Ducks bounce back with Dostál's big saves, Gauthier's OT-winner over Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. – After an abysmal start to their six-game road trip, being outscored 12-2 in the last two games, the Anaheim Ducks rose to the challenge and outlasted a relentless Carolina Hurricanes team on the second half of a back-to-back on Sunday.

Lukáš Dostál denied 35 shots, and despite Carolina tying the game with 55 seconds to play, Cutter Gauthier sniped his second goal of the game in overtime to capture the 3-2 win for Anaheim at Lenovo Arena.

Anaheim snapped a three-game losing streak.

“Obviously we had a rough start, two games didn't go as we planned,” Dostál said on the Victory+ broadcast. “As I’ve said many times, we have a resilient group. I trust our group. We had less shots, but we had more heart in this game and deserved to win.”

Carolina outshot the Ducks, 37-20, but Anaheim built a 2-0 lead with Jansen Harkins’ first goal of the season in the first period and Guathier’s first goal in the third period.

Dostál allowed three goals on the first eight shots in his last start in St. Louis and six goals on 22 shots before being pulled. In Carolina, Dostál made 10 saves in the first period, 11 saves in the second period and another 13 saves in the third period before Carolina’s push finally broke through to tie with two third period goals from Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. 

“That’s just Dosty,” Gauthier said. “He’s been like that all season long, keeping us in games and winning games for us. Can’t give enough credit to that kid. He’s been busting his butt off all season. Just another great night for him.”

In overtime, Gauthier cut into the Carolina zone and to the left circle and released a shot against the grain over Pyotr Kochetkov’vs glove for the game-winner. Gauthier scored both of his goals from that spot on the ice and four of his seven goals this season.

“So happy for him,” Dostál said. “Last night, its a tough challenge. He’s still young. It’d be tough challenge for everybody. I’m so happy for him. What a way to step up and hopefully he can keep it going.”

Last night in Gauthier’s first game in Philadelphia since asking for a trade before ever playing a game for the Flyers, the road crowd hounded the 20-year-old with derogatory chants throughout the game and boos every time he touched the puck.

Gauthier is now fourth in rookie scoring with seven goals and 13 assists.

“Feeling good,” Gauthier said. “Like I mentioned before, I can’t control what the fans say and what people say about me. If I let that affect me, that’s a weak mind set that I can’t have.”

Anaheim (18-20-5, 41 points) is now seven points out of a playoff spot and continues its season-high six-game road trip at Washington on Tuesday.

Anaheim had another slightly slow start, as Carolina racked up the first five shots on goal of the game. Dostál stretched to his right to deny Martin Necas’ one-time bid on that fifth shot and keep the game scoreless.

Five minutes later, the Ducks grabbed their first lead in four games with a deep play by the fourth line.

Brian Dumuolin rimmed the puck around from the left point, and Nikita Nesterenko picked it up on the right boards. Nesterenko fed Harkins with precision in the slot, and Harkins buried his first goal of the season for the lead, 1-0.

After sitting out Saturday in Philadelphia, Nesterenko picked up points in consecutive games played.

Carolina owned the middle frame, but the Hurricanes still couldn’t solve Dostál.

At five-on-five in the second period, Carolina held a 25-6 edge in shot attempts, 10-2 in shots on goal, 8-2 in scoring chances and 53% of the expected goals. However, Dostál made 11 saves in the period, including a breakaway denial.

Anaheim’s only respite from their own zone in the period was power play time, but the Ducks generated just one shot on two attempts. 

On the power play, Anaheim is in stretches of 2-for-8, 2-for-25 and 3-for-40. The Ducks are 5-for-51 (0.98%) on the man-advantage since Trevor Zegras’ injury and were 11-for-70 (15.7%) prior to that.

Anaheim got another timely goal early in the third period, as Gauthier doubled the Ducks lead.

Gauthier gathered speed down the left wing and from the bottom of the circle, Gauthier wired a short side shot over Kochetkov’s shoulder, 2-0.

Including his overtime strike, four of Gauthier’s seven goals this season have come in similar fashion on the rush from the same location on the ice.

However, Carolina kept up its push through the third period and eventually put one home on the power play.

Anaheim challenged a first power play goal by the Hurricanes, as it seemed Sebastian Aho interfered with Dostál’s goal stick on a rebound goal. The referees agreed, but just 22 seconds later, Carolina got its power play tally.

The Hurricanes worked a high give-and-go between Aho and Necas, and Aho snuck low to feed through Radko Gudas to Svechnikov at the back door to cut the lead in half, 2-1.

Carolina kept up its late game barrage, and with the goalie pulled for the extra attacker, the Hurricanes equalized.

Necas froze Gudas and slipped the puck to Jarvis in an empty zone down low. Jarvis spun in front and finished with 55 seconds remaining to send this game into overtime.

Game Notes

• Anaheim’s leading scorer Troy Terry missed his fourth straight game due to the birth of his second child. Terry holds a six-game point streak with eight points in those games and four goals in four games.

• Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger drew into the line-up, as Drew Helleson was a healthy scratch for the first time in 10 games. Zellweger had sat in six of the previous eight games.

• Nearly every line-up combination had changes from the previous two games. All four right wings switched on the forward lines and two of the three defensive pairs were switched with Zellweger coming back into the fold.