Ducks Strike Late to Take Down Rangers

Cutter Gauthier’s goal with 14:09 remaining in the third period put the Anaheim Ducks ahead for good in a 4-1 road victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The game was a bout between two teams with postseason aspirations. The Ducks currently find themselves in a fierce battle with the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks to claim the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the Rangers are one of many squads in the mix for one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. Long story short, tonight’s contest was a crucial one for both teams in their quest to break what have been two lengthy championship droughts.

Here are three takeaways from Anaheim’s 4-1 victory over the Rangers.

Gauthier’s Big Night

Dec 15, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier (61) takes a shot against the New York Rangers during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Gauthier has been one of the most integral pieces of the Ducks’ success through the first several months of the regular season, and that continued against the Rangers in the Big Apple. The 22-year-old from Sweden scored two goals — including what ended up being the game-winner early in the third period — to break a two-game scoreless drought. Prior to his two-goal effort in New York, Gauthier hadn’t put up a point since recording an assist in the team’s shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 9.

Blink and you’ll miss this Cutter Gauthier snipe 🎯 pic.twitter.com/cjNFcmgza6
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 16, 2025

While his first goal of the night was by far the most important in deciding the outcome of the game, his second — an empty-netter with less than a minute to play — put the contest away for good.

For the season, Gauthier has posted 18 goals and 18 assists. His 36 points rank second on the team behind center Leo Carlsson.

Shut Down Goaltending for Anaheim

Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dosta — Dec 15, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) plays the puck against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal has been a steady force all season but hadn’t had a game like he did against the Rangers in quite some time.

Dostal stopped 26 of 27 shots on a night when the Rangers’ only goal came on a bizarre play that left Madison Square Garden in disbelief. New York’s Matthew Robertson blasted a wrist shot on net, which deflected off several players in front of the crease, over Dostal’s outstretched stick and into the back of the net.

They don't ask how 😌 pic.twitter.com/HAiFcQn16a
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) December 16, 2025

With the Ducks in the playoff hunt, having good goaltending is a must. Through the early goings of the season, Dostal has been able to provide just that.

No Mika, Some Problems

Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan announced following the team’s morning practice that center Mika Zibanejad would be a healthy scratch for the matchup against the Ducks after he was late to a team meeting. Sullivan stated that while he understands there can be “logistical challenges” when traveling in the city, being late is always unacceptable.

As a result, the Rangers were without their leading scorer, which obviously had a negative effect on the team’s offensive output. The lone goal for the Rangers came on the aforementioned score by Robertson; other than that, nothing.

The good news for the Rangers is that the absence is just temporary. Sullivan made it known that there wouldn’t be any additional discipline for Zibanejad and that he would be available for the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 16.

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