Cutter Gauthier leads Ducks as Granlund’s OT winner sinks Panthers

The Anaheim Ducks continued their strong start and extended a long-running home-opening streak with a dramatic finish on Sunday night. Cutter Gauthier scored twice on the power play and Mikael Granlund struck in overtime to give the Ducks a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers in Anaheim, their 11th straight victory in a home opener. Anaheim has now opened the season with back-to-back wins after last year’s run to the second round of the playoffs, which snapped a seven-year post-season absence.

Gauthier delivers in first home game after big extension

Playing his first game at home since signing a six-year, $81-million contract extension last month, Gauthier was the focal point of the Ducks’ offence. He broke through early in the second period, drifting into the slot and finishing a setup from Beckett Sennecke on the power play to get Anaheim on the board.

Later in the period, Gauthier came close to recording a hat trick. Sennecke again found him with a pinpoint pass that left the net wide open, but Gauthier’s shot rang off the post. Frustrated, he snapped his stick over his knee moments later. Even without the third goal, he finished the night with two power-play markers and an assist on the overtime winner.

Granlund caps three-point night from Carlsson in OT

Overtime turned when Sennecke drew a tripping penalty on Gustav Forsling midway through the extra frame. Florida nearly killed off the Ducks’ power play, but Leo Carlsson eventually threaded a pass into the slot for Granlund, who beat Jacob Markstrom for the winner at 4:14 of overtime. Carlsson picked up his third assist of the game on the play, giving him five points through his first two games since signing a $90-million extension.

Goaltender Lukas Dostal made 29 saves for Anaheim, steadying the Ducks throughout the night. Markstrom stopped 18 shots for Florida, which has now dropped two straight.

Marchand scores in debut as banged-up Panthers fall short

Carter Verhaeghe opened the scoring for Florida early before the Ducks’ special teams swung the game. The Panthers had a chance to answer late in regulation when AJ Greer took a hooking penalty, but they came up empty on that power play. With Markstrom pulled for an extra attacker shortly after, Brad Marchand jumped on a rebound to tie the game with 1:50 remaining in his season debut.

Florida was already without captain Aleksander Barkov, who suffered a significant left leg injury on Thursday, and then lost defenceman Aaron Ekblad to a late scratch before puck drop. Defenceman Radko Gudas faced the Ducks, the team he had captained for the previous two seasons, while Greer played against the Panthers, with whom he earned a Stanley Cup ring in 2025. The Panthers continue their West Coast road trip Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.