ANAHEIM — Cutter is sharp, and so are the Ducks.
With his first career NHL hat trick on Tuesday night, 21-year-old Cutter Gauthier helped the Ducks beat the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for the second time in eight days.
Following their shootout win on the road last week, the Ducks pulled away from the Panthers for a 7-3 win, sweeping a three-game homestand at the Honda Center to make it four straight wins and six of seven for Coach Joel Quennville’s upstart group.
The Ducks (8-3-1, 17 points) lead the Pacific Division for the first time since Dec. 18, 2021.
“We’re super confident,” Gauthier said. “We have a really good team. Depth. Guys buying in this locker room. Coach Q says stuff and we get it done. It’s been a fun time the first 11 games here. We’ve just got to keep building.”
Gauthier’s three-goal night, his first since departing Boston College for the NHL after his sophomore season, began when fellow Swede Leo Carlsson set him up shortly after the puck dropped.
At even strength Gauthier hopped on the ice and Carlsson sprung him on a breakaway. From the slot, a slap shot at 3:09 beat Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky between the legs.
“That’s a go-to shot,” Gauthier said. “Try to get it off quick, make it as deceptive as possible. I know Bobrovsky is a really good goalie and just wanted to get it off quick so he couldn’t read anything.”
The sequence gave both players points in seven straight games, a career best for Gauthier who is tied for the NHL lead with 10 goals.
Florida struck back midway through the first period when Brad Marchand, who missed the previous encounter with the Ducks, finished a breakaway over goalkeeper Lukas Dostal’s left shoulder.
The Ducks regained the advantage on their third power play of the opening period. Just 11 seconds after Carter Verhaeghe was sent to the penalty box for slashing, Gauthier received a perfect cross-ice pass from Troy Terry and blasted home a one-time slap shot.
The back-and-forth persisted into the second period when Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues got the inside track on defenseman Jack Trouba and was free to fire in the Ducks’ zone off a quality assist from Mackie Samoskevich. The Canadian’s wrist shot leveled the score at 2-2. Rodrigues’ third goal of the season, at 5:21, was good for his 99th career goal.
Florida broke the tit-for-tat on the power play at 10:37, making it 3-2 when Eetu Luostarinen converted a holding penalty on Alex Killorn into his second goal of the season thanks to assist No. 7 by Rodrigues.
The Ducks leaned on Gauthier, who managed his first four-point game, to even it up at 15:36.
With a man advantage after Anton Lundell was pinged for slashing, the Ducks methodically worked the puck around and drew a mixed reaction from the crowd at Honda Center until Gauthier sealed his hat trick. Jackson LaCombe and Carlsson added to their points tally when Gauthier made good on a snap shot from the right circle.
“He can beat you with his speed racing for goals and pucks,” Quenneville said. “He’s quick on ’em. It seems like he’s got a couple goals over there on the power play with the one-timer.
“He’s dangerous off the rush. He moved and enhanced his positioning getting on that power play first unit. He’s scoring some big, timely goals. He’s creating more possession in our team game, which is influencing the 50/50 pucks. Finally we’re getting our share of turnovers and his transition and our regrouping complements his speed.”
Gauthier is the first NHL player 21 or younger to score 10 goals through 12 games since Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews both did it seven years ago.
Like the Panthers had earlier in the period, the Ducks then connected on consecutive goals to reclaim the lead for good at 17:19.
A furious sequence in front of Bobrovsky made it 4-3 and produced Nikita Nesterenko’s first goal of the season when Killorn fired with a shot that was saved but spilled in front of the net.
Linemates in college with Gauthier, Nesterenko is no stranger to seeing Cutter slice and dice opponents.
“He’s just a pure goal-scorer,” said Nesterenko, who added an assist. “He’s got an unbelievable shot. An unbelievable release.
“I was fortunate to be on his line and get a couple cheeky apples. I saw him do it there. It’s cool to see him translate it to this level. Yeah, he’s on fire right now. Hopefully he keeps it going and keeps shooting the puck, because a lot of them are going in.”
As they killed off the Panthers (6-6-1, 13 points), eight combined penalties, including a 10-minute major game misconduct call on Carlsson, plus a trio of Ducks goals – Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Jansen Harkins – made the final period last longer than usual.
The offensive outburst was the third time in a dozen games that the Ducks have scored six or more goals.
The two sides totalled 19 shots on goal apiece through two periods. But the Ducks finished the game with 32 to Florida’s 21. Named the NHL’s No. 1 star in goal following three wins last week, Lukas Dostal, who stopped 31 of 33 shots against the Panthers in the first meeting in Florida, made 18 saves.
