Drake Batherson scored his second career hat trick, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 5-1 victory over the Ducks tonight at Canadian Tire Centre.
The loss dropped Anaheim to 10-13-4 on the season and pushed the club's winless skid to four games.
Batherson helped Ottawa to a four-goal cushion by the midway point of the second, becoming the third Senator in the last decade with a natural hat trick. Noah Gregor and Brady Tkachuk also scored, as Ottawa improved to 13-3-2 on the season. Goaltender Linus Ullmark earned his eighth win of the season with stops on 30-of-32 Anaheim shots.
Cutter Gauthier scored the lone Anaheim goal, a deflection of Mason McTavish's point shot in the third period. John Gibson made 29 saves in his ninth appearance of the season.
Ottawa controlled the first period to a tune of an 18-9 lead in shots and a 3-0 advantage on the scoreboard.
Gregor opened the scoring less than two minutes in, punching home a rebound from the slot after defenseman Nick Jensen's shot from right wing.
Batherson would then strike for a pair of power-play goals, both truly tough breaks for Gibson and the Ducks. The first, a one-timer from the slot, appeared to be a sliding save by the Anaheim netminder before replay review ruled the puck had just barely crossed the goal line.
The second, which came with less than two minutes to go until regulation, was an errant backdoor pass by Batherson that carromed off defenseman Cam Fowler's skate and into the net.
Batherson's first of the night was his 100th career NHL goal. The Indiana native owns 12 goals and 31 points in his 28 games this season after setting career-highs in goals (28) and points (66) a year ago.
Batherson is the fifth Senators player to reach 10 goals this season, tied for the most in the NHL.
Ottawa's lead hit 4-0 early in the second on Batherson's hat trick goal, a spinning point shot that tipped off Fowler's stick and changed course past Gibson.
Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom left the game in the third period after taking a puck to the face. Lundestrom was cut on the play and helped to the locker room. He returned to the game later in the third period.
Tkachuk then made it 5-0 on a backdoor pass from Batherson, converting Ottawa's third power-play goal of the night. The assist clinched Batherson's fourth career four-point game and his first since the 2021-22 campaign.
Gauthier put Anaheim on the board with seven minutes to play, tipping home a low shot by McTavish while parked in front of Ullmark.
