Mikael Granlund’s power-play goal with 46 seconds left in overtime gave the host Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
Cutter Gauthier had two goals and an assist for Anaheim, which scored all three of its goals with the man advantage in its home opener. Leo Carlsson contributed three assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves.
Carter Verhaeghe and Brad Marchand, making his season debut, got the goals for the Panthers, who have played into overtime in all three of their games this season. Jacob Markstrom stopped 18 shots.
Granlund tipped in Carlsson’s pass from the right corner for the winner.
Marchand tied the game 2-2 with 1:50 left in regulation by flipping in a loose puck from just outside the crease. He had been out since March 6, missing training camp and the first two games because of offseason surgery.
Gauthier’s second goal, on the power play, 47 seconds into the second period made it 2-1. He fired in a one-timer from the slot. Gauthier had a golden opportunity for the hat trick. With an open net, he hit the goal post from the left faceoff dot with 45 seconds remaining in the middle period.
It was 1-1 after the teams scored 51 seconds apart late in the first period.
Gauthier’s first goal, also a power-play effort, gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead with 3:42 left in the first. He connected on a wrist shot from just above the left circle. Verhaeghe tied it with 2:51 remaining by putting in the puck off a goal-mouth scramble.
The Ducks were held without a shot for the game’s first 12:37.
Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling returned after missing a game with an undisclosed injury.
Florida also played its first contest without captain Aleksander Barkov, who was placed on long-term injured reserve on Saturday with an injury to his left leg. He missed the entire 2025-26 season due to injuries to his right ACL and MCL. The Panthers were also without defenseman Aaron Ekblad for personal reasons.
–Field Level Media
