Kraken top Kings, head into Christmas break on three-game win streak

Kate Shefte, The Seattle Times on Dec 24, 2025

Published in Hockey

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Kevin Fiala very nearly completed a three-goal comeback for the Los Angeles Kings, but hit the crossbar above sprawled Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord in the final minute and sent relieved Seattle into the league Christmas break on a three-game win streak.

The Kraken won 3-2 in L.A. and finished a four-game road trip 3-1, with a winning record once more (15-14-6). After falling to last in the league during a swoon that lasted four weeks, they’re four points out of a wild-card spot in the bunched Western Conference.

They also put a head-scratcher of a record to bed. Seattle hadn’t won the second game of a back-to-back in 17 attempts, dating to March 5, 2024, when Dave Hakstol was the head coach.

The Kraken managed it without both of their top offensive defensemen Monday night as Vince Dunn missed the game with an upper-body injury. He angrily left the previous night’s game, a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, after absorbing a hard hit from forward Ross Johnston. On Tuesday, Johnston was fined $2,864.58, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, but not for the Dunn hit — for roughing Kraken forward Tye Kartye later in the third period.

Cale Fleury replaced him in the lineup. Fleury had been a healthy scratch since Oct. 23, a span of 26 games.

There was good news, however, as teenaged forward Berkly Catton returned after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. Catton is still waiting for his first NHL goal, 22 games in, after his tip attempt on the Kings’ doorstep went awry in the first period.

Jacob Melanson tried to beat Catton to it, scoring his own first NHL goal in six career Kraken games, but he hit the goalpost.

Kings goaltender Pheonix Copley managed to keep the game scoreless for L.A. until his teammates left Kraken captain Jordan Eberle unchecked, perched right next to the net early in the second period. Eberle scored his third goal in two nights, including the game-winner and the empty-net goal in Anaheim.

Freddy Gaudreau scored his second in two nights and extended his point streak to four games (two goals, two assists) on a fluky second goal, off Copley’s glove and in. It hit the mitt and dropped straight down, bouncing underneath Copley before he could react.

The Kraken’s fourth line stirred the pot Monday and served up the third goal Tuesday. Jamie Oleksiak snuffed out a scoring chance in Seattle’s end and sent Ben Meyers and Gaudreau off on a 2-on-1. Meyers held onto the puck and banked it off Copley and in for his second goal in a Kraken jersey.

Just 11 seconds later, Fiala made it 3-1. The Kings had some extra juice after that but didn’t cut into the lead again until midway through the third period, when Daccord was cheating too far over on a wraparound chance and couldn’t get over in time to stop L.A.’s Andrei Kuzmenko.

Alex Laferriere cut into the Kings’ comeback bid with a faceoff violation, which earned him a delay-of-game penalty with less than seven minutes left in regulation. Matty Beniers took a turn in the penalty box and made it a 4-on-4, but the Kings had lost their rhythm.

Los Angeles pelted Daccord (35 saves) in the final minute and Fiala had him beat with 17 seconds left, but just missed.

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