yardbarker
Cutter Gauthier made history on Tuesday night, recording his second straight hat trick to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on the road. The 22-year-old forward has now scored eight goals in his last three games, with six of those coming on the power play, powering Anaheim's impressive 10-for-12 efficiency with the man advantage during that stretch.
Gauthier's feat is unprecedented in NHL annals: he is the first player ever to tally multiple power-play goals in three consecutive games. The only other player to achieve back-to-back hat tricks this season is Brady Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers.
Mikael Granlund contributed a goal and two assists, while Beckett Sennecke chipped in with four assists for the Ducks, who are now 3-1-1 in their past five contests. Leo Carlsson also found the net, and Jackson LaCombe added two helpers. Goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 19 saves in his second consecutive start.
For Vancouver, Jake DeBrusk scored twice, and Liam Ohgren and Linus Karlsson each tallied. Elias Pettersson recorded two assists, and Kevin Lankinen stopped 17 shots. The Canucks have now lost 12 of their last 14 games (1-12-1), with their lone win in that span coming against these same Ducks on October 27, when Anaheim squandered a 5-2 third-period lead and fell 6-5 in overtime.
In the rematch, the Ducks grabbed a 5-2 advantage at 4:11 of the third period when Gauthier completed his third career NHL hat trick, firing a wrist shot from above the right hashmarks off a rush. DeBrusk pulled Vancouver within two with a backhand from close range on a power play at 5:30, and then deflected a shot in at 9:34 to make it a one-goal game.
Anaheim opened the scoring at 4:04 of the first period when Granlund converted from the left hashmarks off a feed from Sennecke on the power play. The Canucks responded with a power-play goal of their own at 6:04, as Ohgren scored during a scramble in front of the crease. Gauthier put the Ducks back ahead at 17:07 with a one-timer from the left circle, and Carlsson extended the lead to 3-1 on a short-handed 2-on-1 rush at 2:58 of the second. Karlsson cut the deficit to 3-2 at 8:17 after waiting out Brossoit from a sharp angle, but Gauthier struck again on the power play at 18:25, burying another one-timer from the left circle to make it 4-2.
Key Analysis
Gauthier's remarkable scoring surge has been the catalyst for Anaheim's recent success, particularly on the power play. The Ducks' special teams have been lethal, converting 10 of 12 opportunities over the last three games, and Gauthier's league-first achievement underscores his growing stature as a premier goal scorer. Meanwhile, Vancouver's struggles continue, with the team mired in a deep slump that has seen them win just once in their last 14 outings. The Canucks' latest loss, despite a late push, highlights their ongoing difficulties in closing out games and securing points.
Originally reported by yardbarker.