Troy Terry extended his NHL-leading scoring streak to 13 games, contributing two goals and an assist as the Anaheim Ducks triumphed over the Seattle Kraken 7-4 on Thursday night.
Josh Mahura also scored twice, helping the Ducks secure their sixth consecutive win in their first game since general manager Bob Murray’s resignation on Wednesday amid an investigation into his conduct. Anaheim has earned points in eight straight games.
“For many of us, playing hockey is a way to escape from everything else happening in life,” said veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. “It’s a situation we didn’t expect or prepare for, but we know our job is to go out there and play.”
John Gibson made 21 saves for his fifth straight victory, and 18-year-old rookie Mason McTavish scored his second career goal.
Terry extended the Ducks’ lead to 2-0 at 3:10 of the second period, then assisted on Shattenkirk’s goal, making it 4-2 late. Hampus Lindholm added the eventual game-winner midway through the third period, and Mahura sealed the game with an empty-netter for his second goal.
Seattle’s Jordan Eberle narrowed the gap to 4-3 early in the third period with his eighth goal in eight games. Jared McCann then made it 5-4 with his second goal of the night after Lindholm’s tally, but Mahura and Terry scored in the final 2 1/2 minutes to put the game out of reach. Jaden Schwartz also scored for the Kraken, while Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves.
Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins acknowledged the game was nerve-wracking, joking that it could give a coach “gray hair — you get a budget line for hair coloring.”
Nevertheless, the Ducks haven’t lost in regulation since Oct. 26, when they fell 4-3 to the Winnipeg Jets.
“I think we’re learning good lessons,” Eakins said. “But the difference now is that if we get into a game like that, we find a way to win. We’re winning in many different ways right now, and that’s really important.”
The Kraken, on the other hand, suffered their third straight loss and had hoped for a better start to their six-game homestand. Seattle was outshot 14-4 in the first period and struggled to find their rhythm well into the second.
“At the end of the day, we didn’t win very many races or puck battles in the first 25 to 30 minutes of the game,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “When you fall behind like that, it’s hard to dig out.”
TERRY’S STREAK
Terry is on a career-high 13-game point streak with 11 goals and eight assists during that span. It’s the longest streak by a Ducks player since Ryan Getzlaf had a 14-game streak in 2013. Only three Anaheim players have had longer streaks: Corey Perry (19 games), Teemu Selanne (17 games), and Getzlaf.
INJURED DUCK
C Isac Lundestrom left the game after being checked into the boards by D Jeremy Lauzon in the first period and did not return. Lauzon received a double minor for the hit and later fought Josh Manson at center ice. The team announced that Lundestrom sustained an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT
- Ducks: Host Vancouver on Sunday.
- Kraken: Host Minnesota on Saturday night.
