The Anaheim Ducks are set to face the Seattle Kraken at home in a division matchup before the holiday break. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on Victory+ and KCOP-13. The Ducks plan to distribute a Nutquacker bobblehead to the first 10,000 fans attending.
Anaheim comes into the game after a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, which put them back at the top of the Pacific Division standings. Head coach Joel Quenneville commented on his team’s performance following their previous loss: “It was a great response,” Quenneville said. “The start was the response we were hoping, and it put us in a really good spot. … It was an important win in a lot of ways. We were asking for a response, and we got it.”
Pavol Mintyukov scored the decisive goal late in the third period, marking the fourth time this season that Anaheim has secured a go-ahead goal within the final five minutes of regulation play—a league-leading statistic for such moments. Mintyukov said, “That’s what we needed. Just a strong game,” adding, “After that loss, that’s what we needed. Everything (went better). (Against the Stars), we were not ready. Today we were more prepared.”
Seattle currently sits at the bottom of the Pacific Division with two wins in their last six games, most recently defeating San Jose on Saturday. Chandler Stephenson leads Seattle with 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists), while Jordan Eberle follows closely with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists).
The last meeting between these teams occurred during Anaheim’s season opener in October when Seattle won 3-1. Reflecting on that matchup, Quenneville said: “We certainly liked the first start of that game,” Quenneville said. “I thought the last half, we lost what we started with. I think they check well and that’s the kind of game they’re looking to play here tonight. But after that, we got going and had some success finishing.”
Quenneville also noted satisfaction with his team’s offensive output but emphasized defensive discipline against Seattle: he said it’s key to “be respectful” for the Kraken’s offense as defensively, his group will need to match their patience.
Ducks forward Troy Terry discussed facing Seattle: “I know they’re a good team,” Terry said. “They’ve got some really good forwards. They got a good D-corps and they play hard. So it’s a team that if we don’t show up with a workman’s like mentality, they can kind of run you out of the building.”
Quenneville announced earlier today that Leo Carlsson will miss tonight’s game due to a lower body injury but is expected to return after the holiday break. Lukas Dostal will start as goaltender for Anaheim.
