ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier continued his scoring rampage with his third hat trick in eight days, and captain Mikael Granlund had a goal and three assists in the Anaheim Ducks' fifth consecutive victory, 5-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night.
Gauthier’s empty-net goal in the final minute gave him three goals and an assist for the Ducks, who became the first team since the 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings to score at least five goals in eight
consecutive games.
Gauthier extended his goals streak to six games and his points streak to a career best-tying eight games with his fourth multi-goal performance during this electric sequence, including three of his four career hat tricks. He has scored eight of his 13 goals in this six-game stretch on power plays.
Jackson LaCombe had three assists and tied a Ducks record with an assist in his 10th consecutive game. Laurent Brossoit made 32 saves for his fourth victory in four starts in Anaheim’s net.
Kris Letang and Rickard Rakell scored 6-on-4 power-play goals in the third period after Pittsburgh had fallen behind 4-0. Evgeni Malkin had two assists and Arturs Silovs stopped 20 shots for the Penguins, who snapped a four-game skid Saturday night at Los Angeles in the opener of their California trip.
Granlund scored from the slot in the first period right as a power play ended, extending his scoring streak to six games.
After Pittsburgh failed to score during nearly 4 1/2 straight minutes of power-play time early in the second, Gauthier beat Silovs with a beautiful no-look shot for his first goal. Gauthier scored again less than three minutes later with a quick wrist shot.
Luneau ripped a power-play goal early in the third and extended his point streak to eight games, justifying the faith shown when the Ducks signed the defenseman to a $43.2 million extension last month before his first full NHL season.
Pittsburgh avoided the shutout on Letang's 6-on-4 score with 11:55 to play, the first goal of his 21st NHL season.
Penguins: At San Jose on Wednesday night.
Ducks: Host Nashville on Wednesday night.
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