ANAHEIM –– It’ll take more than three periods to make a substantive statement, but in their home opener Sunday the Ducks may have at least offered an initial proclamation: this team is a hell of a lot tougher to play against than it was just a few short months ago.

They picked the right night for their wordless announcement as they had a standing-room-only crowd on hand Sunday at Honda Center for the first home game of the franchise’s 30th anniversary season. The Ducks prevailed 6-3 against one of the NHL’s top teams, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Not only did the Ducks match one of the NHL’s fastest teams stride for stride, they took them out of their comfort zone and beat back a rally that saw Carolina draw to within a goal after trailing 4-1.

Frank Vatrano turned in a hat trick and also had a roughing penalty against Michael Bunting where he got his money’s worth. Fourth-liner Sam Carrick carried over a prolific preseason into the regular year with a goal in Game No. 2 after a 4-1 loss in Vegas Saturday. Pavel Mintyukov scored his first career NHL goal and Ryan Strome added two assists. Fittingly, the longest-serving Duck, Cam Fowler, iced the game with an empty-netter before Vatrano piled on another. In goal, Lukas Dostal made 32 saves in the victory.

Teuvo Teravainen scored two goals, one on the power-play, and Martin Necas added a man-advantage marker. No. 2 goalie Antti Raanta got the nod after former Ducks goalie Freddie Anderson beat the Kings 6-5 Saturday, and stopped 18 shots.

Other than the empty-net goals, the third-period scoring belonged to Carolina and both their goals came on the power play. Teravainen scored off a long slap shot of a rolling puck to at least inspire thoughts of a final push for Carolina, which included a tip-in tally from Necas. Teravainen also scored in the second period, knocking down an airborne puck and rifling it past Dostal in a quick, fluid sequence.

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Equally rapid-fire were two saves made in succession made by Dostal, who fended off the temeritous Hurricanes off at almost every turn, apart from Teravainen’s first tally.

The Ducks were protected beyond their net though, and made Carolina feel at least slightly on edge. While Coach Rod Brind’Amour’s group has plenty of heft, they play a relentless style at a break-neck pace that leaves opponents winded rather than battered most nights. But the Ducks drew them into scrums routinely, including one that earned former Kings forward Brendan Lemiuex, now with Carolina, and newly acquired Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas game misconduct penalties.

But the early going was owned by the Ducks, with Carrick opening the scoring, Vatrano earning them a cushion and Mintyukov getting his first goal from defense partner Jackson LaCombe, whose assist was his first career NHL point.