Eberle’s Late Goals Propel Kraken to Victory Over Ducks

The Seattle Kraken secured a crucial 3-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on December 18, 2023, thanks to a strong performance from forward Jordan Eberle. Eberle scored two goals in the third period, marking a significant turnaround for a team that has struggled recently. The win allowed the Kraken to break a challenging stretch, achieving back-to-back victories for the first time in a month.

Eberle’s first goal came during a critical moment of the game. With the score tied at 1-1, he capitalized on an odd-man rush at 10:04 of the third period. Matty Beniers set him up on the left wing, and Eberle expertly fired a shot over the shoulder of Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, finding the far upper corner of the net from just inside the faceoff dot. Eberle later sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:25, bringing his season total to 12 goals.

The Kraken opened the scoring early in the second period while on the power play. At 4:49, defenseman Ryker Evans launched a shot from the left point that deflected off a defenseman’s skate. The puck landed with Kaapo Kakko, who passed it across the crease to Freddy Gaudreau. Gaudreau capitalized on the opportunity, chipping the rebound over Dostal to put Seattle ahead.

The Ducks responded, tying the game at 1-1 with Mikael Granlund‘s goal at 15:40 of the second period. A shot from Jacob Trouba was redirected by Granlund past a screened Philipp Grubauer, who made a total of 38 saves in the match. Despite outshooting the Kraken 17-5 in the second period, Anaheim could not regain the lead.

This victory was particularly significant for the Kraken, who had only won three of their last 13 games (3-9-1) and were at the bottom of the Pacific Division standings prior to this matchup. In contrast, the Ducks, who are currently leading the division, dropped to a disappointing 1-4-1 in their last six games.

In terms of team dynamics, the Ducks were without their leading scorer, Leo Carlsson, who missed the game due to a lower-body injury. Granlund stepped up to center the top line in his absence. The Kraken also faced their challenges, as defenseman Vince Dunn left the game early in the third period due to an upper-body injury.

The game featured a series of notable moments, including a fall by linesperson Ryan Gibbons, who did not return after landing on his back late in the first period. The Kraken also announced earlier on Monday that defenseman Brandon Montour will be sidelined for approximately four weeks following surgery for a broken hand sustained during a fight on December 16 against Colorado.

As the Kraken look to build momentum from this victory, they will aim to carry this energy into their upcoming games. With Eberle leading the charge, the team has a renewed sense of hope as they strive to improve their standing in the Pacific Division.