Jordan Eberle scored with 1:42 left in regulation to lift the Seattle Kraken to a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
Ryan Donato netted two goals, and Vince Dunn also scored for the Kraken, who secured back-to-back road wins for only the second time this season. Chris Driedger made 24 saves.
“We didn’t play our best against Arizona, so we needed to bounce back,” Eberle said, referring to their 5-2 loss to the Coyotes on Wednesday. “This was a big road win, and if we can get back to how we played before the break like we did tonight, the second half of the season could be different for us.”
Isac Lundestrom scored twice, and Rickard Rakell added a power-play goal for the Ducks, who saw their 4-0-2 run end in their first game back from the All-Star break. John Gibson made 23 saves, and Jamie Drysdale contributed two assists.
“I thought it was an evenly matched game,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “We executed well for the most part, but we had a lapse on that last goal, which cost us.”
Eberle’s game-winner came on a 2-on-1 rush with Riley Sheahan, as Eberle buried his 13th goal of the season. It snapped a 22-game goal drought, and Eberle’s relief was evident.
“This has been one of the longer slumps of my career, probably the longest,” Eberle said. “I’ve been in the league long, and slumps happen. Eventually, the puck finds the net, and they usually start coming in bunches. I want to keep creating chances.”
Eakins was critical of his team’s lapse, which allowed the Kraken to score the late goal, noting that all five skaters on the ice didn’t put in the necessary effort.
“This is a great reminder that every moment in a game is critical,” Eakins said. “We must stay sharp and never give up, especially in crucial moments.”
Lundestrom tied the game 2-2 at 5:34 of the second period, capitalizing on a turnover and redirecting a pass from Derek Grant past Driedger. Rakell then gave the Ducks a 3-2 lead three minutes later by tipping in Drysdale’s shot from the blue line.
Donato evened the score 3-3 with 6:25 left in the second period, firing a wrist shot from the high slot after a pass from Josh Mahura deflected off a referee and landed with Yanni Gourde.
The Kraken had taken an early 1-0 lead just two minutes into the game when Donato blasted a one-timer from Austin Czarnik, who was making his Seattle debut after being claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders.
Donato, who had only one goal in his previous 14 games, was relieved to find the net again.
“For me, I just try to stay levelheaded and focus on doing the little things right,” Donato said.
The Ducks quickly responded, tying the game 1-1 just 12 seconds later when Lundestrom scored into an open net off a backhand pass from Jakob Silfverberg. The goal marked Lundestrom’s first time reaching double digits in goals for a season.
Seattle regained the lead 2-1 when Dunn scored his sixth goal of the season with 5:19 left in the first period, finishing off a pass from Gourde.
Eakins acknowledged that the Ducks might have been slightly disadvantaged returning from the All-Star break while the Kraken had already played a game.
“After being off for that long, you’re crossing your fingers that the team is ready to go,” Eakins said. “They had the advantage of already having a game under their belt. I liked our effort, but not the result.”
NOTABLES
Ducks forward Nicolas Deslauriers and Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak engaged in a lengthy fight following Donato’s goal, with Deslauriers encouraging his teammates afterward. Lundestrom’s quick response seemed to energize the Ducks. … Trevor Zegras recorded an assist, bringing his total to 33 points in 43 games. He also exchanged slashes with Dunn in the third period, with Eakins supporting Zegras for standing up for himself. … Gourde had two assists. … Oleksiak returned after missing nine games due to a lower-body injury. … Ducks forward Sonny Milano returned after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. … Ducks center Sam Carrick missed the game for the birth of his second child.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: Host Toronto on Monday night.
- Ducks: Visit Calgary on Wednesday night.
