Ducks' Beckett Sennecke Stuns Penguins With Late-Game Heroics

For the second time in a week, the NHL delivered another reminder that no lead is safe. The Anaheim Ducks, who have surpassed every expectation during their rebuild, entered the night sitting atop the Pacific Division with a roster full of rising stars.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, have slipped to fifth in the Metro after a strong opening month. And with one of the league’s oldest cores facing one of its youngest, this matchup had the feel of a true measuring-stick game.

The last time these teams met, Sidney Crosby passed Steve Yzerman for ninth on the all-time assist list. He entered this one looking to inch closer to Mario Lemieux. But much like the Vegas Golden Knights vs. New York Rangers matinee game last week, this game closed with one of the wildest endings of the entire 2025–26 season.

A Tight, Back-and-Forth Battle Between the Penguins and Ducks

The first goal of the game came when Noel Acciari scored at 9:49 of the first period, burying his first goal of the year on a broken play off a faceoff. His draw kicked off Connor Dewar’s skate and right back to him, setting up a quick wrist shot from the left circle.

Jackson LaCombe answered for Anaheim at 5:19 of the second, taking the puck from the point, driving down the wall, and ripping a sharp-angle shot over Arturs Silovs’ shoulder. Beckett Sennecke grabbed the primary assist — his 26th point in 30 games, making him the fastest teenager in Ducks history to hit 25, while also extending his lead as the top scoring rookie this season.

Beckett Sennecke assisted on the @AnaheimDucks' game-tying goal and became the first rookie to hit 25 points this season. #NHLStats

Tune in 🌎: https://t.co/dT34F4MhkC pic.twitter.com/9v5zNkc4fX
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) December 10, 2025

Troy Terry then pushed Anaheim ahead 2–1 at 14:10 with a laser from the bottom of the right circle, placing it just under the bar.

But Pittsburgh wasn't going down without a fight and punched back. Tommy Novak tied the game 2–2 at 19:41, following up his own rebound and banking the puck in off Ville Husso’s back from below the goal line.

Momentum Swings… and Chaos Ensues

Anthony Mantha broke the tie midway through the third, attempting a pass to Bryan Rust that deflected off Husso’s stick and in for a 3–2 Penguins lead at 16:05 on the power play (video below). Crosby got his 1,075th regular-season assist and 1,718th career point on that goal, which moved him within six of passing Mario Lemieux’s franchise record for points by a Penguin as well as eighth on the all-time scoring list.

MANTHA BOUGHT EVERYBODY BIG MACS!

Here's how to cash in your @McDonalds offer: https://t.co/QH7j1DPz1i pic.twitter.com/Ec13oX0OGf
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 10, 2025

The Penguins found themselves on another power play with under a minute left in the third, Anaheim had pulled Husso, and the game looked like it was over. Then came the kind of madness that only sports can deliver.

With less than nine seconds left and the puck behind his own net, Jacob Trouba chipped the puck to center ice as Husso skated toward the bench for an extra attacker. Cutter Gauthier jumped on it first and immediately fired a cross-ice pass to Sennecke, who took care of the rest and shocked everyone.

In the dying moments of the third period, with just 0.1 seconds left, Sennecke fought past three Penguins defenders and scored a shorthanded goal to force overtime (video below). This was the first shorthanded goal Sennecke had ever scored in the NHL.

BUZZER BEATER! 🤯

WE ARE GOING TO OVERTIME IN PITTSBURGH THANKS TO BECKETT SENNECKE! pic.twitter.com/wwI1oV9aKa
— NHL (@NHL) December 10, 2025

To make matters worse for Pittsburgh, their two best defensemen — Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang —were on the ice when it happened, and the puck bounced off of Karlsson’s glove before slipping past Silovs.

Shootout Heartbreak for the Penguins… Again

Overtime gave Pittsburgh nearly a full two-minute power play, but they couldn’t convert. They had scoring chances, but Husso made several key stops, while other shots went wide or hit the post.

That set the stage for a shootout, Pittsburgh’s kryptonite. The Penguins entered the night 0–4 this season and 1–11 in their last 12 shootouts dating back to last year. Even though the Penguins sent out some new faces for the shootout, nothing changed. Novak, Crosby, and Kouvinen were all denied by Husso, who stopped 44 of 47 shots in regulation and OT.

Leo Carlsson scored the lone shootout goal, flipping a smooth backhand over a sprawling Silovs to secure the victory.

For Anaheim, it was another statement win driven by their next wave of stars. For Pittsburgh, it was a gut punch in a season where every point matters. And for Beckett Sennecke? It was the kind of moment that can define a rookie year, and maybe spark the beginning of something much bigger.

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