Kraken Fall Flat Early Again, Can’t Catch Ducks in 4-2 Loss
For the second straight game, the Seattle Kraken were playing from behind before most fans had even found their seats. A sluggish start at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night saw the Anaheim Ducks strike just 62 seconds into the contest, and despite a late push, Seattle couldn’t dig out of the early hole, falling 4-2 to a red-hot Ducks squad riding a six-game win streak.
Let’s be real: the Kraken have had a bad habit of slow starts lately, and this one was textbook. Cutter Gauthier’s opening-minute goal made it two games in a row where Seattle gave up a goal on the first shot.
And as if that wasn’t enough, they coughed up a shorthanded goal later in the period - the fourth in their last five games. That’s not just a trend; it’s a problem.
Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz found the back of the net for Seattle, and Philipp Grubauer - wearing the now-infamous third jerseys - was one of the few bright spots. He turned away 27 shots and even denied a penalty shot, keeping the score from spiraling further out of control.
But make no mistake: Anaheim looked faster, sharper, and hungrier. The Kraken have now dropped seven of their last nine (2-5-2), and this one felt worse than most. Defenseman Brandon Montour didn’t sugarcoat it: “They wanted it more.”
First Period: Another Early Gut Punch
You can understand why head coach Dave Hakstol went back to Philipp Grubauer between the pipes after his strong performance in a 4-1 win over the Islanders. Coming into the night, Grubauer ranked second among goalies with 16+ starts in save percentage (.919), and his 2.45 goals-against average was sixth-best in the league.
But even a hot goalie can’t do it all alone - especially when the defense is caught flat-footed right out of the gate. Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier turned on the jets, blew past Vince Dunn, and beat Grubauer clean for his 23rd of the season just 1:02 in.
Seattle barely tested Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal in the opening frame. After Matty Beniers forced a strong save just 27 seconds in, the Kraken didn’t register another quality look for over 11 minutes.
Meanwhile, Anaheim kept the pressure on, and when Alex Killorn went off for hooking, Seattle’s power play turned into a disaster. Ryan Poehling turned a kill into a highlight-reel shorthanded goal, blowing past Dunn and fooling Grubauer at 15:24 to make it 2-0.
That made it four shorthanded goals allowed in the last five games - a stat that’s starting to define this team’s struggles.
By the end of the period, Anaheim had outshot Seattle 12-3. That’s not a typo.
Second Period: Flashes of Life, but More Mistakes
The Kraken came out with a little more jump in the second and quickly matched their first-period shot total. Jared McCann got them on the board at 1:55, finding soft ice in the slot and ripping home his 12th of the year after a Ducks turnover. It was a sniper’s goal, pure and simple.
But just as the momentum started to shift, Seattle shot themselves in the foot again. Ryker Evans flipped the puck over the glass, putting the Ducks on the power play. Grubauer did his best - stopping Jackson LaCombe and Gauthier in rapid succession - but Chris Kreider buried the third chance to restore Anaheim’s two-goal cushion.
Then came a sequence that perfectly summed up the night: another Kraken turnover led to a breakaway for Jansen Harkins, and Ryan Lindgren had no choice but to haul him down. The result?
A penalty shot. But Grubauer stood tall, poke-checking Harkins before he could even finish his move.
It was the kind of play that deserved better support.
Instead, more sloppy play followed. Montour took a cross-checking penalty in the neutral zone, and a brutal line change left Seattle scrambling to defend a 4-on-2 break. Somehow, the Ducks didn’t capitalize, but the Kraken looked completely out of sync.
After 40 minutes, the shot count told the story: Anaheim 24, Seattle 11.
Third Period: Late Push, But Too Little Too Late
Despite missing key players like Mason McTavish, Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, and Frank Vatrano, Anaheim didn’t miss a beat. But the Kraken weren’t done yet.
Just under two minutes into the third, Shane Wright threaded a slick pass through traffic, and Jaden Schwartz lunged to tip it home for his 9th of the season. It was a gritty goal that cut the deficit to 3-2 and gave the home crowd something to believe in.
And for a few minutes, it looked like the comeback might actually happen.
Chandler Stephenson nearly tied it on a semi-breakaway, but the puck wouldn’t cooperate. Adam Larsson clanged one off the crossbar.
Berkly Catton and Eeli Tolvanen each tested Dostal with rockets. Even Montour and Dunn got in on the action.
The Kraken were finally playing with urgency - fast, physical, and desperate.
But it wasn’t enough.
With Grubauer pulled for the extra attacker, Matty Beniers batted a deflected puck on net, forcing a tough save from Dostal. That was Seattle’s last real chance. Moments later, Pavel Mintyukov banked a clearing attempt off the side boards in his own zone - and it rolled the length of the ice into the empty net.
Ballgame.
What’s Next
Seattle’s now halfway through a six-game homestand, and they’ll need to regroup quickly. The next test comes Sunday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils - a game that’s been pushed back to noon to accommodate the Seahawks-Rams NFC Championship clash at Lumen Field.
The Kraken have shown they can compete when they play with pace and structure. But until they figure out how to start on time - and stop giving away goals on the man advantage - they’ll keep finding themselves in uphill battles. And in the NHL, that’s a tough way to live.