McTavish stays hot, Ducks hold off Kraken for 3rd win in row

SEATTLE -- Mason McTavish had two points for the third straight game, and the Anaheim Ducks held on for a 6-4 win against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday.

McTavish had a goal and an assist, giving him six goals and an assist on a four-game goal streak.

“It’s just kind of going in for me recently,” McTavish said. “It’s good getting those bounces, so hopefully, I’ve just got to keep it up. I feel like guys are looking for me a lot, and it’s a good run so far.”

Jackson LaCombe, Frank Vatrano and Robby Fabbri each had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Strome had two assists for the Ducks (21-23-6), who have won three straight. Lukas Dostal made 26 saves.

“At times, we’ve had three or four guys at a time that have been confident,” Strome said. “But I think right now, you’re seeing 10 to 12 guys every night with the forward group feeling really confident with the puck and making really good plays.”

The Ducks have scored 16 goals in their past three games.

“We’re getting quality chances, and they’re going in,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “I said earlier in the year, when scorers get chances, and they’re snake-bitten earlier, eventually it’s going to turn.”

Eeli Tolvanen, Mitchell Stephens, Shane Wright and Jaden Schwartz scored for the Kraken (22-27-3), who have lost two in a row. Philipp Grubauer allowed five goals on 22 shots.

“It was just sloppy puck play,” Tolvanen said. “I think we gave them a lot off turnovers, defensively, offensively. I think this time of year, you can’t have that. It [stinks]. It’s unfortunate that I feel like we have to keep talking about this over and over again."

Troy Terry scored over Grubauer’s glove with a one-timer off Strome’s pass into the slot to make it 1-0 at 1:23 of the first period.

Tolvanen tied it 1-1 at 6:43, one-timing Brandon Montour’s low-to-high feed from the top of the slot over Dostal’s right shoulder.

“In order for us to be close or have a chance [at the playoffs], we’ve got to win these games,” Montour said. “And we let another one slip.”

Stephens gave Seattle a 2-1 lead with his first goal with the Kraken at 8:20, wrapping it around from below the goal line and lofting a backhand shot off Dostal’s blocker and in.

Cutter Gauthier tied it again, 2-2, at 11:59 when he got his own rebound off a 2-on-1 rush and slapped it over Grubauer’s glove.

“We hung [Grubauer] out to dry,” Seattle coach Dan Bylsma said. “Just too many pucks he didn’t have a chance on.”

Schwartz regained a 3-2 lead for Seattle at 14:01 off a 2-on-1 rush, taking a cross-slot pass from Kaapo Kakko and snapping it over Dostal’s glove.

McTavish made it 3-3 at 1:04 of the second period, scoring for the fourth straight game by one-timing Strome’s pass over Grubauer’s left arm from the right circle.

“I feel like we’re more connected than ever right now,” McTavish said. “I feel like all four lines are playing pretty well, and we’re just kind of getting some bounces right now, and hopefully we can sustain it.”

Cronin said, “[McTavish] is skating better, and I think because he’s skating, he’s winning a lot of loose-puck battles. He’s got good instincts, so when we do come up with pucks, he’s putting himself in good shooting areas as well.”

Fabbri banked a one-timer off Grubauer’s glove and in from the bottom of the left circle to make it 4-3 at 5:39, and LaCombe scored with a wrist shot off a 1-on-1 rush at 7:58 that Grubauer missed with his glove to push it to 5-3.

Wright cut it to 5-4 with a power-play goal at 6:15 of the third period, slapping a Jared McCann rebound into an open net behind Dostal, but Vatrano sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:44 for the 6-4 final.

“We have to help our goalies too,” Tolvanen said. “Too many backdoor tap-ins and chances like that. I think it’s a reset right here, right now.”

NOTES: McTavish reached 50 goals in the NHL to become the second Ducks player to hit the mark at age 21 or younger, joining Paul Kariya. … Seattle defenseman Adam Larsson played in his 900th NHL game. … Kakko has 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 19 games since being acquired by the Kraken in a trade with the New York Rangers on Dec. 18.