Ducks Erase 3-0 Deficit With Four Power-Play Goals to Defeat Senators
Cutter Gauthier recorded his second career hat trick as Anaheim rallied from a third-period deficit to secure a 6-3 victory.
By Petra Murphy ·
The Anaheim Ducks erased a three-goal deficit against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening, winning 6-3 at Honda Center. The victory marks only the second win for Anaheim in its last nine games and ends a streak in which the team blew leads in its previous two home contests. The result was driven by four goals scored on the power play, a unit that had previously struggled with consistency.
The Senators controlled the opening period, building a 3-0 lead before the Ducks tied the game in the second period. Phillip Tomasino opened the scoring for Ottawa, followed by a goal and an assist from Claude Giroux. Michael Amadio added another goal, assisted by Giroux, after receiving a pass from Alex Killorn. The Ducks trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes but pulled level by the end of the second period.
Cutter Gauthier was the catalyst for the comeback, recording his second career hat trick. His first goal of the night came on the power play at 1:50 of the second period, breaking the tie. Thirty-six seconds later, at 2:26, he scored again on the man advantage to put Anaheim ahead for the first time. Both goals resulted from low passes along the right side, with Leo Carlsson providing the assists.
Rookie Judd Caulfield doubled his career goal total with two scores. His first came at 1:35 of the second period, a rebound finish after a pass from Noah Warren. His second goal, the equalizer, occurred with three seconds remaining in a Stützle penalty in the first period. Tristan Luneau assisted on the goal, changing his shooting angle to create a lane for Caulfield to tip the puck in.
Roger McQueen found the back of the net for his second career goal and first on the power play. His shot from the left faceoff dot beat goaltender Jonas Johansson. Carlsson finished the game with three assists, bringing his season total to 17, the third-highest in the NHL. This extends his multi-point streak to four games, joining Teemu Selänne, Paul Kariya, and Ryan Getzlaf in Ducks history.
Goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 20 saves in his debut for Anaheim. He was recalled from the minors on Saturday after signing over the summer. Johansson stopped 27 shots for Ottawa. The Ducks will begin a three-game road trip in Western Canada on Tuesday, looking to extend their momentum following the comeback win.
The Senators' early lead was built on miscues in the Ducks' neutral zone. A diagonal pass from Jake Sanderson freed Giroux for a breakaway, and a failed interception by Sam Colangelo allowed Thomas Chabot to score on a snap shot that deflected off Tomasino's hand. These errors gave Ottawa a 3-0 cushion before the Ducks' second-period surge.
