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Tye Kartye, Seattle Kraken (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

3 Takeaways From Kraken’s 4-2 Loss to Ducks

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jess Amato | Last updated Feb 4, 2026 10:25 AM ET

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Seattle Kraken faced the Anaheim Ducks for their final matchup of the season. Heading into the game, the Kraken had a lead in the season series after beating Anaheim in their first two games of the season. The Ducks got one back with a 4-2 win on Jan. 23.

In this game, there was still no scoring change after the first 20 minutes. The Ducks managed to get two goals on the board in the second and two more in the third. While it looked like it was about to be a blowout shutout win for the Ducks, the Kraken made a late-game comeback and scored two goals. It wasn’t enough, though, and the Ducks left with another 4-2 win. Ironically, both of Seattle’s wins were from a 3-1 final score. The season series now ends tied, with each team earning two wins.

Late Game Comeback Tried to Save Kraken

There were five minutes left in the game, and the Kraken were down by four goals. It looked like they were about to be shut out, but the team had other plans.

At 15:31, Jared McCann ripped a shot from the blue line, and Jordan Eberle was in front of the net to redirect the puck in. Only four minutes remained, and the Kraken were finally on the board.

Two and a half minutes remained, and Lukas Dostal tried to clear the puck from behind the Ducks’ net and send it to one of his teammates. Instead, he turned it over to Tye Kartye’s skate. He gained control of the puck and put it on his stick. Kartye ripped a shot, which flew right past the Ducks’ goaltender to cut Anaheim’s lead in half. This was only Kartye’s third goal of the season.

The Kraken’s efforts in the last four and a half minutes were strong, but it wasn’t enough to even the score. Seattle needed to play a full 60-minute game, not just the last few minutes of play.

Kraken Were Outplayed

Even before the Kraken’s performance in the final few minutes, there is no denying that the team was outplayed from the beginning. The first period was at least even with no change in score, but the Ducks outshot the Kraken 11-7, showing they had stronger puck control and more offensive zone time.

By the second period, the Ducks only outshot the Kraken by one, 11-10, but Anaheim was rewarded with two goals.

The third period was when Seattle finally woke up and outshot the Ducks 11-9, but as mentioned above, it was not enough of a team effort to take down Anaheim for the third time this season.

Melanson Gave the Kraken Some Life

Jacob Melanson has been a driving force on the Kraken since he was recalled from the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for the second time this season. As the second period came to a close, he got in a fight with Jacob Trouba. This incident resulted in Melanson receiving a two-minute roughing penalty, as well as a ten-minute game misconduct.

Melanson only spent 8:14 on the ice due to his misconduct, but his spirited fight with the Ducks reignited part of the fire in the Kraken. This gave them a chance to come out swinging, and they did exactly that in the third. Melanson might not have put his name on the scoresheet, but he did his best to keep his team in high spirits and gave the Kraken the fire they needed.

Second Half of a Back-to-Back Before Olympic Break

The Kraken will continue their road trip through California and face the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, Feb. 4. This game will be their final one before the Olympic break.