On a night where new faces contributed significantly for the Anaheim Ducks, familiar stars sealed the victory when it counted.
Troy Terry netted his second goal just 55 seconds into overtime. John Gibson made 44 saves, assisting on Terry’s game-winner, as the Ducks overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 in both teams’ season opener on Wednesday night.
“It was fun to share that moment with him,” said Terry, who led the Ducks in goals and points last season. “I told (Gibson) before OT, ‘You stop them, and I’ll score.’ He did his part, and I did mine.”
Gibson thwarted a shot from Adam Larsson before sending a breakout pass to Terry. Terry maneuvered past Andre Burakovsky and fired a backhander past Philipp Grubauer for his third career overtime goal.
Terry scored 51 seconds into the game with a wrist shot, marking the second-fastest goal in a Ducks season opener.
“He had a solid game, especially with that strong play at the end,” said Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins.
Gibson’s performance marked the 11th time in his career that he made at least 44 saves in a game, his career-high being 52.
“Despite a rough start, we played a solid third period and found a way to win,” Gibson said.
Anaheim’s newcomers also shone, with Ryan Strome tallying a goal and two assists, Frank Vatrano scoring, and John Klingberg adding two assists. Trevor Zegras contributed a goal and an assist, while Mason McTavish recorded two assists.
McTavish, the third overall pick in 2021, became the third player in NHL history to score multiple points in his first two season openers at ages 18 and 19.
The Ducks have won seven consecutive home openers, trailing only Tampa Bay for the longest active streak.
Matty Beniers scored a goal and an assist for the Kraken, who lost their opener in the second consecutive year. This was Beniers’ first multi-point game in the NHL.
Jared McCann, Burakovsky, and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored power-play goals for Seattle, while Justin Schultz added two assists. Grubauer made 22 saves.
“We’re happy with the point but disappointed we couldn’t lock it down with a 4-2 lead,” said Kraken coach Dave Hakstol.
Beniers assisted McCann’s power-play goal to tie the game in the first period and scored himself early in the third to give Seattle a 4-2 lead.
“We played well for most of the game, but couldn’t handle their late push,” Beniers said.
Vatrano’s wrist shot and Zegras’ slap shot in the third period tied the game, setting up Terry’s overtime heroics.
Seattle’s three power-play goals helped them build a 3-1 lead by the middle of the second period. Strome’s power-play goal late in the second brought Anaheim within one.
UP NEXT
Kraken: Visit the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
Ducks: Start a five-game road trip against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
