On Friday, Jan. 23, the Seattle Kraken hosted the Anaheim Ducks for their third matchup of the 2025-26 season. The two prior games ended with the same result: the Kraken taking a 3-1 win.
In this game, the Ducks got off to an early scoring start, just 1:02 into the first period. They scored again in the first to take an early 2-0 lead. The Kraken managed to score early in the second, but a power-play goal from the Ducks regained their two-goal lead. Seattle attempted a third-period comeback, but the Ducks proved to be the better team, ultimately securing a 4-2 win.
McCann Kicked Kraken Scoring Off
Although the Kraken were in a two-goal hole after 20 minutes of regulation, they managed to get on the board early in the middle frame. While Jackson LaCombe tried to skate the puck out of the Kraken’s zone, he passed the puck straight to Matty Beniers, who brought it right back into Seattle’s zone off the turnover.
Beniers sent it to Jordan Eberle as he neared the faceoff circle, but he spotted Jared McCann skating through the center with speed. Eberle dropped it down to him, and McCann scored the first goal of the night for the Kraken.
After missing several games due to injury, McCann now has 22 points in 26 games. He is third overall on the team with 12 goals, thanks to his efforts in this game, which have propelled his total higher. Overall on the team’s points leaderboard, McCann sits in sixth place, just under Eeli Tolvanen with 29 points. He is only 11 points away from the player in the top spot, Beniers, who has played all 50 games with the Kraken this season; McCann has played half that time.
Since his return from injury, McCann has been a major part of the top six. He continues to elevate his game and find scoring chances, evident in his goal in this game.
Third Period Gave Kraken New Life
Just like in the second period, the Kraken scored early in the third. Kaapo Kakko received a pass from down the ice and passed it across the ice for Shane Wright. He spotted Jaden Schwartz in front of the net and dished a pass to him. Schwartz just poked the puck into the net to give the Kraken their second goal of the night.
Related: Kraken News & Rumors: Wright, Oleksiak, & More
This goal was a game-changer for the Kraken, as this was the first period where they outshot Anaheim, 11 to seven. They played stronger and tried to get as many scoring chances as they could in the final 20. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and the Ducks walked away with the victory.
Kraken Were Outplayed
As mentioned in the section above, the Kraken had their first period of decent hockey in the third. In the first and the second, they were sorely outplayed. They allowed their fourth shorthanded goal in just five games in the first period, and despite having one of the best power plays in the league, Seattle failed to capitalize on their two opportunities. By the end of the second, the Ducks had 24 shots on net while the Kraken only had 11.
When speaking to the media after the game, head coach Lane Lambert was asked about the Kraken’s performance. He held nothing back, stating, “Terrible, terrible hockey game for our team. Terrible first 40 minutes, you know we had a push at the end, but I don’t have a logical explanation for any illogical event. That was the worst 40 minutes we played all year.”
A large part of why the Kraken even stayed in the game was thanks to goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who posted a .900 save percentage (SV%) thanks to stopping 27 of 30 shots. Unfortunately, the goaltender is always the one who gets thrown into the fire, since he is the last line of defense. If the team doesn’t find any scoring chances, they can’t win games.
Kraken’s Homestand Continues
The Kraken will stay in Seattle and host the New Jersey Devils at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 12 PM PT. This will conclude the season series between the Devils and the Kraken.
The season series between the Ducks and the Kraken will conclude in Anaheim on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
