Cutter Gauthier put on a dazzling display of young star power Tuesday night, scoring his first career hat trick and adding an assist as the Anaheim Ducks cruised past the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 7–3 at Honda Center.
The 21-year-old Gauthier scored on his first three shots — twice in the opening period and again on the power play late in the second — capping a four-point night that vaulted him into a tie for the NHL lead with 10 goals. His scoring spree helped the upstart Ducks (9-3-1) to their fourth straight victory and a return to first place in the Pacific Division.
“It was just one of those nights where everything seemed to click,” Gauthier said. “The team’s confidence is high right now, and we’re feeding off each other.”
Anaheim’s youth-fueled surge continued behind Gauthier and fellow phenom Leo Carlsson, who had two assists before being ejected early in the third period for contact with Evan Rodrigues’ head. The pair extended their scoring streaks to seven games — the longest simultaneous runs by teammates aged 21 or younger since Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl did it with Edmonton nine years ago.
Carlsson set the tone just three minutes into the game, springing Gauthier on a breakaway for the opening goal. Brad Marchand answered for Florida (6-6-1) with his seventh of the season, but Gauthier buried a one-timer from Troy Terry to make it 2–1 after one.
After Rodrigues tied it early in the second and Eetu Luostarinen gave the Panthers a brief 3–2 lead, Anaheim responded in a flash. Gauthier and Nikita Nesterenko scored 1:43 apart, the latter’s tally giving the Ducks the lead for good.
From there, the Ducks overwhelmed the two-time champs with speed and relentless forechecking. Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider, and Jansen Harkins each scored during a furious 3:04 span in the third period to blow the game open.
Trouba’s goal — his third in six games — came off a Gauthier setup, securing the rookie’s first career four-point night. Kreider, meanwhile, continues to thrive since joining Anaheim, notching his seventh goal in just eight games.
Lukas Dostal stopped 18 shots to earn the win, improving to 4–1–0 at home. Anaheim, now 4–1–0 on home ice, also beat Florida 4–2 just eight days earlier.
For the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves but faced a barrage of prime scoring chances. Florida, beginning a four-game West Coast swing, fell to 1–5–0 on the road and showed the kind of defensive lapses that were rare during their back-to-back title runs.
“We didn’t play anywhere near our standard,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Too many breakdowns, too many easy chances for a team that’s flying high in confidence.”
Anaheim’s fourth consecutive win continued to underline their emergence as one of the league’s early-season surprises — a blend of youthful energy and disciplined execution that’s quickly putting the Pacific Division on notice.
Panthers: At Los Angeles on Thursday night. Ducks: At Dallas on Thursday night.
