Gauthier's hat trick powers Ducks to fifth straight win
The Anaheim forward scored three times in eight days, capping a 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday.
By Andrew Yang ·
Cutter Gauthier scored three goals in eight days on Sunday night as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2. The victory marked the fifth consecutive win for Anaheim, which had fallen behind only briefly during the contest. Gauthier's final tally included an assist, extending his personal scoring run to six games.
The Ducks became the first team since the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings to record at least five goals in eight consecutive games. Gauthier contributed to this streak with his third hat trick in the current run. He has now recorded four multi-goal performances in six games, including three career hat tricks. Eight of his 13 total goals during this stretch came on the power play.
Captain Mikael Granlund added a goal and three assists for Anaheim. His first-period score from the slot came as a power play ended, extending his own scoring streak to six games. Jackson LaCombe provided three assists and tied a Ducks record by contributing to a goal in his 10th straight game. Defenseman Luneau also scored on the power play in the third period, extending his point streak to eight games.
Laurent Brossoit stopped 20 shots for the Ducks, securing his fourth win in four starts. The Penguins had snapped a four-game losing streak the night before in Los Angeles. Arturs Silovs faced 32 shots in net for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh avoided a shutout after falling behind 4-0 in the second period.
Kris Letang scored his first goal of the 21st season of his NHL career during a 6-on-4 power play with 11:55 remaining in the third period. Rickard Rakell also added a goal on the power play in the final frame. Letang's goal cut the deficit, but the Ducks maintained control of the game's outcome.
The Ducks signed Luneau to a four-year, $43.2 million contract extension last month. That deal occurred before his first full season in the National Hockey League. The team will host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night. The Penguins travel to San Jose for their next game on the same evening.
