Recap: McTavish's OT Goal Clinches Dramatic Comeback Win Over Rangers

The Ducks erased a two-goal deficit late in the third period before Mason McTavish netted the game-winning goal in overtime, clinching a thrilling 5-4 victory over the New York Rangers tonight at Honda Center.

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With their second straight win, the Ducks improved to 32-32-8 on the season, 13 points back of a playoff position with 10 games left on the regular-season schedule.

McTavish buried the game-winner 59 seconds into overtime, converting a brilliant backdoor pass by defenseman Jackson LaCombe.

Leo Carlsson powered Anaheim's offense in regulation, factoring in on each of the club's first four goals for his first career four-point game.

Cutter Gauthier and Olen Zellweger scored late third-period goals to spark the Anaheim comeback. Alex Killorn added a shorthanded tally, while Trevor Zegras and Pavel Mintyukov each collected assists.

Goaltender Lukas Dostal earned his career-best 21st win of the season with 27 saves.

Adam Fox, J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers, who fell to 34-32-7 with the club's fifth loss in the last six games. New York remains out point out of the Eastern Conference's Wild Card spot. Former Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin took the loss in net with 28 stops.

Fox put New York ahead first just over three minutes into the action, winning the race to an errant shot off the end wall and lifting home the rebound over a sprawled Dostal.

Fox, a Long Island native, ranks among the NHL's top-10 scoring defensemen this season for the fifth straight year. The three-time All-Star has collected 13 points in 10 career matchups against the Ducks.

Anaheim briefly pulled even later in the first on a shorthanded rush, with Carlsson springing Killorn for a partial breakaway. Shesterkin would make the initial save on Killorn, answering a forehand move with a pad save, but the veteran winger followed up the rebound and tucked it just inside the near post before Shesterkin could slide across his crease.

The goal extended Killorn's point streak to four games, matching his longest run of the season. The second-year Duck ranks fifth among team leaders in goals (18).

Carlsson has earned eight points in his last five appearances and 20 points in 18 outings since representing Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off last month. The 20-year-old center has surpassed each of his primary offensive totals from his rookie NHL campaign a year ago, now with 19 goals and 20 assists in 66 games this season.

The 1-1 tie lasted less than two minutes though, as a few shifts later a pass intended for winger Will Cuylle hopped his stick and instead found Miller, who swatted it past Dostal on the backhand from in tight.

Miller, back for his second stint with New York after a midseason blockbuster trade from Vancouver, owns 22 points in 23 games with the Rangers this season. The Ohio-born forward is now four points shy of 700 for his NHL career and will soon become the 39th American player in league history to reach the milestone.

Lafreniere recorded his 100th career assist on the goal, becoming the youngest Ranger to reach the mark since Alex Kovalev three decades ago.

The former first overall pick then pushed the New York lead to 3-1 early in the second period, beating Dostal up over the glove off a centering pass from Miller.

Anaheim would get back within one in the opening minutes of the third period, with Carlsson following up a loose puck in the neutral zone and racing up ice before zipping his shot over Shesterkin's blocker hand from the high slot.

But once again the Rangers would answer right back, this time on a power-play one-timer by Zibanejad parked in the left faceoff circle for a goal that appeared to seal a huge road victory for the Rangers.

Shortly after the goal, Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba, playing against his former team for the first time since a December trade to Anaheim, left the game as a result of an awkward collision with Shesterkin and a subsequent fall into the boards. Trouba did not return.

Down one of their top blueliners and facing a two-goal deficit, the Ducks then did what they've done as well as NHL team this season - respond to adversity in the third period and forge a late rally to steal standings points.

Gauthier first the deficit to 4-3 on a hard drive to the net. The scoring chance started off the rush, as LaCombe carried the puck in the offensive zone and left a drop pass for Carlsson trailing behind for a shot from the top of the circles. Shesterkin kicked Carlsson's bid out with a left pad stop, but the rebound bounced right to Gauthier at the backdoor, where he quickly shoveled it home to give the Ducks life late in regulation.

Gauthier, now with goals in consecutive games, ranks among the NHL's top-five rookies in goals and points this season.

Zellweger then tied the game with less than two minutes to play, joining an odd-man rush and wiring a snapshot over Shesterkin's right shoulder - forcing overtime and igniting a raucous Honda Center crowd in the process.

With a goal and three assists, Carlsson became the fourth Duck in franchise history to record a four-point game before his 21st birthday, joining McTavish, Ryan Getzlaf and Stanislav Chistov.

McTavish completed the comeback win on the very first shift of the extra session, finding free space in the low slot and redirecting LaCombe's perfectly-placed centering feed from the right circle.

The OT winner was the second of McTavish's NHL career and also clinched the 22-year-old's first career 20-goal season. Over the last month, McTavish is tied for 16th among NHL scoring leaders alongside a group that includes Edmonton's Connor McDavid, New York's Artemi Panarin and Toronto's Mitch Marner.

The Ducks continue a five-game homestand Sunday against Toronto.