Zegras gets another lacrosse goal, but Kraken beat Ducks – Orange County Register

ANAHEIM –– There was plenty to like and a couple moments to love –– like the return of Trevor Zegras and his lacrosse-style goal in the third period –– but the Ducks stumbled once more, 3-2, to the Seattle Kraken at Honda Center, where the Ducks lost their 15th game in 18 opportunities.

Frank Vatrano scored on the power play and Zegras added a “Michigan” goal late. Lukáš Dostál negated 19 of 22 shots. Natural Stat Trick had the Ducks on the right side of most possession metrics, but that did little for them on the scoreboard.

Vince Dunn notched a goal and two assists. Recently acquired Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist. Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied on the power play. Matty Beniers contributed two assists. Joey Daccord stayed hot with 32 saves after matching his own franchise record with 42 stops in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

The Ducks’ roster continued to have a John Wayne Airport feel, with fresh arrivals and departures.

Last season’s team-leading scorer Zegras came back to the lineup after a 20-game absence. The Ducks also got relatively good news about 2023 lottery pick Leo Carlsson, who will miss four to six weeks with a right knee injury that was evaluated extensively since he sustained it on Thursday. Another rookie, Tristan Luneau, will not participate in the upcoming World Junior Championships (illness) for Team Canada, though that could actually hasten his return to the Ducks, for whom he’s posted three points in seven games this season. Veteran defenseman Radko Gudas (lower-body) sustained an injury on Thursday that kept him out of action on Saturday and would be re-evaluated after the holiday break ends on Wednesday.

Zegras proclaimed his return loudly with 5:59 remaining in the match when he delivered one of his signature lacrosse style goals, placing the puck on his blade and lifting up both for a backhanded, top-shelf wraparound. It was his second goal of a season that had been hindered heavily by his injury.

The Ducks entered the final frame with a double-digit advantage in shots on goal and a significant edge in the faceoff circle but a one-goal deficit that doubled with 11:35 to play.

In the second period, winger Jakob Silfverberg first lost Jordan Eberle during a zone entry, forcing Dostál to make a lunging pad save. On the same shift, Silfverberg took a high stick to the face from Brandon Tanev. The gash on his cheek gave the Ducks four minutes of power-play time, during which they cashed in once, halving their deficit 6:18 into the second stanza. A scrambled offensive-zone faceoff led to the puck squirting back to Vatrano. He used the loose puck as a pass for a one-timer, hammering a slap shot past Daccord from above and between the circles.

Alex Killorn had a near miss when his backhand bid at an open net careened diagonally through the goal crease with around six minutes to play in the period. Mason McTavish’s backhand was only marginally warmer when he had it stuffed by Daccord on a partial breakaway inside the four-minute mark.

The Ducks had fallen down by a pair of goals in a first period that saw them out-shoot Seattle and generate a breakaway but lag behind in terms of not only the score but the quality of their scoring chances.

Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe was the lone defender against a two-on-one rush that culminated in Matty Beniers lofting a saucer pass over LaCombe and to Dunn for an uncontested tap-in with 3:36 left in the period.

Earlier in the frame, Brett Leason’s shorthanded breakaway fell by the wayside and the Ducks surrendered a power-play goal very soon after. An awkward exchange on the left side allowed Bjorkstrand to sneak down from the right point to just above the right faceoff dot where he received a pass, settled the puck and snapped a shot past Dostál with 6:34 showing on the clock.