Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, and Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad reach for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks center Jansen Harkins, left, skates with the puck while under pressure from Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, right, tries to control the puck while under pressure from Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson, right, passes the puck while under pressure from Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid deflects a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Braeden Bowman, right, tries to keep Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe from taking a shot during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks left wing Alex Killorn falls as the goes after the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier, center, celebrates his game-winning goal with right wing Beckett Sennecke, left, as Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid sits in goal during the overtime period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier, center, celebrates his game-winning goal with right wing Beckett Sennecke, left, as Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid sits in goal during the overtime period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden, right, tries to get a shot past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry scores during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin, right, tries to pass the puck while under pressure from Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, right, puts a shot on goal as Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal deflects it during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith, right, tries to get a shot past Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry, right, celebrates his goal along with defenseman Jackson LaCombe during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, below, and Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson reach for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore, left passes the puck while under pressure from Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe, center, celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke, center, and Vegas Golden Knights left wing Cole Reinhardt, right, reach for a puck as it goes airborne while linesman Caleb Apperson tries to get out of the way during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, below, and Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson reach for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl, left, celebrates his goal as Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba skates away during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano, left, and Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad reach for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
ANAHEIM — With the top spot in the Pacific Division hanging in the balance, two of the NHL’s most explosive attacks delivered a firefight at Honda Center, where the Ducks out-dueled the Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3 in overtime, on Saturday night.
The Ducks won for the third time in four chances and Vegas managed to extend its points streak to six games even in defeat. The hosts held onto first place, maintaining a two-point lead over both Vegas and the Seattle Kraken.
The two teams had met in Vegas on Nov. 8, when the Ducks blew a two-goal lead but came out on top in OT off a Jacob Trouba game-winner.
Troy Terry and Jackson LaCombe each registered a goal and an assist to match the output of Cutter Gauthier, who secured the victory in overtime. Olen Zellweger also scored. Pavel Mintyukov drew in after three straight healthy scratches, logging a season-high 21:15. Lukáš Dostál pumped the brakes on 29 pucks.
Braeden Bowman, Tomáš Hertl and former Duck Shea Theodore had a goal apiece for Vegas, which got two assists from Jack Eichel. Akira Schmid also made 29 saves.
“It was an awesome game,” Gauthier said. “A lot of Knights fans were in there, but it was a super-packed building on a Saturday night at Honda Center. It was a super fun atmosphere that was really electric tonight.”
Momentum from the previous Herculean shift led to the game-winner by Gauthier. He capitalized on an unforced error by Vegas star Mitch Marner, who coughed up the puck behind his own net. Gauthier’s goal was his second in nine games following a stretch where he scored eight times in as many outings.
“I saw a pizza right up the middle and I tried to turn around and shoot it,” Gauthier said. “I didn’t really know what was going on, but I don’t think the goalie did either, and I’m thankful that puck went in.”
Terry, who has five of his seven goals and 13 of his 24 points this year in the third period or overtime — plus a shootout goal — nearly ended the game three times in the extra session. Midway through overtime, his shot hit the intersection of the post and crossbar, then he had an odd-man opportunity and set up a strong bid by Trouba.
Though the Ducks created havoc in the Vegas crease with 30 seconds left and surrendered a chance at the buzzer, the third period ended scoreless to extend Saturday’s showdown.
In the second period, there were fewer fireworks than in the first, but the Ducks closed a five-shot gap and knotted the score in the process. With 6:10 left, LaCombe’s brilliant bank pass off the boards sprung Leo Carlsson, who was joined by Terry for a two-on-one rush. Terry’s textbook finish from the inner part of the right circle saw him pick the far top corner and hit it squarely for goal No. 7 of 2025-26.
“I don’t think we could come back in that game without the energy in the building. We could feel it. (The fans) deserved for us to do something,” Terry said.
There were four goals in the first 8:17 of the contest and five total in the opening 20 minutes, leaving the visitors with a 3-2 edge.
Vegas broke a 2-2 deadlock with 2:01 left in the frame off a power-play goal. Hertl tipped Eichel’s shot from above the left circle after a sound keep-in by Eichel.
The Ducks got a pair of goals from their back end in the span of 34 seconds between the 7:43 and 8:17 marks.
Zellweger’s third goal of the year pulled them even with a far-side strike from just above the left faceoff dot. Terry’s assist extended his point streak to five games.
Gauthier’s helper on LaCombe’s tally extended his surge of commensurate length. Gauthier’s outlet pass for Beckett Sennecke gave him some daylight, but he had his dash to the net disrupted by Noah Hanifin. Sennecke regrouped, circling back above the circles and setting up a nuclear one-timer from LaCombe. It was LaCombe’s second goal of 2025-26, but also his second in his past four appearances.
“We’ve got a resilient, no-quit group,” Gauthier said. “We love to score goals. We don’t like giving them up that much. It wasn’t the start we were looking for, but it was a hell of a response from our guys.”
Vegas had also scored in quick succession, notching goals at 3:25 and 4:37.
Ivan Barbashev jammed the puck in front, where an entrenched Bowman found it and stuffed a backhand shot past Dostál despite the presence of both Ducks defensemen, LaCombe and Drew Helleson. Bowman, an undrafted rookie, has poured in four goals in his first six games.
Vegas opened the scoring after Eichel won an offensive-zone draw and then played the two-man game with Theodore, whose low-flying shot from the point that had the eyes that Dostál didn’t, thanks to a Bowman screen.
“We were loose in some ways, but we did a lot of good things,” Coach Joel Quenneville said. “All the lines were contributing and we got more engaged as the game went on. (Mintyukov) came in and had a heck of a game with (Radko) Gudas. Across the board, we loved the contributions tonight.”