ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier had his first career hat trick during a four-point performance, and the Anaheim Ducks routed the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
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 surged back into first place in the Pacific Division.
Lukas Dostal made 18 saves as the Ducks improved to 4-1-0 at home and beat the defending champs for the second time in eight days.
Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen scored for the two-time Stanley Cup winners, who opened their four-game West Coast trip with a rough defensive performance. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves as Florida dropped to 1-5-0 on the road.
The 21-year-old Gauthier moved into a tie for the overall NHL lead with 10 goals after the biggest night of his young career.
The sharpshooting left wing scored on his first three shots, getting his eighth and ninth goals in the first period before sending a shower of hats onto the Honda Center ice with a power-play blast late in the second. Gauthier added an assist on Trouba's third goal in six games to secure his first career four-point night.
Leo Carlsson had two assists for Anaheim before getting a game misconduct early in the third period for contact with Rodrigues’ head.
Carlsson fed Gauthier for a breakaway goal three minutes after the opening faceoff, extending both rising young stars' scoring streaks to seven games. They're the youngest teammates to mount simultaneous scoring streaks that long since Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl did it nine years ago.
Marchand scored his seventh goal before Gauthier buried a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Troy Terry.
After Rodrigues evened it and Luostarinen put the Panthers, Gauther and Nesterenko reclaimed the lead for Anaheim with goals 1:43 apart.
The defending champions fell apart defensively midway through the third period, allowing three goals in a 3:04 span. Kreider has seven goals in his first eight games with his new team.
Panthers: At Los Angeles on Thursday night.
Ducks: At Dallas on Thursday night.
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