Cutter Gauthier records third hat trick in five games as Anaheim Ducks defeat Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 at Honda Center

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Cutter Gauthier continued a red-hot stretch by scoring a third hat trick in the past five games, as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Sunday at Honda Center. The win extended Anaheim’s run to five straight victories and improved the Ducks to a 10-7-1 record, while Pittsburgh fell to 6-10-2.

Gauthier’s performance powered a three-goal output that included goals at 6:28 and 9:11 of the second period and his empty-net finish at 19:26 to complete the hat trick. The NHL’s game recap also noted that he extended his goal streak to six games, and he added an assist alongside his three-goal night.

Anaheim drew first blood at 8:26 of the first period when Declan Carlile blocked a shot by Gauthier as Anaheim’s first power play expired. The puck deflected into the slot, where Mikael Granlund fired it into the net to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead. The play came as Anaheim turned a special-teams moment into an immediate scoring chance.

The Ducks pushed the advantage to 2-0 at 6:28 of the second period. Gauthier scored with a no-look shot between Arturs Silovs’ pads from the right face-off circle, and the goal also marked Anaheim’s sixth straight game with a power-play goal, extending the team’s power-play scoring run to goals in eight straight games, as described in the official recap.

Gauthier made it 3-0 at 9:11 of the second period with a wrist shot from the slot. The sequence left the Ducks with a commanding lead before Pittsburgh could fully respond, as Anaheim’s offensive production continued to build through the middle frames.

Anaheim added further separation in the third period, increasing the lead to 4-0 at 5:12. Tristan Luneau connected on a point shot with the man advantage, and that power-play goal extended Anaheim’s advantage as the game moved into its final period.

Pittsburgh responded during an active stretch early in the third. Kris Letang scored after the Penguins drew a power play at 6:40 and then pulled Silovs for a 6-on-4 situation, cutting the Ducks’ lead to 4-1 at 8:05. Rickard Rakell followed with another 6-on-4 power-play goal at 13:42, pulling Pittsburgh within 4-2.

Despite the late momentum created by Pittsburgh’s second power-play sequence, Anaheim closed out the scoring. Gauthier capped the hat trick by finding the empty net at 19:26 to establish the 5-2 final and to bring his total in the game to the “13th goal of his goal streak,” according to the NHL recap.

Alongside Gauthier, Anaheim received contributions from Granlund and Jackson LaCombe. Granlund recorded a goal and three assists in the win. The recap also credited LaCombe with three assists, extending his assist streak to 10 games and 15 assists for the Ducks. The team’s scoring depth and continued playmaking were key factors in sustaining the lead throughout the afternoon.

The goaltending match also shaped the outcome. Laurent Brossoit made 32 saves for Anaheim. Silovs, who stopped 20 shots, allowed five goals as Pittsburgh was held to two during its comeback attempt in the third period.

The result also came with notable historic context for Anaheim. The recap stated that Gauthier’s hat-trick total in recent games placed him among a small group of Ducks players to record three hat tricks in a single season. It specifically compared his accomplishment to Corey Perry (2010-11 and 2014-15), Frank Vatrano (2023-24), and Teemu Selanne (1997-98) as the only players in franchise history to achieve three hat tricks in one season.

For Pittsburgh, the Ducks’ victory was a contrast to the Penguins’ recent form entering Sunday. The recap noted that Pittsburgh had been coming off a 5-2 win at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday that ended a four-game losing streak. Against Anaheim, however, the Penguins were unable to complete the shift from that turnaround and instead absorbed a multi-goal defeat at Honda Center.

On the Penguins’ side of the power play, Letang and Rakell were the finishing touches during Pittsburgh’s 6-on-4 opportunities late in the third, while the team also generated its best scoring chances during special-teams situations. Still, Anaheim’s ability to add goals in both the second and third periods kept Pittsburgh from regaining the lead and secured the decisive five-game-win run at home.

As Sunday’s game wrapped, Anaheim’s victory combined a standout individual milestone from Gauthier with a sustained stretch of results for the Ducks. For the Penguins, the loss means they must regroup following the setback after their previous win, with the next steps likely to revolve around tightening defensive structure during transitions and limiting the Ducks’ scoring while they create chances on special teams.