Kreider puts some of Poehling's dish off his skate to break the ice.
Chris Kreider delivered a standout performance on Sunday night.
His two-goal effort powered the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 win.
The victory came against the Vegas Golden Knights at Honda Center.
It also handed Vegas its fifth straight loss.
Anaheim snapped a brief skid with a disciplined showing.
Vegas, meanwhile, continued to struggle before the Olympic break.
Ducks Set the Tone Early
The Ducks came out with pace and purpose.
They focused on simple plays and strong forechecking.
That approach paid off midway through the first period.
Kreider opened the scoring at 13:21.
Ryan Poehling forced the play deep in Vegas territory.
His centering attempt deflected off Kreider’s skate and went in.
Anaheim grabbed a 1-0 lead and never looked back early.
Vegas has now conceded the first goal repeatedly in recent games.
Kreider Strikes Again Quickly
Kreider scores twice became the storyline early.
Just 70 seconds into the second period, he struck again.
He redirected a Jacob Trouba point shot past Adin Hill.
The goal doubled Anaheim’s lead to 2-0.
It also energized the home crowd.
The Ducks looked confident and composed.
Vegas, however, found itself chasing the game again.
Power Play Pushes Ducks Ahead
Anaheim kept the pressure on.
Cutter Gauthier extended the lead to 3-0 at 4:32.
The goal came on the power play.
Gauthier snapped a quick shot from the right circle.
It beat Hill short side.
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy later called it a turning point.
He felt that goal should have been stopped.
Instead, it deepened the Golden Knights’ hole.
Vegas Finally Responds
The Golden Knights showed signs of life late in the second.
Mitch Marner cut the deficit to 3-1 at 9:47.
The goal marked his third straight game with a score.
Mark Stone created the chance from behind the net.
A deflection sent the puck to Marner.
He finished into an open cage.
Vegas carried some momentum into the third period.
Late Push Adds Drama
The Golden Knights pressed hard in the final frame.
Ivan Barbashev made it a one-goal game at 10:40.
He capitalized after Lukas Dostal stopped his first attempt.
The Ducks were forced to defend under pressure.
They struggled with clears at times.
Still, they stayed composed when it mattered.
Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville praised his team’s resilience.
He acknowledged Vegas’ aggressive push while trailing.
Poehling Delivers Insurance
With Vegas pressing and Hill pulled, Anaheim struck again.
Poehling scored into the empty net at 18:53.
The goal restored a two-goal cushion.
Vegas refused to quit.
Tomas Hertl scored with six seconds remaining.
That goal set the final score at 4-3.
The comeback attempt, however, fell short.
Ducks Get Key Contributions
Kreider’s two goals led the way offensively.
Poehling finished with a goal and an assist.
Trouba added two assists from the blue line.
Troy Terry impressed in his return from injury.
He recorded two assists after missing 11 games.
Dostal made 28 saves in a steady outing.
Anaheim improved to 29-23-3 on the season.
Golden Knights’ Skid Deepens
Vegas fell to 0-3-2 in its last five games.
The team has now lost seven of its past eight.
Slow starts continue to haunt them.
Defenseman Shea Theodore stressed the need for urgency.
He admitted the team relies too often on comebacks.
That pattern, he said, is not sustainable.
A Historic Result for Anaheim
The Ducks achieved a rare milestone.
They swept the season series against Vegas for the first time.
It marked a confidence-boosting win before the break.
For Vegas, questions linger heading into the pause.
For Anaheim, momentum is building at the right time.
