan finally acknowledges Nick as his best friend, calling back to Nick’s attempts at earning the “best friend” title earlier in the season.
- Continuity Snarl: Continuing from the sixth episode, the green Ducks jerseys Maya and Sam wear belonged to Julie Gaffney and Russ Tyler, respectively, even though those two did not join the team until the second film when the team adopted the real life Mighty Ducks jerseys.
- Easily-Distracted Referee: A Justified case. The pickup game only has one referee, which limits how much he can actually see and allows the Ducks to employ cheap shots when they're not in his view.
- Everyone Has Standards: Sure, Sofi's parents want her to play well and improve her college application, but they won't force her to play if it means she might suffer a serious injury.
- Game-Breaking Injury: Sofi further aggravates her already injured knee scoring the winning goal in the semi-finals. She wants to use her Heroic Resolve to play through the pain but Evan alerts her parents and coaches.
- History Repeats: The Don’t Bothers play a morning pickup game against their archrivals, just as the original Ducks did in the third film.
- They also overcome a multiple-goal deficit in the final period, just as the original Ducks did in each of the first two films.
- Huge Schoolgirl: The Lumberjacks are humongous, each standing at least a head taller than the Don't Bothers despite the two teams being made of players of similar ages.
- Lampshade Hanging: When Alex challenges Coach T to a game between their teams the next morning at dawn, Coach T asks if she wants a hockey game or a duel. Alex concedes and says they can have the game at a more reasonable hour.
- Manchild: Coach T throws a fit when the Ducks lose, while the actual players are Graceful Losers.
- Meaningful Name: The Don't Bothers face a team named the Lumberjacks, who are built appropriately, in the semifinals.Mary Joe: The Lumberjacks are... jacked.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: The Don't Bothers are content to forfeit the state championship to the Ducks and try again next season. However, Coach T decides to confront and gloat about their championship, causing Gordon and Alex to prey on his insecurities by pointing out the Ducks championship wasn't a true win and he knows it himself deep down. The two sides agree to an unsanctioned pickup game the next day where, if the Don't Bothers win they gets the Mighty Ducks name.
- Ordered to Cheat: Coach T orders the Ducks to take advantage of the fact there's only one referee and cheap shot the Don't Bothers whenever they're out of his view.
- Pyrrhic Victory: The Duck are declared state champions, but only because the Don't Bothers had to forfeit the game due to Sofi's injury. Gordon gets under Coach T's skin by pointing out how the record books will list the Ducks win with a asterisk, leading to the pickup game where the Ducks wind up losing their name to the Don't Bothers.
- Relationship Upgrade: Sofi kisses Evan after the team huddle, leaving him a bit stunned as he skates away.Evan: Huh. All right. We’re doing that now.
- Sore Loser: After the Ducks lose to the Don't Bothers, Coach T throws a fit and refuses to honor his wager with Bombay until Stephanie steps in to make sure he does. The same cannot be said of the kids, who show respect to the Don’t Bothers following their defeat.
- Staring Contest: Coach T and Gordon engage in one, much to Alex’s chagrin.Alex: How does this end? Men are idiots.
