The Seattle Kraken continued reconstructing some positive feelings in their locker room Monday with a 3-1 win over the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, frustrating them into submission with stellar goaltending and opportunistic scoring.
Jordan Eberle scored twice, Freddy Gaudreau scored once, and Philipp Grubauer was outstanding to help Seattle to its second straight win on the heels of a miserable 1-9-1 run.
Coach Lane Lambert credited the fourth line of Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson for helping turn the tide of a game that was often dominated by Anaheim but remained anybody’s contest until very late.
“They turned it around for us in the third period,” Lambert said. “A couple of great shifts, a couple of big hits, got us emotionally involved. And I thought that between them and Philipp Grubauer, it’s probably the main reason why we won the game.”
So that was nice… but… the Kraken’s already long injured list apparently added yet another member on Monday.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Takeaway #1: What a game for Grubi
It’s no coincidence that in these two straight wins over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and the Ducks on Monday, the Kraken have gotten stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord and Grubauer.
The German Gentleman was razor sharp against Anaheim, making the saves he was supposed to make while also coming up with some acrobatic stops that he had no business making. Lambert called Grubauer Seattle’s “best player” in the game.
In all, Grubauer stopped 39 of 40 shots, his highest total of the season.
“I mean, it’s not ideal [having that many shots,” Grubauer said. “Like in the second period, I don’t think we got too much going. And we sat back a little bit, so we definitely learned from that. But we stick together. Kartsy, obviously, huge hit, guys stepping up for each other, that’s huge, and we found a way to play it the right way in the last period there.”
Considering back-to-backs have been a massive challenge for this club over the last season and a half, getting a performance like this from Grubauer in the first of two games in two nights—with Joey ready to back the boys when they’re on tired legs Tuesday in Los Angeles—sets the team up for (potential) success.
Takeaway #2: A big night for Eberle
While the Kraken got caved in on most statistical metrics in this game, they won a classic bend-don’t-break type of contest. Freddy Gaudreau broke the ice at 4:49 of the second period with a power-play goal after Chandler Stephenson drove to the net and drew a penalty. With the puck pinballing around Lukas Dostal, Kaapo Kakko and Shane Wright both took whacks at it before it landed on Gaudreau’s stick, and he lofted it past the prone Ducks netminder for his second goal of the season.
After Mikael Granlund tied the game 1-1 at 15:40 of the second, captain Jordan Eberle took it from there.
Midway through the third period, Eberle struck for his first of two goals. Off a quickly developing 3-on-2 rush with his recently tweaked line alongside Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko, Kakko sent a rushed, fluttering chip pass to Beniers. Beniers made a spectacular play to bat it down and somehow corral it in time to slide it over to Eberle. Eberle delayed and got Dostal to drop down, then sniped it over his shoulder against the grain.
O, CAPTAIN! 🫡 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 23, 2025
Off a rush with Beniers, Jordan Eberle goes top corner and gives the #SeaKraken a 2-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/gkoPq4us6J
Eberle followed that up with an empty-netter at 19:24 of the third to seal the win.
Takeaway #3: Vince Dunn injured?
It is bonkers how many injuries this team has had this season. What started with injuries to key players like Stephenson, Kakko, and Ryker Evans in training camp has slowly evolved throughout the season, with important pieces going into and out of the lineup like there’s a revolving door into the injured ward.
It was announced Monday morning that one of Seattle’s top two offensive defensemen, Brandon Montour, would miss four weeks after hand surgery stemming from his fight in defense of the now-traded Mason Marchment. Montour joined McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray on the shelf.
But would you believe me if I told you that Vince Dunn—Seattle’s other top offensive defenseman—may now be injured as well? He got blindsided in the second period and appeared to run face-first into Ross Johnston’s shoulder pad. After standing on the ice for a moment at the stoppage, Dunn flipped his lid. He kicked the door, broke his stick on the dasher, nearly took off the heads of Joey Daccord, equipment manager James Stuckey, and a random security guard, then threw a bag down the hallway and finally exited the game.
Vince Dunn left the game after this and did not return.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) December 23, 2025
All-time meltdown from him before heading down the tunnel.
Add him to the injury list that already includes Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray. Crazy. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/BXV31SWq6p
We wondered recently how the Kraken could survive without Montour. How can they survive without Dunn or Montour?
Bonus Takeaway: The Kraken are 2-0-0 since Mason Marchment was traded
Since the hockey world is abuzz with Marchment’s hot start with the Columbus Blue Jackets—three goals in his first two games since the trade—we’ll simply note that Seattle has won both of its games since the deal.
One side benefit has been Kakko elevating onto the top line. Kakko had been working well with Shane Wright and Jani Nyman, but he looks even better alongside Beniers and Eberle.
“[Kaapo is] working, he makes plays, he holds onto pucks,” Lambert said. “It’s a good spot for him. I hadn’t seen him in that spot prior to a couple games ago, and it’s been a good change for him to get up there and those guys to have him there.”





Go Kraken!!!
I hope that Dunn is alright, both physically and mentally. Yeah, getting injured on a dirty hit and then not getting so much as a minor penalty called is disgraceful, but he needs to be able to come down from that. The team needs him. He is too important.
Speaking of injuries, I don’t know what they are going to do with Matt Murray when he gets back. Grubauer has been nothing short of phenomenal this year, in my less-than-expert opinion the best goalie on the team even with Daccord playing well. I am going out on a limb and saying that nobody is going to be talking about buy-outs this off-season. This is the elite netminding we were hoping to get with Grubauer and Driedger in 2021.
My goodness, this win feels good. Not only did Gru ball out. Not only did the team take down the first placed team in the division. Most importantly, when punks started throwing cheap shots, the Kraken hit back harder. After these four and a half years, that feels like a tremendous relief. It was a statement win, and I hope that they feel the appropriate pride in it.
This calm, steady, staying-between-the-pipes version of Gru is far superior to the overreactive-all-over-the-place Gru that frustrated everyone. Keep it going Gru, it’s great to see.
Not sure if you can call it a statement win. Leo Carlsson-less Ducks look like a bottom 10 team (very reminiscent of the Kraken in fact) instead of a top 10ish team. If the Kraken had Leo as 1C they would easily be a playoff team, with how “competitive” the league is currently.