Anaheim Ducks Overcome Three-Goal Deficit to Defeat Ottawa Senators 6-3
Cutter Gauthier delivered a standout performance with his second career hat trick, propelling the Anaheim Ducks to a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night. The Ducks erased an early three-goal deficit by capitalizing heavily on special teams, converting four of five power-play opportunities to secure only their second win in nine games.
Ottawa established control early in the game with a dominant first period. Thomas Chabot and Michael Amadio both scored in the opening frame, and Claude Giroux added a goal and an assist to build a 3-0 lead for the visitors. However, the Senators unraveled in the special teams battle, allowing Anaheim to climb back into the contest.
Special Teams Turn the Tide in Anaheim
Senators head coach Travis Green pointed directly to penalties and special teams as the deciding factor in the loss. Special teams played a big part in the game,
Green said post-game. I liked a lot of our game. If you take the special teams out, I’d be really happy with the game.
Cutter Gauthier scores a hat trick as Ducks rally to defeat Senators https://t.co/20ILzre55p
Thomas Chabot echoed his coach’s assessment of the team’s discipline and penalty trouble. I thought five-on-five was not bad to be honest. We started great,
Chabot said. Not a good second. And then, I mean — special teams.
The turning point arrived in the third period when Ottawa took penalties, granting Anaheim a two-man advantage. Gauthier capitalized at 1:50 of the third period, firing a sharp-angle shot past Senators goaltender Jonas Johansson to give the Ducks a 4-3 lead. While still on a man advantage, Gauthier struck again 36 seconds later to stretch the lead to two goals.
Sometimes you start taking a few penalties, some of the guys don’t get to touch the ice for a while, and then you get the game back five-on-five, you create a little momentum, but it’s hard to kind of get back involved,
Chabot said regarding the disjointed flow caused by the penalties. But I mean that’s hockey. Obviously (a) very disappointing loss but we got to turn the page and make sure we’re ready for the next one.
Roster Contributions and Debut Performance
Beyond Gauthier’s three-goal night, the Ducks received critical offensive production throughout the lineup. Judd Caulfield scored twice, rookie Roger McQueen added another goal, and Leo Carlsson contributed three assists to orchestrate the comeback. In net, Laurent Brossoit stopped 20 shots in his Anaheim debut. Brossoit was playing just his second NHL game in three seasons after being recalled from San Diego of the AHL on Saturday.
For Ottawa, Jonas Johansson made 27 saves in the losing effort as the Senators wrapped up a five-game road trip with their third defeat.
Upcoming Schedule for Ducks and Senators
The Ottawa Senators look to rebound when they travel to face the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks hit the road to play the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.
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