Cutter Gauthier recorded his first career hat trick and added an assist as the host Anaheim Ducks claimed their fourth consecutive victory, trouncing the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Tuesday.
Nikita Nesterenko collected one goal and one assist for the Ducks, while Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Jansen Harkins all scored once. Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry both collected two assists.
Goaltender Lukas Dostal made 18 saves for Anaheim, which has won six of seven outings, defeating Florida twice in that span.
Evan Rodrigues scored once and added an assist for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who have one win in six road games this season. Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen also tallied.
Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots.
The Panthers held a 3-2 lead late in the second period before Gauthier netted his third tally of the night, a rocket of a one-timer from the right circle on the power play for his 10th of the season at 15:36 to tie the game.
Nesterenko gave Anaheim the lead for good two minutes later by pouncing on a loose puck during a scramble. It was his first goal of the season
Trouba provided an insurance marker at 11:43 of the third period, and Kreider made it a 6-3 affair 98 seconds later when Nesterenko’s shot ricocheted off his body.
Harkins also netted his first of the season by tapping in a rebound at 14:47 of the final frame to round out the scoring.
Gauthier now has collected 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in a seven-game point streak.
The two assists extended Carlsson’s point streak to seven games (three goals, nine assists).
The Ducks kicked off the back-and-forth clash when Gauthier opened the scoring at the 3:09 mark of the clash by finishing a breakaway.
Marchand evened the score with a breakaway goal just past the midway point of the opening frame, but Gauthier responded with his second of the game on the power play at 15:17 of the first period.
Rodrigues again pulled Florida even with another breakaway goal, converting his chance at 5:21 of the second period.
Luostarinen gave the Panthers a lead with a power-play goal at 10:37 of the second period, whacking home a perfect pass from Rodrigues, but it was all Anaheim after that point.
