Gauthier Scores Hat Trick as Ducks Extend Winning Streak to Five Games
Anaheim's Cutter Gauthier recorded his fourth career hat trick in a 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh, marking the team's fifth straight win.
By Ana Castro ·
Cutter Gauthier scored three times and added an assist to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday evening at Honda Center. The win secured the Ducks' fifth consecutive win while the Penguins dropped their ninth game in their last twelve.
Gauthier marked his fourth career hat trick and his third in eight days. He also recorded a primary assist on the goal scored by Mikael Granlund. Granlund finished the night with three assists, tying Jackson LaCombe for the most on the team. Tristan Luneau also scored for Anaheim.
The Ducks played in their Hometown Remix uniforms, a design inspired by the original Mighty Ducks film. The outfit has drawn attention across the league. Gauthier noted he is in a high state of mind after recording 13 goals during a six-game scoring streak.
"I’m on a high right now. I’m pretty speechless, but I’m very happy we were able to get the win," Gauthier said. He added that the Penguins fought hard in the third period but the Ducks managed to keep their momentum going.
Granlund opened the scoring in the first period. He dropped to the ice to sweep in a loose puck that came from a blocked shot by Gauthier. The goal occurred just as Kaedan Korczak’s penalty expired. Granlund has now recorded a point or more in six straight games.
Laurent Brossoit made 32 saves to earn the win. He improved his record to 4-0-0 after going 926 days between NHL wins. Brossoit stopped a bid from Tommy Novak from the low slot, a key save against a player who had scored in Pittsburgh's previous game against the Kings.
"He’s been great. The timely saves he makes keep us in the game and keep the momentum going," Granlund said of Brossoit's performance.
Gauthier scored his second goal in the second period on the power play. He fired a sharp-angle shot through the five-hole of goaltender Arturs Silovs at 6:28. The Ducks have converted 18 of their last 33 power plays. Gauthier scored eight of his 13 goals during his current surge on the man advantage.
The Ducks extended their lead to 3-1 with a power play goal from Luneau at 5:12 into the third period. Luneau extended his own point streak to eight games. Pittsburgh pulled Silovs with over 13 minutes remaining and scored twice on the power play. Kris Letang and Rickard Rakell found the net to close the gap to 5-2.
Gauthier finished the game with an empty-netter with 33.1 seconds remaining. His goal gave the Ducks five or more goals in eight straight games. That is the longest such streak for Anaheim since the 1988-89 season. Coach Joel Quenneville called Gauthier "hotter than a firecracker" for his deceptiveness and timing.
