The Anaheim Ducks stretched their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Friday night, further highlighting their impressive turnaround after a dismal nine-game losing streak. Despite missing several key players, Anaheim outplayed Seattle, who struggled to keep pace at Climate Pledge Arena.
Fast Start Puts Ducks Ahead Early
Just over a minute into the game, Cutter Gauthier gave Anaheim the lead, capitalizing on a turnover forced by Pavel Mintyukov in the neutral zone. Jeffrey Viel found Gauthier, who sped down the right wing and beat Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer with a wrist shot. The quick goal continued Seattle’s troubling trend of allowing early goals, with the Kraken conceding in the first five minutes in eight of their last nine games.
Seattle head coach Lane Lambert expressed frustration after the game, referring to the first two periods as “the worst 40 minutes we’ve played all year.” The Ducks dominated possession, outshooting Seattle 12-3 in the opening period, while the Kraken’s struggles deepened as they fell behind 2-0 midway through the first period.
Ryan Poehling’s short-handed goal at 15:24 of the first, a breakaway strike after intercepting a Kraken pass, made it 2-0. It was the second consecutive game Poehling had scored, and the fourth short-handed goal Seattle had allowed in their last five outings, a glaring weakness. “We have to find a way to create momentum instead of losing it, especially like that,” said Kraken captain Jordan Eberle.
Kraken Show Fight, But Ducks Hold On
The second period saw some life from Seattle, with Jared McCann scoring his 19th goal of the season to pull the Kraken within one. However, Anaheim responded swiftly with Chris Kreider scoring on the power play to regain a two-goal advantage. Kreider’s goal came at 3:04 after a delay-of-game penalty on Seattle’s Ryker Evans.
Despite a penalty shot opportunity for Anaheim’s Jansen Harkins, which Grubauer denied with a well-timed poke check, Seattle fought back again in the third period. Jaden Schwartz’s tip-in off a pass from Shane Wright at 1:54 of the third cut the Ducks’ lead to 3-2, creating a tense final frame.
With less than two minutes remaining, Lambert pulled Grubauer for an extra attacker, but Mintyukov sealed the win for the Ducks with a long empty-net goal at 18:48. Anaheim held strong defensively, limiting Seattle’s opportunities to tie the game. The Ducks finished with a 30-22 shot advantage, securing their sixth consecutive victory.
Despite missing several of their key players—Frank Vatrano, Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, and Mason McTavish—the Ducks’ depth prevailed. Gauthier and Mintyukov each registered a goal and an assist, while goaltender Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for the win.
The Kraken, now 22-19-9, have dropped seven of their past nine games, including two overtime losses. Lambert admitted that his team must improve its starts and cut down on the number of short-handed goals allowed. “There’s a point in time where we have to figure this out,” he said. “We have to be a lot better.”
Looking ahead, Anaheim will continue its road trip with back-to-back games in Alberta, facing the Calgary Flames on Sunday and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. The Kraken will try to regroup as they host the New Jersey Devils, aiming to snap out of their recent slump.
