ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored his first career hat-trick during a four-point performance, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.
Nikita Nesterenko scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period before Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Jansen Harkins added third-period goals for the upstart Ducks, who moved back into first place in the Pacific Division.
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Lukas Dostal made 18 saves as the Ducks improved to 4-1-0 at home and Beat the defending champions For the second time in eight days.
Brad Marchand, Ivan Rodriguez and Eto Luostarinen scored the goals for the two-time Stanley Cup winners, who opened the four-game West Coast trip with a tough defensive performance. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves as Florida fell to 1-5-0 on the road.
The 21-year-old Gauthier moved into a tie for the NHL lead in goals with 10 after the biggest night of his young career.
The shooting left winger scored on his first three shots, tallying his eighth and ninth goals of the first period before sending a barrage of hats down the ice at the Honda Center with a powerful shot late in the second period. Gauthier added an assist for Trouba’s third goal in six games to secure his first career four-point night.
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Leo Karlsson had two assists for Anaheim before being flagged for a game misconduct early in the third period for making contact with Rodriguez’s head.
Karlsson slotted Gauthier in for a breakaway goal three minutes into the opening encounter, extending the two young stars’ scoring streak to seven games. They are the youngest teammates to score a series of goals simultaneously since Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl did it nine years ago.
Marchand scored his seventh goal before Gauthier buried a cross-ice pass from Troy Terry.
After Rodriguez tied the score and Luostarinen put the Panthers on the line, Guther and Nesterenko restored the lead for Anaheim with a 1:43 goal margin.
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The defending champions collapsed defensively midway through the third period, allowing three goals in 3:04 minutes. Kreider has seven goals in his first eight games with his new team.
the next
Panthers: At Los Angeles on Thursday night.
Ducks: At Dallas on Thursday night.
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IP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL