ANAHEIM, Calif. — On the ice as in the ocean, the Seattle Kraken proved too imposing for the Ducks as they prevailed 4-3 at Anaheim’s Honda Center on Friday night.
The Kraken had lost three of their past four games heading into the matchup and moved to 16-28-4 in their inaugural campaign with Friday’s victory.
Winger Ryan Donato scored two goals, defenseman Vince Dunn notched another and winger Jordan Eberle netted the winner for the Kraken. Forward Yanni Gourde chipped in with two assists. Chris Driedger made 24 saves; he last won a game on Dec. 14. Center Isac Lundestrom tallied twice for Anaheim, winger Rickard Rakell added a goal and defenseman Jamie Drysdale contributed two assists. John Gibson stopped 23 shots.
With 1:42 to play, the Kraken produced a picturesque game-winner. Center Riley Sheahan lobbed a backhand saucer pass across the goal crease for Eberle, who rifled it past Gibson against the grain and to the far side.
In the final frame, both teams produced near misses with Driedger denying winger Jakob Silfverberg on a point-blank chance and defenseman Mark Giordano striking the post with a shot. Dunn took an inopportune penalty late, retaliating against center Trevor Zegras with a slash that nullified a two-on-one break.
The Kraken had the final shots of the second period. They headed to intermission tied at 3 thanks to Donato’s second marker, a heave from the high slot that clipped Gibson on its way into the net with 5:25 left in the second period.
Anaheim had earned its first advantage of the evening off a power-play goal at the 8:33 mark. After Zegras shanked a shot toward an open net, the Ducks regrouped and scored when Rakell deflected in Drysdale’s shot.
The Ducks knotted the game at 2, 5:34 into the second stanza. A tic-tac-toe play off the rush culminated in Lundestrom’s second goal of the evening.
The Kraken regained an edge when Dunn crept down from the left point into quiet ice to score his sixth goal of the season with 5:19 left in the first period. Dunn has two goals in his past three games.
The Kraken assumed the game’s first lead but handed it back in short order. Donato scored his first goal since Jan. 17 and his 10th of the season two minutes into the game off a one-timer from a challenging angle. The Ducks waited just 12 seconds for an equalizer from Lundestrom.
(Knoll is a special correspondent)
