Recap: Ducks Down Defending Champs for Sixth Straight Win

The Ducks overcame yet another third-period deficit before Mason McTavish broke the deadlock with 3:40 to play in regulation, powering a 4-2 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center.

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With the win, Anaheim extended its NHL-best six-game winning streak and improved to 7-4-0 on the season. The Ducks are the second team in NHL history to win six straight games that included third period comebacks in at least five of them. 

McTavish delivered the decisive goal on a hard-working shift for Anaheim late in the third, converting Vatrano's centering pass from right in front of the Vegas net.

Sam Carrick scored twice for Anaheim, including the empty-netter that sealed the comeback win. Adam Henrique also scored, his second goal of the season. Cam Fowler, Frank Vatrano, Pavel Mintyukov and Ilya Lyubushkin added assists.

Returning from an upper-body injury suffered last week in Pittsburgh, John Gibson earned his second win of the season, stopping 30-of-32 Vegas shots.

Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights, who saw their 12-game point streak snapped in their first regulation loss of the season. Logan Thompson made 18 saves.

Vegas took the lead first less than nine minutes into the opening period, when Eichel fought off LaCombe's backcheck and delivered a perfect backdoor pass to Barbashev for the tap-in goal.

Eichel has seven points in his last four games against the Ducks, dating back to the beginning of the 2022-23 season.

Acquired last season in a trade deadline deal from St. Louis, Barbashev inked a five-year extension with Vegas this summer. He's now tied for third among team leaders in goals (four) this season.

Anaheim had the better of chances in the middle frame, but could get nothing by Hill before Eichel extended the lead with a top-shelf wrister over Gibson's glove off the rush.

The Ducks would answer in the third though, first pulling within one late in a power-play opportunity and mere seconds after Gibson gave them a second chance with a massive stop on Eichel. Just when it appeared the Golden Knights star had a huge insurance goal on his stick with a shorthanded breakaway, Gibson kicked out the left pad to shut down the forehand bid, sending the puck back the other way.

Henrique scored shortly after, sweeping home a bouncing puck in the slot before Thompson could find it through traffic.

The goal was Henrique's second of the season, and his sixth point. He's now 15 points shy of 500 for his NHL career.

Fowler's assist extended his point streak to four games (0-4=4).

Carrick then evened the score a few minutes later, capitalizing on a Vegas defensive zone turnover with a forehand move through Thompson's five-hole while alone in front.

With the lone assist on the goal, Mintyukov now has six points in his last six games (0-6=6). The 19-year-old defenseman co-leads NHL rookies in scoring (1-7=8) and assists.

Carrick has four points in his first 11 games, including three in his last five appearances (1-2=3).

McTavish then broke the tie with 3:40 to go, parking himself right at the edge of the Vegas crease and converting a centering pass from Vatrano, parked behind the net, to give Anaheim its first lead of the night.

The goal extended McTavish's point streak to seven games. The 20-year-old center leads the Ducks in points (13) this season.

Carrick sealed the deal with an empty netter two shifts later, turning a takeaway in the neutral zone into his second goal of the night.

The Ducks continue a five-game homestand Tuesday against Pittsburgh.