Jordan Eberle scores 2 in 3rd period as Kraken beat Ducks 3-1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jordan Eberle scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and added an empty netter in the final minute, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Monday night.

Frederick Gaudreau also scored and Kaapo Kakko had two assists for the last-place Kraken. Philipp Grubauer stopped 39 shots.

Mikael Granlund scored for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks, and Lukas Dostal had 18 saves.

Matty Beniers set up the go-ahead goal when he slid the puck past defender Radko Gudas and onto the stick of a wide-open Eberle, who snapped a shot from the left circle into the upper-right corner of the net for a 2-1 Kraken lead with 9:56 left.

Eberle then sealed the win with an empty-netter with 36 seconds remaining.

Grubauer had 16 saves in the second period and 15 in the third.

Seattle took a 1-0 lead 4:49 into the second when Gaudreau gathered the rebound of Shane Wright's shot and flipped the puck into a near-open net for a power-play goal.

Anaheim tied it with 4:20 left in the second when Granlund battled Vince Dunn for position in the slot and redirected Jacob Trouba's shot from above the right circle past Grubauer for his fourth goal in four games.

Granlund, who missed 18 games because of injuries this season, has seven goals and four assists in his last 13 games.

Anaheim played without leading scorer Leo Carlsson, who missed his first game of the season because of a lower-body injury. Seattle played without top defenseman Brandon Montour, who underwent hand surgery Monday and will be out for four weeks. Montour was injured in last week’s fight against Colorado.

Linesman Ryan Gibbons departed with 53 seconds left in the first after tripping in front of the Seattle bench and hitting the back of his head on the ice. He did not return.

Kraken: At Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Ducks: At Los Angeles on Saturday night.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/NHL

Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund, center, celebrates with the bench after his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Seattle Kraken right wing Eeli Tolvanen shoots during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Seattle Kraken players celebrate the team's win over the Anaheim Ducks in an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) celebrates his goal with goaltender Philipp Grubauer (31) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) celebrates his goal with center Matty Beniers (10) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quarterback Philip Rivers came out of retirement seeking to lead the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs.

Two games into his comeback, their postseason hopes barely exist.

While the 44-year-old grandfather gave the home fans plenty to cheer about in the first 3 1/2 quarters, San Francisco linebacker Dee Winter made Rivers pay for a late miscue by returning an interception 74 yards for a touchdown with 3:26 to play to seal a 48-27 victory — and perhaps the Colts' postseason fate.

“There's no prize for losing,” Rivers said. “I know this locker room is hurting again. I've been part of it for a short time, two losses, and I know it's been a long slide now for over a month. I know that's tough because I've been part of those slides. We've just got to find a way to dig deep and find a way to win a football game.”

Rivers looked much more like his younger self Monday night after a full week of practice.

He led the Colts (8-7) to a score on their first possession, routinely marched Indy down the field, tested the 49ers secondary immediately with a deep pass on the first offensive play of the game and even got back to his trash-talking ways.

Rivers went 23 of 35 with 277 yards and two TD passes despite playing behind an offensive line that started the game without either of its starting tackles, then lost starting center Tanor Bortolini just three plays into the game.

The bigger problem was a defense that allowed 440 total yards and never forced a punt as Indy lost for the first time all season when topping the 20-point mark.

But Rivers wasn't assessing blame in a game he found himself trying to evade a group of young, hungry players eager to make an impression on the star quarterback they grew up watching.

“Playing against him didn't seem real,” Winters said. “To be able to get a Pick-6 off of him, all I heard was my heartbeat and my adrenaline was running.”

Still, Rivers settled into a good rhythm against a Niners defense that expected to see the same run-first approach with the smattering of quick-hitting throws Rivers unleashed last week at Seattle.

Instead, he repeatedly found Josh Downs, who had five catches for 65 yards, early and later hooked up with Alec Pierce four times for 86 yards and two TDs. Neither player was with the Colts when Rivers last made a start at Lucas Oil Stadium in January 2021.

“I thought he played really good except that one play at the end,” coach Shane Steichen said. “But I thought he was on fire the whole game. He threw it to the right spots every time. He just had that one play at the end, but overall I thought he was really good.”

But with the Colts chasing late in the fourth, Rivers also fumbled the ball when he was sacked. Then the errant throw ended Indy's chance in this game — and left only a small one for the postseason.

“The name of the game is winning and that's what they did. They got it done,” Rivers said. “But I do feel like offensively we're going to move the ball. But our job is to score more points than the other team, whatever that (number) may be. Last week, it was 18 and we didn't get it done. This week, it would have been 41 if I hadn't thrown the Pick-6 and we didn't get it done.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, middle left, hugs Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers after an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) passes while pressured by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Clelin Ferrell during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)