Recap: Gauthier Buries Game-Winner as Ducks Rally for Dramatic Comeback Win Over Flames

The Ducks erased a two-goal deficit late in the third period before Cutter Gauthier netted the game-winning goal in overtime, clinching a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames tonight at Honda Center.

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The win pushed Anaheim to 35-35-8 on the season, and 21-17-2 on home ice, with four games left to play.

Gauthier tied the game late in the third period, part of a dramatic comeback that saw the Ducks rally from down 3-1 with two goals in a span of just eight seconds. The rookie then buried the decisive tally early in the extra session for his second straight multi-goal game.

Trevor Zegras and Frank Vatrano also scored third-period goals, helping keep Anaheim within striking distance and setting up what would quickly prove to be a wild finish. Oliver Kylington, Olen Zellweger, Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn and Ryan Strome collected assists while Ville Husso turned aside 36-of-39 Flames shots for his first win as a Duck.

Mikael Backlund, Yegor Sharangovich and Matt Coronato scored for the Flames, who fell to 37-27-14 on the season with a defeat devastating to the club's dwindling playoff hopes. Goaltender Dustin Wolf made 19 saves in the loss.

Anaheim captain Radko Gudas briefly left the game in the first period after taking a stick to the face from Calgary forward Adam Klapka. Gudas, who remained down on the ice for a moment and appeared to be bleeding, returned before the first intermission. Klapka was initially assessed a four-minute double-minor for high-sticking, but the penalty was nullified after referees determined, via replay review, the play was the result of a shot's follow-through. Gudas has appeared in 77 of Anaheim's 78 games this season.

After that first period ended scoreless, Calgary eventually claimed the night's first lead late in the second when Backlund tipped home Weegar's point shot from the low slot.

Anaheim nearly tied the game in the final minute of the middle frame on a 2-on-1 rush, but Wolf stretched across his crease to make a terrific backdoor save on Isac Lundestrom - keeping Calgary ahead after two.

Instead that 1-0 lead would hold until just past the midway mark of the third - when all of a sudden both sides' offense came to life. Shortly after the Ducks killed consecutive Flames power plays, Kylington held in a failed Calgary clearing attempt at the blue line and spotted Zegras on the far side of the ice. The newest Ducks defenseman then delivered a perfect cross-seam pass right on to Zegras' tape, allowing the talented young winger to rip a wrister from the right circle up over Wolf's glove, tying the game at one with eight minutes to go in regulation.

The goal gave Zegras points in three straight games and 10 points in his last 10 appearances. Kylington's assist marked his first point as a Duck.

The Ducks would be unable to capitalize on that momentum though, as rebound goals by Sharangovich and Coronato in the following four minutes restored the Flames lead and seemingly sealed a 3-1 win for the visitors.

But much as they have all season long when trailing deep into the third period, the Ducks once again punched back to pull even.

Vatrano first made it 3-2 on a perfectly executed passing play, hammering home a one-timer from Zellweger up top past the sliding Wolf in net.

Vatrano's goal was his 21st of the season, tying Mason McTavish for the team lead. The third-year Duck, signed earlier this year to a three-year contract extension, owns points in two of his last three games, while his 43 points on the season marks the second-best total of his NHL career.

Zellweger has now earned six points in four career matchups against his hometown team, his most against any NHL opponent. Strome collected the secondary helper for his 41st point of the season, matching his total from each of his first two years in an Anaheim sweater.

Gauthier then tied the game nine seconds after Vatrano's goal, flying up ice on the subsequent faceoff and beating Wolf to the glove side off left wing.

Gauthier has netted two goals in each of his last two games, and now owns 19 goals and 42 points in 78 outings this season. The 21-year-old ranks third among all NHL rookies in goals this year and fifth in points.

His second goal would ignite a raucous Honda Center crowd and complete another thrilling Ducks comeback in a season full of them, again victimizing the goaltender's glove hand off a setup pass from Carlsson.

The Ducks return to action Thursday with the season's Final Freeway Face-Off, taking on the rival LA Kings at Crypto.com Arena.