The Ducks (8-3-1, first in Pacific) have won four consecutive games and are 8-2-1 in the last 11 contests. The four wins have come against the two-time defending champion Panthers, New Jersey and Detroit (both currently 9-4-0).
Anaheim’s 17 points in the first 12 games (8-3-1 record) marks the club’s best start through 12 games since 2014-15 (9-3-0, 18 points).
The Ducks now lead the NHL in goals-per-game (3.92). Anaheim’s 47 goals through 12 games this season marks a club record, including 19 tallies from players 21-and-under. No other team in the league has more than 13 such goals (Chicago).
Cutter Gauthier scored his first career hat trick tonight and now co-leads the NHL in goals with 10 (also Cole Caulfield, Leon Draisaitl, Jack Hughes, Nathan MacKinnon). He added an assist, his first career four-point effort.
Gauthier is the first NHL player 21-or-younger to score 10 goals his first 12 games since Auston Matthews (12 in 12 GP in 2018-19). He tied Corey Perry (12 GP in 2014-15), Steve Thomas (12 GP in 2002-03) and Paul Kariya (12 GP in 1995-96) for the fewest games to 10 goals in a season by a Ducks player.
Leo Carlsson had two assists, giving him 5-13=18 points in 12 games. Gauthier and Carlsson both extended their point streaks to seven games. The last set of teammates to record simultaneous point streaks of at least seven games both age 21-or-younger are Connor McDavid (14 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (11 GP) in 2016-17.
