“It was a really good start, a detailed game, an honest game and a defense-first game,” Kreider said. “We were on our heels a little bit too much at the end there, but we found a way.”
The Ducks improved to 17-0-0 when leading after the second period and are 11-0-0 when scoring first at home.
The win also moved Anaheim back into playoff contention as the team is tied with Seattle in points (61) for third in the division. Both teams are just three points behind Vegas for first place.
While that may make the stakes of tonight’s game pretty high, Quenneville knows the Pacific Division is going to be tight all the way to April.
“Everybody’s probably thinking the same way, that we all have chances,” Quenneville said. “Everybody’s probably thinking that if you put three or four games together, you can move by a number of teams. But don’t think you’re gonna be there long and just rest on your laurels. It’s going to be a test for everybody right until the end.”
The Kraken are on a four-game winning streak and are undefeated (20-0-0) in games where they take a multi-goal lead.
This is the final regular season matchup between these two teams. The Ducks took the most recent game, beating the Kraken 4-2 on Jan. 23, and if they win tonight, they will split the series with Seattle.