ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Vince Dunn had a goal and two assists, Tomas Tatar scored his second goal since joining Seattle last week, and the Kraken overcame a late lacrosse-style goal scored by Trevor Zegras for a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.
Oliver Bjorkstrand also scored and Joey Daccord made 32 saves for the Kraken, who have earned points in six straight games, including three consecutive road games. Tatar added an assist in his second multi-point performance in his first four games with the team, and Matty Beniers had two assists.
Zegras scored another one of his signature lacrosse-style — or “Michigan” — goals with 5:59 left in the third period of his return from a 20-game injury absence. The Anaheim center skated behind the net and picked up the puck with his stick blade before flinging it over Daccord’s shoulder from the extended goal line.
Frank Vatrano scored his 15th goal and Lukas Dostal stopped 19 shots for the Ducks, who have lost 15 of 18. Anaheim improved greatly on what coach Greg Cronin described as its worst game of the season in Thursday’s shutout loss to Calgary, but still dropped to 0-2-0 to begin an eight-game homestand.
Dunn became the first player to record 100 assists with the Kraken when he set up Bjorkstrand in the first period for his 11th goal of the season. Dunn added his own goal three minutes later, putting a pass from Beniers into an open net.
The Ducks’ goal drought stretched past 124 minutes before Vatrano finally ended it on a power play early in the second period with a hard shot from the top of the slot.
After a prolific start to the season with 14 goals in 23 games, Vatrano hadn’t scored a goal in December. He hadn’t recorded a point in his previous eight games at all, yet still remained the struggling Ducks’ top scorer.
Seattle then got another boost from Tatar, the veteran forward acquired from Colorado for a fifth-round pick last week. Tatar scored with 11:35 left in the third period, beating Dostal with a backhand for his second goal in Seattle’s last three games.
In just four games with the Kraken, Tatar has already surpassed his goal total in 27 games with the Avalanche this season.
Zegras was off to a slow offensive start before his injury, but he took the top-line center role previously occupied by rookie center Leo Carlsson, who sprained a ligament in his right knee Thursday against Calgary. The No. 2 overall pick had eight goals and seven assists in his first 23 NHL games, but he will be sidelined for four to six weeks.
Anaheim also played without veteran defenseman Radko Gudas, who was ruled out with a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Kraken: At Calgary on Wednesday.
Ducks: Host Vegas on Wednesday.
