But there were some danger signs as the team skated off the usual 18 minutes of rest of recovery. One was an unfamiliar sight as Kraken goalie Joey Daccord appeared to make a standard save on a mid-range shot by Anaheim forward Brett Leason. But Daccord couldn’t find and/or hold out the partially smothered puck, giving the Ducks that early 2-0 advantage.
Though Seattle outshot the visitors, 15 to 13, in the opening 20 minutes, veteran John Gibson was standing up to a flurry of attempts, including six Grade-A scoring chances. The 31-year-old goaltender was playing in just his fifth game of the year but looked in midseason form and proved the major difference here in a 5-2 loss. Gibson finished with 42 saves, including a vital breakaway stop on Yanni Gourde's early third period during a Kraken penalty kill that would have made matters a one-goal game.
Oh, and just a bit later in the final 20 minutes, Matty Beniers looked to have that third goal that would give hope of a fourth score and maybe overtime. But Gibson made that huge save, too. One trend all night: Ducks defenders were clearing any rebounds quickly and routinely. To add some salt to the wound of an outcome, Anaheim scored later third period to make it 5-2.
Gibson missed the first five weeks of the season due to an emergency appendectomy. Since his return on Nov. 10, he now has four wins and an overtime loss to backstop his teammates to nine of a possible ten standings points.
Come to think of it: The veteran goalie thing is familiar, too. The only loss on the recent six-game homestand was at the hands of a shutout by New York Rangers backup goalie and two-time Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Quick.
Kraken Tie It, Ducks Respond
The Thanksgiving Eve crowned cranked up the decibels nine minutes into the second period when rookie Shane Wright sent a tape-to-tape textbook centering pass from the right corner, finding linemate Oliver Bjorkstrand in the high slot for the quick release and score. The game was tied at two goals apiece, and a holiday spirit in the crowd revved up. It marked Bjorkstrand’s fifth goal of the year and Wright’s third point (a goal, two assists) in his first two games from a three-game stretch of healthy scratches to reset his timing and reconstitute the puck-finding, aggressive and confident style of play he displayed earlier in the season.
Trouble is, Anaheim bounced right back with a response goal just 64 seconds after Bjorkstrand tied it. The visitors registered just five shots on goal over the first 18 minutes of the second period, though several were Grade-A quality.
But with Matty Beniers in the penalty box for high sticking, Daccord was forced to make several stops on a flurry of close-in shots, looking to keep the game within one-goal striking distance. But there was one shot on goal too many, this one with heavy traffic at the crease. Anaheim’s 20-year-old Cutter Gauthier zipped the puck just inside the right goal post to beat Daccord with 38 seconds left in the second frame. Gauthier, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft who came over in a trade with Philadelphia that sent young defenseman Jamie Drysdale (No. 6 overall, 2020 Draft) to the Flyers.
Stats and Thoughts about Records, Special Teams
Some stats that will be mulled by the Kraken coaches and fans alike: The team is 11-11-1, and the Ducks go back to NHL .500 at 9-9-3. The Kraken power play is now 0-for-20 on the power play with the last power play goal back on Nov. 14 at home against Chicago.
“The power play and penalty kill were [both] a factor,” said Bylsma. “We had an opportunity with power plays early on and didn't get the goal. They get the one opportunity, and they get the goal to make it 4-2 [in the final minute of the second period]. I think we were able to regroup [at second intermission] and come out with a strong third throwing it at them, but it wasn’t enough.”
