Kraken edge Ducks to extend points streak to season-best six games

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Everywhere other than Seattle, Saturday’s takeaway will be Trevor Zegras’ ‘Michigan goal’ – swinging the puck into the top corner of the net cradled on one’s stick blade, lacrosse-style.

But it came in the third period of a losing effort for the Anaheim Ducks. Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 32 saves, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Vince Dunn and Tomas Tatar scored and the Kraken beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 at Honda Center.

Daccord kept a handle on a sloppy start and gave the Kraken a chance to extend their point streak to a season-best six games. Seattle has gone 4-0-2 since an eight-game winless streak.

Tatar scored his second goal in four games since he arrived from Colorado, swapped for a fifth-round draft pick. He’s been playing on the top line with Matty Beniers (two assists).

Toward the middle of the first period, the Ducks had everything going for them except help from Daccord. The Kraken’s one-time backup goaltender, who made his seventh straight start with Philipp Grubauer on injured reserve, stopped Anaheim’s Jackson LaCombe after teammate Troy Terry threaded a pass through the crease and Kraken defender Jamie Oleksiak’s legs. He blocked Ross Johnston creeping in alone and Max Jones after a bad bounce behind the net. He slid over to deny Mason McTavish, and last but not least, didn’t bite on a short-handed breakaway attempt.

But an ill-timed McTavish penalty – he interfered with Jared McCann, who returned after missing one game with a lower-body injury – derailed the Ducks. Bjorkstrand scored on a snap shot from the right faceoff circle during the power play.

McTavish had a chance to wipe his slate clean on a breakaway late in the second period, but again Daccord made the stop.

On a clean passing play, Tatar brought the puck in for Beniers, who hit waiting defenseman Dunn (one goal, two assists), who dumped the puck into a mostly open net to make it 2-0 Kraken.

Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal sprawled out to deny Jordan Eberle, who came in alone with time, but not enough to lift the puck over the netminder’s foot.

There was an about-face near the Kraken bench, and both players left in pain. Seattle’s Brandon Tanev, however, was the one left smarting and punished. The puck hit a turning Tanev in the face while almost simultaneously, his stick blade swung up and bloodied Anaheim winger Jakob Silfverberg’s cheek. Tanev picked up a double minor for high-sticking, which he served himself.

Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano scored with 12 seconds remaining in the first penalty to halve Seattle’s two-goal lead. It was the first goal the Kraken penalty kill gave up during a three-game road trip. The unit killed off the second.

Zegras made his return after missing 20 games with a lower-body injury and electrified the crowd in the third period, but the Ducks fell one goal short.