Brewin Flames Posted November 5, 2021 Author Share Posted November 5, 2021 Game # 11 Seattle 5 Buffalo 2 Philipp Grubauer stopped 19-of-21 shots faced in Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres Grubauer looked shaky through two periods of the game. He’d definitely like to have Tage Thompson’s goal back that beat him cleanly on his glove side. However, the veteran rebounded in the third and made some big stops to preserve the Kraken’s lead before Jordan Eberle scored his third goal of the game and Seattle began to pull away. Grubauer owns a 4-4-1 record with a 2.72 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 7, 2021 Author Share Posted November 7, 2021 Game # 12 Seattle 4 Arizona 5 Coyotes finally find first win by rallying over Kraken, 5-4 Lawson Crouse's goal in the final minute lifts the Coyotes to their first win, a 5-4 victory vs. the Kraken. ByAP Updated: 3 hours ago GLENDALE, Ariz. -- — Scott Wedgewood had been here before. The last time Arizona started a season with 11 losses — four years ago — Wedgewood was the goaltender when the Coyotes finally got their first win. He returned to the team Friday after being claimed on waivers from New Jersey, and came off the bench Saturday night to help Arizona pick up its first win this season in a comeback 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Wedgewood relieved Karel Vejmelka 59 seconds into the game, after the Kraken took a 2-0 lead on their first two shots. “Happy to be back, I enjoyed my first time here,” said Wedgewood, who hadn’t even practiced with the team after rejoining them Friday in Anaheim. “Legs are shaking a little bit, your new team, you know what’s at stake and you’re down early and you just want to keep them in it. In the second period we started to really find our game.” “He was unbelievable,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. “He made the difference.” Wedgewood stopped 27 shots. Lawson Crouse scored two goals, including the game-winner with 1:05 remaining. The Coyotes (1-10-1) avoided breaking the franchise record for most losses to start a season, set in 2017-18. The only team with a worse start in NHL history was the 1943-44 New York Rangers, who lost their first 11 and didn’t get their first win until their 16th game. Crouse added: “It was an emotional three weeks. But at the same time we gotta continue to build off of it. But I'm not going to lie, it feels really good." Kraken coach Dave Hakstol called the loss “disappointing.” “Overall in some critical areas, our focus was not there," he said. "You look at the third goal, a pass-out play from underneath our goal line. Our awareness was not there. The communication wasn’t there.” As for the early lead causing a loss of focus, he said: “That shouldn’t be part of it at all. We were able to build a 3-1 lead. We didn’t make them work hard enough." Tourigny picked up his first win as an NHL coach. “My first thought was for the players,” Tourigny said. “It gets heavy mentally. It hurts as a coach when they don’t get a reward. It was great to get that today. Guys stayed with it, we’re down 3-1 in the first. It was not like it’s a walk in the park, so the players believing in the process, in themselves, trusting in each other, that was huge.” The lead changes came quick at the end of the third period. Phil Kessel’s power-play goal with 6 minutes to play put the Coyotes on top, then Seattle's Mark Giordano tied the game — just 13 seconds before Crouse's goal. Shayne Gostisbehere had assists on three of Arizona’s goals. Antoine Roussel and Travis Boyd also scored for the Coyotes and Johan Larsson had two assists. For the Kraken, Jordan Eberle tallied 15 seconds into the game and Yanni Gourde scored at 59 seconds. Nathan Bastian also scored his first of the season. Philipp Grubauer stopped 17 shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 10, 2021 Author Share Posted November 10, 2021 Game # 13 Seattle 2 Vegas 4 Golden Knights top Kraken 4-2 for 6th victory in 8 games ByAP Updated: 4 hours ago LAS VEGAS -- — Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith scored 46 seconds apart early in the third period to lift the Vegas Golden Knights over the Seattle Kraken 4-2 on Tuesday night. It was the second meeting of the NHL’s two newest franchises. Vegas beat Seattle on opening night, 4-3. After a 1-4 start to the season while missing several key components, the Golden Knights are on a 6-2-0 surge. Vegas has lost Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, William Karlsson, Zach Whitecloud and Nolan Patrick to injuries since the beginning of the season. Recently acquired Jack Eichel is scheduled for neck surgery Friday and expected to miss three months. But through resiliency, a stalwart core of defensemen, and players making the most out of their opportunities, the Golden Knights are just four points back of first-place Edmonton in the Pacific Division. “I’ve liked our response,” coach Peter DeBoer said. “We were at a little bit of a crossroads there, especially with the schedule at that point — we were heading to Colorado and Dallas. And the guys that were injured were gonna be out for a long time. So I thought our group from that point on recommitted to defending hard. And we’ve been getting great goaltending, and some timely goals, and found a way to win some games.” Timely goals stole the momentum for Vegas in this one as Theodore one-timed a pass from Jonathan Marchessault past Seattle goalie Chris Driedger just 30 seconds into the third to break a 2-all tie. Smith scored less than a minute later when he deflected a one-touch pass from Marchessault on a power play. It was Marchessault’s third multi-point performance in six games. Alex Pietrangelo and Evgeni Dadanov also scored for the Golden Knights (7-6-0). Robin Lehner, who has won three straight and five of his last six starts, made 25 saves. “When we were 1-4 there and people were asking us, most of us said we weren’t panicking,” said Lehner, who has a 2.30 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in his last six starts. “We have a lot of belief in our group and our depth and our system. I think it’s slowly getting there. We’re fighting hard right now to stay in games, getting points, waiting for some key players to come back, but I think everyone is stepping up and we’re working really hard to stay in the race.” Driedger, making his first start and second appearance of the season, stopped 19 shots. Jordan Eberle and Yanni Gourde scored for Seattle (4-8-1), which has lost four of five. “We’re finding ways to lose instead of trying to find ways to win,” Eberle said. “I think we just have to find a way to be a more mature hockey team in situations where we have momentum.” Eberle put Seattle on top early when he corralled a rebound off Lehner and backhanded the puck into an empty net for his seventh goal in seven games. Pietrangelo tied it after skating to the high slot and wristing a shot over Driedger’s glove with 26 seconds left in the first. Near the end of a relatively sluggish second period, Seattle briefly took a 2-1 lead when Gourde took a pass from Brandon Tanev and flipped the puck past Lehner. Dadanov tied it 15 seconds later when he chipped a loose puck near the crease past Driedger. “It’s frustrating when you work that hard to maintain a lead and keep it, and then you blow it like that,” Eberle said. Game notes Paul Cotter made his NHL debut for Vegas, skating on the fourth line with Brett Howden and Jonas Rondbjerg. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck_Pun Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 Seattle put in their entry for ugliest jersey when they release their military appreciation warm up jersey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 Game # 14 Ana 7 Seattle 4 Terry extends NHL-leading streak, Ducks beat Kraken 7-4 The Ducks hand the Kraken their third consecutive defeat in a 7-4 goalfest. ByAP Updated: 3 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Troy Terry extended his NHL-leading scoring streak to 13 games with two goals and an assist, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Seattle Kraken 7-4 on Thursday night. Josh Mahura scored twice to help the Ducks win their sixth in a row in their first game since general manager Bob Murray’s resignation on Wednesday amid an investigation into his conduct. Anaheim has points in eight straight games. “I think for a lot of us getting on the ice and playing hockey is an outlet for us to get away from some of the other things that might be going on in life,” veteran defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. “It's a situation that we surely weren’t expecting or prepared for, but we certainly know what our job is here and it’s to go out there and play.” John Gibson made 21 saves for his fifth straight victory, and 18-year-old rookie Mason McTavish scored his second career goal. Terry made it 2-0 at 3:10 of the second, then assisted on Shattenkirk’s goal that made it 4-2 late in the period. Hampus Lindholm added the winner midway through the third, and Mahura had an empty-netter for his second score of the game. Seattle's Jordan Eberle cut it to 4-3 early in the fourth on a 2-on-1 with his eighth goal in eight games. And Jared McCann trimmed it to 5-4 with his second goal after Lindholm’s goal, but Mahura and Terry put it out of reach in the final 2 1/2 minutes. Jaden Schwartz also scored for the Kraken, and Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves. Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said it was the kind of game that gives a coach “gray hair — you get a budget line for hair coloring.” Yet his team hasn't lost in regulation since Oct. 26, when it dropped a 4-3 decision to the Winnipeg Jets. “I think we’re learning good lessons,” Eakins said. “But the difference now is that if we do have to get into a game like that, we find a way to win. We’re winning many different ways right now and that’s really important.” It was the third straight loss for the Kraken, who had hoped to start a six-game homestand with more vigor. The team was outshot 14-4 in the first period and on its heels well into the second. “At the end of the day, the first 25 to 30 minutes of the hockey game, we didn’t win very many of the races or many of the puck battles,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “And you know when you get behind like that it’s hard to dig out.” TERRY'S TALLY Terry is on a career-high points streak with 11 goals and eight assists in the last 13 games. It's the longest streak by a Ducks player since Ryan Getzlaf had a 14-gamer in 2013. Only three Anaheim players have longer streaks: Corey Perry (19 games), Teemu Selanne (17 games) and Getzlaf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 14, 2021 Author Share Posted November 14, 2021 Game # 15 Pitlick scores 1st 3 NHL goals, Wild beat Kraken 4-2 Seattle 2 Wild 4 Rem Pitlick's hat trick helps the Minnesota Wild grab a 4-2 win over the Kraken. ByAP Updated: 2 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Rem Pitlick scored his first three NHL goals and the Minnesota Wild beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 Saturday night for their fifth win in six games. Nico Sturm added an empty-netter with about 5 minutes left, and Ryan Hartman had three assists for Minnesota. Cam Talbot had 28 saves. Pitlick became the 31st player in NHL history — and first for the Wild — to get a hat trick in the same game as scoring his first goal. “It’s hard to put into words,” Pitlick said. “I’m trying to take it all in. Obviously super-excited to get the first one, and then three — I don’t know. I’m just super grateful.” Pitlick came into the game with four assists in 15 career games — four with the Wild this year and 11 with Nashville last season. Before his scoring outburst against the Kraken, the former University of Minnesota player had only two shots all season. “He plays the right way and got rewarded for it,” said Wild coach Dean Evason. “What we noticed on the breakaways is that, yes, he made some nice moves and finished nice, but he’s going so fast he just has to skate past goaltenders.” Marcus Johansson had a power-play goal for Seattle, and Alex Wennberg also scored. Philipp Grubauer finished with 18 saves. The Kraken have lost six of seven since a 4-1 win here over the Wild on Oct. 28. “There’s a ton of emotion for our players. They’re working hard,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “A couple of spots tonight we pressed a little bit too hard and it cost us. I won’t fault our guys’ effort in any way, shape or form tonight.” Pitlick got his first goal with 7:27 left in the first period. Hartman hustled down the ice to get the puck on the boards near the red line, and his cross-ice pass found Pitlick in front. where he was able to sneak the shot in past Grubauer. “It was nice for him to set the momentum for me to get that first one,” Pitlick said. “That first pass was unbelievable. The awareness to see it, even, and then the execution like it was just on a platter.” Hartman set up Pitlick again midway through the second. Hartman’s hit on Seattle’s Jared McCann led to a turnover, with Pitlick getting the puck near the blue line for an easy breakaway at 7:44. With 40 seconds left in the period, Hartman again found Pitlick streaking up the ice after a turnover for a breakaway to complete the hat trick. “Those were three pretty highlight-reel goals, too,” Talbot said. “He definitely earned it tonight.” Johansson pulled Seattle to 3-1 at 9:19 of the third with the team's first power-play goal at home. The Kraken had started 0 for 20 with the man advantage on home ice. After Sturm regained Minnesota's three-goal lead, Wennberg pulled Seattle back within two with 1:02 remaining. The Wild (10-4-0) have 20 points for the best start through 14 games in franchise history. Minnesota also had 20 points after 14 games in 2015-16, 2006-07 and 2002-03. “We’re getting goals from up and down, our first to our fourth line. Anytime you can have the chemistry and distribution of points like that, it’s going to take us that much further,” Talbot said. “I think teams are having a tough time matching up against us because of the way that we can beat them with any line.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 18, 2021 Author Share Posted November 18, 2021 Game # 16 Seattle 2 Hawks 4 Blackhawks beat Kraken 4-2 for fourth straight win ByAP Updated: 3 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Alex DeBrincat wants to become a well-rounded player and not be classified as only a goal scorer. That means handing out assists and maybe even the occasional fight. “A long way to go but trying to become a more complete player, not just a shooter. Just keep working on it,” DeBrincat said. DeBrincat and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 Wednesday night for their fourth straight win. DeBrincat assisted on Seth Jones' goal in the first period, scored in the opening moments of the second and had the added stat of a fight with Seattle's Yanni Gourde in the third. Chicago's young star was upset after he felt Gourde took an unnecessary hit on Kane. “He punched me in the head behind the net and then went after (Kane) and cross checked him,” DeBrincat said. “You go after our best player, we can't let that happen. I don't like to fight but I will when I need to." Jones extend his points streak to seven games with his second goal of the season and Jake McCabe added an empty-netter for the Blackhawks to seal the win. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots, including 16 in the second period. While Chicago isn't complaining about a four-game win streak the Blackhawks were frustrated at how many chances were allowed to Seattle after going up 2-0. “You see a lot of times we're just kind of throwing it away and whether it gets out (of the zone) or not it puts us in a tough position,” Kane said. Jared McCann and Yanni Gourde scored in the third period for Seattle, and Philipp Grubauer finished with 15 saves. The Kraken have lost five straight and seven of eight. “The second and third we’re excellent and tremendous efforts on our part," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "As you look at it that's likely going to be the push we need through three periods to get ourselves headed in the right direction.” Kane snapped a wrist shot past Grubauer at 5:36 of the third on an odd-man rush for his sixth goal of the season to push Chicago's lead to 3-0. McCann scored on the power play with 5:45 left to get Seattle on the scoreboard, and Gourde scored on a slap shot with 1:49 left after the Kraken pulled Grubauer to pull to 3-2. However, they couldn't get the equalizer. “There's no other way to put it, it's frustrating and we need to clean it up,” McCann said. Jones finished off a 3-on-2 rush with his second goal of the season. The play started with a cross-ice pass from Kane to DeBrincat and left Jones unmarked at the back post. It was Jones’ 67th career regular season goal among his 300 points. He has two goals and five assists during his points streak. Seattle has given up the first goal in 10 of 16 games this season and five of its past seven losses. DeBrincat then doubled the advantage at 2:01 of the second, taking an outlet pass from Kirby Dach and using his speed to fend off Seattle defenseman Jamie Oleksiak and flip the puck over Grubauer’s shoulder for his ninth goal of the season. Seattle was sluggish at the start and couldn’t sneak one past Fleury despite dominating chances in the second period. He made a sprawling diving stop on Gourde looking at an open net moments after Debrincat's goal, and denied McCann and Calle Jarnkrok on chances, and Jeremy Luzon hit the post late in the period. “It's a lot more fun to play hockey right now but we dug ourselves a big hole. It's still a long way to go,” Fleury said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 20, 2021 Author Share Posted November 20, 2021 Game # 17 Seattle 3 Avs 7 Makar, Burakovsky score 2 goals each, Avs beat Kraken 7-3 1:07 Avs score two goals in less than two minutes The Avalanche get goals from André Burakovsky and Mikko Rantanen less than two minutes apart in the second period. ByAP Updated: 3 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Cale Makar had two goals and an assist, Andre Burakovsky scored two power-play goals and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Seattle Kraken 7-3 on Friday night. Darcy Kuemper had 25 saves and Nazem Kadri extended his points streak to eight games with two assists for Colorado. The Avalanche has won four straight games, outscored opponents 24-7 during that streak and is 6-1-1 in its last eight after starting 1-3. “I think it took a while to find some chemistry," defenseman Erik Johnson said. “We had some COVID absences. We had some injuries and then I think we had a lot of new faces that had to acclimate adjust to our lineup and even a new goalie. So I think sometimes that takes time for guys and we’re finding our rhythm right now.” Jordan Eberle, Brandon Tanev and Colin Blackwell scored for the Kraken, which lost its sixth straight and seven of eight. Chris Dreidger made his second start in goal for the Kraken, but he looked uncomfortable from the start and allowed four goals on Colorado’s first 13 shots, bookended by Burakovsky’s power-play goals. “I think we just needed to go back to the simplicity of things and tonight you saw that it was one or two passes and then straight to the net,” Makar said. “And I think that’s just what we need to focus on more, is just having that attack mentality and creating chaos.” The approach worked. Kraken coach Dave Hakstol pulled Dreidger at 5:33 of the second period for Philipp Grubauer, who didn't fare much better, giving up three goals as the Avs built a 7-0 lead. The seven goals tied Seattle's season high for goals allowed. “There’s only one way out of it and that's to keep grinding, that’s to stick together and that’s to find a way to dig out a win and all of a sudden the weight comes off and things head in the right direction,” Hakstol said. “We didn’t do that tonight. So that’s disappointing for everybody. But you have a choice ... to make, in terms of how you approach the next day.” Hakstol announced Dreidger would start Friday morning over Grubauer, a finalist for the Veniza Trophy last year with the Avalanche. But, like his team, Grubauer struggled in his first month with Seattle with a 3.18 goals against average and a .877 save percentage. But the decision didn't spark the Kraken. Burakovsky got things rolling at 4:04 of the first period following Ryan Donato’s hooking minor. A few minutes later, two Kraken players collided on Seattle’s power play and Tyson Jost sent the loose puck ahead to Valeri Nichushkin, who beat Dreidger stick side on the breakaway at 6:39 for the Avs’ NHL-leading fourth shorthanded goal of the season. Makar opened the scoring with an assist from Kadri at 3:01 of the second period and Burakovsky made it 4-0 with his second power play score at 5:33. The Avs didn’t slow down, either: Makar scored his second goal with about eight minutes left in the second period from Darren Helm, and Johnson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel added goals for the Avs. “I didn't score on Grubie in four years of practice,” Johnson said. “Somehow I scored on him today.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 22, 2021 Author Share Posted November 22, 2021 Game # 18 Seattle 5 Caps 2 Schwartz, Kraken top Capitals 5-2 to end six-game skid ByAP Updated: 4 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Jaden Schwartz had a goal and three assists and the Seattle Kraken beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Sunday night to snap a six-game losing streak. Calle Jarnkrok and Yanni Gorde each added a goal and an assist, and Schwartz reached 401 career points in Seattle's first win since Nov. 4. “Maybe because we’re sick and tired of losing games,” Jarnkrok said when asked what the difference was Sunday. “We got together as a group and talked about how we need to play,” he added. “We went out there today and we did it. But it’s got to be like this every game.” Jared McCann and Adam Larsson also scored for Seattle, which got 37 saves from Philipp Grubauer. Washington entered the game on a 6-0-1 streak and took a 1-0 lead just 3 1/2 minutes in on Tom Wilson’s slapshot. But the Caps were playing for the second night in a row, and looked tired as the Kraken pushed them around during the heart of a three-goal second period. “The game got away from us in about 4 minutes,” Capitals center Nic Dowd said. “And then I thought we actually played really well the rest of the game, controlled the game. I think we had like 20 shots in the third period, something like that. And we had chances to win that game if we hadn’t let it get away from us early.” Alex Ovechkin scored his 15th goal of the season for Washington, which hasn’t lost since Nov. 6. Wilson assisted on the goal. The Kraken tied it late in the first period with Evgeny Kuznetsov serving 2 minutes for holding. Schwartz, a constant threat in the first 40 minutes with five shots and high energy, bounced a close shot off Vitek Vanecek’s stick and McCann backhanded it past the goalie from 10 feet in front of the net to tie the game at 15:58. Morgan Geekie also had an assist. Seattle has scored at least one power-play goal in four straight games. Schwartz put the Kraken ahead 2-1 with a cleanup of Carson Soucy’s redirection at 6:17 in the second period. It was the Kraken’s first lead in more than 266 minutes. Larsson made it 3-1 just 43 seconds later when he buried a breakaway slapshot on a pass ahead from Gorde and Jarnkrok. Schwartz was again a factor later in the period when he poked the puck away from the Capitals at the defensive blue line ahead to Jarnkrok, who beat his defender and sent a shot past Vanecek from the left faceoff circle with about six minutes left. Schwartz's last assist came as Gorde finished things off with an empty-net goal. “Schwartzie is really good down below the circles in the offensive zone and you saw him, he was in his office tonight,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “And he produced. He produced and had a really good night offensively.” Vanecek stopped 26 of 30 shots in his third loss of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 25, 2021 Author Share Posted November 25, 2021 Game # 19 Seattle 2 Canes 1 Johansson's late winner gives Kraken 2-1 victory over 'Canes ByAP Updated: 4 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Philipp Grubauer appreciates the echo of chants that come when the Seattle Kraken goaltender is making big saves. The chants of “Gruuuuu,” were constant and well deserved Wednesday night in maybe his best performance yet with the NHL's newest team. “It's special because they don't do it for everybody,” Grubauer said. “It's unbelievable. I love to hear it.” Grubauer made 35 saves and Marcus Johansson beat Frederik Andersen with a wrist shot with 3:08 remaining to give the Kraken a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Three nights after making a season-high 37 saves in a victory over Washington, Grubauer followed up with another terrific performance. Grubauer made 16 saves in the second period and another 11 in the third, and the Kraken picked up a second straight win over one of the top teams from the Eastern Conference. Statistically, Grubauer was one of the worst goalies in the league for the first month of the season, but has performed far better in his past two starts. “He’s finding the puck through traffic. He’s seeing the puck and looks very calm and settled,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “You've got to read some plays very well and we've seen that — for sure tonight.” Seattle won its second straight to close out a six-game homestand and handed the red-hot Hurricanes just their third regulation loss of the season. It was the second straight setback for Carolina after losing to San Jose in overtime Monday night. “Early in the year we were getting a lot of bounces going our ways and now they’re not," Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. "We play a game like that every game we’re going to have good results.” Seattle's Jared McCann scored on the power play at 4:16 of the second period and Johansson provided the winner in the closing minutes. Johansson circled the net, and his shot buzzed over Andersen’s left shoulder. It was Johansson’s second goal of the season and gave Seattle its first win this season when trailing after the first period. “I saw a little bit of space between him and the post. The (defenseman) was giving me a good screen and I was just trying to get it through and it worked out," Johansson said. Brendan Smith gave Carolina an early lead at 18:32 of the first period when his slap shot from the point slipped past Grubauer, who was screened in front by Jordan Staal. But that was all Carolina would get past Grubauer. Andersen made 20 saves. “These last few games teams are selling out to make those those blocks and they’re really competing,” Smith said. “So we’re going to get the team’s best. We want it that way. We want to be prepared all year so when it comes time in playoffs, we’re going to be prepared for that.” Seattle pulled even in the second period as its power play that was dormant early in the season continued its rapid recovery. McCann’s goal was his fifth on the power play and the fifth straight game with a power-play goal for the Kraken. Seattle has scored on seven of its past 19 power-play opportunities after beginning the season with just three goals in 38 chances. Grubauer was terrific when Carolina had the advantage, showing flashes of why Seattle made such a hefty investment in the goaltender. Andrei Svechnikov had a clear look off a faceoff that Grubauer kicked aside, and he made another save lunging across the goal to rob Teuvo Teravainen. Grubauer also made a key save on Seattle’s power play, stopping Jordan Staal on a breakaway short-handed. Grubauer was just as good in the third period making stops on a couple of odd-man rushes early in the period on turnovers by the Seattle defense. “You got to tip your hat to their goalie,” Smith said. “I think he made some big saves and timely saves.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 Game # 20 Seattle 0 Bolts 3 Final Buzzer: Kraken Stymied by Vasilevskiy, Lightning The Kraken suffered their first shutout loss in franchise history with a 3-0 defeat against Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning by Andy Eide / @AndyEide / nhl.com/kraken November 26, 2021 Quick Hits + The Lightning got early jumps by scoring on their initial shot in the first and second periods and that was enough offense for Andrei Vasilevskiy who picked up his second straight shutout and 10th win. + Seattle played without captain Mark Giordano who was placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Haydn Fleury rotated into the lineup and played 21 minutes with three shots on goal. + Seattle center Yanni Gourde played his first game at Amalie Arena since helping the Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. + The Kraken played without Calle Jarnkrok, who sustained an injury in Wednesday's 2-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. The game details Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 17 shots he saw Friday as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Kraken 3-0 at Amalie Arena. It was the first time the Kraken have been shut out and for Vasilevskiy it was career shutout 28 for the 27-year-old and second this year. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ross Colton and Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning, who won for the third time in a row. Philipp Grubauer continued his strong play, only allowing three goals and turning away 23 Lightning shots. How it played out Morgan Geekie had the best look of the first period for Seattle when Jared McCann set him up for a shot on Vasilevskiy from in close. The Lightning goalie handled the shot and moments later Tampa Bay had a rush going the other way. Bellemare scored off the rush, which came at 2:52 of the first period, with a quick snapshot from Grubauer's right that found the net on the glove side to make it 1-0. "We were a half-step behind tonight," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. "Their puck speed got us. We never got them stopped in our zone and likewise in the offensive zone. We didn't create enough possession…we weren't able to create consistent tine in the offensive zone." Tampa Bay had the early jump in the second and extended their lead to 2-0 just 31 seconds into the period when Colton found a loose puck in the high slot and fired it past Grubauer. It was the first shot of the period after the Lightning had scored on the first shot of the first period. The Kraken outshot Tampa Bay in the second period and had their best chances, but the Lightning mitigated a lot of Seattle's looks by keeping the play mostly to the outside. When shots did get through, Vasilevskiy was there. "They defended well, they skated well, and pushed us to the outside whenever we did have some offensive opportunities," Hakstol said. "In our own D-Zone we didn't get them stopped quick enough in order to have any energy left to go back offensively. When you spend that much time on the first half of your shift, you don't have a whole lot of gas left to go the other way." Stamkos scored at 11:32 of the third period to make it 3-0 when he buried a one-time shot on a two-on-one chance down low. Seattle will be back in action on Saturday when they visit the Florida Panthers at 6 PM PST. "We get back at it tomorrow," Seattle's Jaden Schwartz said. "Get some rest and get back at it. We know there's another level, another level of intensity and digging in for each other." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 28, 2021 Author Share Posted November 28, 2021 Game # 21 Seattle 4 Panthers 1 Kraken beat Panthers 4-1, deny Florida home-ice win record ByAP 7 hours ago SUNRISE, Fla. -- — Chris Driedger was the winning goalie when Florida's home-ice winning streak started last season. The streak ended Saturday — and Driedger was the winning goalie again. Driedger made 33 saves against his former team, helping the Seattle Kraken defeat Florida 4-1 on Saturday night to deny the Panthers what would have been a record-setting 12th consecutive home win to start the season. “Honestly it was a bit of a challenge trying to just keep my head in the game," Driedger said. “And, you know, it’s so familiar being in this barn. Just seeing those guys on the other side of the ice is a bit different." Jordan Eberle scored twice in his 800th game, Ryan Donato and Jamie Oleksiak added goals and Joonas Donskoi had two assists for the Kraken, who were facing the Panthers for the first time. Patric Hornqvist had the goal for Florida, and Spencer Knight stopped 23 shots for the Panthers. Florida was bidding to become the first team in NHL history to start a season 12-0-0 at home; the Panthers will merely have to share the record of 11 consecutive home-ice victories to open a season with Chicago, which had such a start in 1963-64. “We all know what was at stake tonight, but it’s behind us now," Panthers forward Owen Tippett said. It was also Florida’s first home-ice regular-season loss since last season. The Panthers had won 15 consecutive games at home since last April, excluding playoffs, a span that included two coaches, two arena names and obviously two seasons. And there was some irony that Driedger — who was picked up by Seattle in the expansion draft on July 21, after the Panthers left him unprotected — was the goalie who came out of the visiting dressing room to get the streak-snapping win. “We won start to finish tonight and we really needed to do that, especially in this building against this team," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “They hadn’t lost in this building yet this year, so it was a good 60-minute performance for us." Florida’s home-ice winning streak started on April 24, a night when Driedger made 16 saves to help the Panthers beat Carolina in overtime. He was 21-8-4 in his time with the Panthers with 2.07 goals-against average, but became expendable with Sergei Bobrovsky locked in as Florida's No. 1 goalie and Knight emerging last year as the team's netminder of the future. “I’m sure it meant a lot to him," Eberle said. “It’s funny, with the scenario that we’re in, every night is going to mean a lot to a lot of guys on this team." Seattle gave Driedger the lead just 2:22 into Saturday’s game, and never trailed. Eberle opened the game with a power-play score and Donato’s ninth of the season midway through the opening period put Seattle up 2-1. It stayed that way until the third, when Eberle struck again at 5:57 with the insurance tally. And before long, Florida’s pursuit of the outright record — not to mention the sixth-longest home-ice winning streak in NHL history, when going back to last season — was over. “There was a lot of buzz coming back into this building," said Driedger, who went to the Florida dressing room to visit with some former teammates after the game. “Felt really good to get that one. Pretty happy with that performance by our group. That’s about as good as I’ve seen our group play, so hats off to them." LONGER STREAKS Only three franchises had longer home-ice regular-season winning streaks than Florida’s 15. Detroit has the longest home-ice winning streak in NHL history, winning 23 in a row during the 2011-12 season. Boston (spanning the 1929-30 and 1930-31 seasons) had a 22-game streak and Philadelphia won 20 in a row in 1976. Boston also had a 19-game home winning streak in 1970-71 and a 16-game run in 1976. MOVING UP Florida forward Joe Thornton’s first-period assist was the 1,532nd point of his career, breaking a tie with Paul Coffey and giving him outright possession of No. 13 on the NHL’s all-time scoring list. Thornton is the leader among active players and now one point shy of No. 12 Mark Recchi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 30, 2021 Author Share Posted November 30, 2021 Game # 22 Seattle 7 Buffalo 4 McCann, Appleton each score twice, Kraken beat Sabres 7-4 ByAP 7 hours ago BUFFALO, N.Y. -- — Jared McCann and Mason Appleton each scored two goals, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-4 on Monday night. Brandon Tanev had a goal and two assists, and Carson Soucy and Jaden Schwartz also scored for the expansion Kraken, who had their season-high scoring total. Yanni Gourde and Morgan Geekie each had two assists. “It’s a big vote of confidence for a lot of guys, and it shows our depth of scoring,” said Appleton, who scored his first goals of the season after he missed the first 11 game with a lower-body injury. “We’ve got 12 guys who can put the puck in the back of the net on any given night.” Chris Driedger made 32 saves as Seattle won for the fourth time in five games and second straight on the road for the first time. “The commitment level and opportunistic mindset of our team tonight was great,” Tanev said. “They gave us a late push, and a couple of late goals. But at the end of the day, we got a great win here for our group.” Jeff Skinner had two goals for the Sabres, who have lost five in a row at home and six of seven overall. Brett Murray had a goal and an assist, Dylan Cozens also scored, Kyle Okposo had two assists, and Dustin Tokarski stopped 25 shots. “We didn’t have a sense of urgency at the start with respect to details,” Sabres coach Don Granato said. “We allowed too much, too easy, and then fought, obviously, the rest of the way as a result.” Seattle scored the first two short-handed goals in franchise history as part of a three-goal opening period. The Kraken took advantage of turnovers by Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin on both goals. “You come into a building and you kind of suck the air out of it when you score goals like that,” Appleton said. Gourde outworked Dahlin in the corner before setting up Soucy’s slap shot from the high slot 16 seconds into a Sabres power play at 5:47. Tanev stripped Dahlin and beat him down the ice to knock in the rebound from his own shot 25 seconds after the Sabres gained the man-advantage later with 5:20 left in the first period. “Those guys have the green light to go when they can without creating a ton of risk,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “It was a real good read to jump the first one. And the second is just pure effort all the way up the ice.” McCann scored off a rebound to make it 3-0 with 56 seconds remaining in the period. After Murray got his first NHL goal at 1:53 of the second, Geekie made a one-armed backhand pass from behind the net to set up McCann’s second goal and restore the three-goal lead. Appleton gave the Kraken a 5-2 lead 42 seconds after Skinner’s power-play goal in the closing minutes of the second. Skinner scored again 37 seconds into the third period to pull the Sabres within two again. “We definitely had opportunities,” Skinner said. “We just didn’t seem to be able to sustain any type of momentum.” Schwartz put the Kraken back ahead by three with 6:16 remaining. Cozens deflected Okposo’s shot past Driedger to make it 6-4 with 1:33 left before Appleton scored into the empty net with 25 seconds to go. TRAINER’S ROOM Kraken: Leading scorer F Jordan Eberle left in the third period with a lower-body injury and did not return. Hakstol had no immediate update on Eberle’s status and said he will be evaluated on Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 Game # 23 Seattle 3 Wings 4 SO Red Wings top Kraken 4-3 in shootout for 4th straight win ByAP Updated: 4 hours ago DETROIT -- — Adam Erne scored the decisive goal in a shootout and the Detroit Red Wings won their fourth straight game by beating the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on Wednesday night. Detroit won the shootout 2-1, with Dylan Larkin also converting. Robby Fabbri, Vladislav Namestnikov and Lucas Raymond scored in regulation for the Red Wings. “I thought we were sloppy at times,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We weren't at our best and we found a way to win, which I think is critically important. You want to learn lessons while you're winning.” Ryan Donato had two goals and Vince Dunn scored the other for the expansion Kraken, who participated in their first shootout. “I like the fact when we got down in the third, we continued to push back and found a way to earn a point and get ourselves into overtime,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. Thomas Greiss made 21 saves for Detroit in his 150th career victory. Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 23 shots. The Red Wings took a 3-2 lead at 6:30 of the third period when Raymond, who leads NHL rookies with 10 goals and 22 points, spun around in the slot and fired the puck past Grubauer. “Today wasn't the prettiest game but we got it done,” Raymond said. Seattle tied it on Donato's second goal of the night. He fired a shot from the right circle that eluded Greiss' stick with 5:44 remaining. Erne, who has three goals and six points this season, has become a fixture in the lineup after fighting for playing time in his first two seasons with Detroit. “He's really had to earn his ice time,” Blashill said. “He's been a jack of all trades for us.” The Kraken played without their top two scorers, left wing Jaden Schwartz and right wing Jordan Eberle. Both were ruled out due to lower-body injuries. “That’s part of this league. You have to find a way to have others come into the lineup,” Hakstol said. “A guy like Ryan Donato tonight got a little bit more of an opportunity and he showed he can help us earn points. It’s nothing more than that. You don’t overthink it. The guys that are available are confident. They’re ready to go out and work together. It’s all about earning points.” Each team scored twice in the second period. The Red Wings broke through with Fabbri's power-play goal at 4:46. The Kraken evened the score at 10:44 on Dunn’s power-play shot from the point past a screened Greiss. Donato gave Seattle a 2-1 lead with just under four minutes left in the period after Detroit defenseman Jordan Oesterle slipped and lost the puck in his own zone. Namestnikov scored late in the period to tie it at 2. SHELVED Less than an hour before the game, the Red Wings announced forward Tyler Bertuzzi was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Bertuzzi, the team’s third-leading scorer with nine goals and nine assists in 20 games, is thought to be the NHL’s only unvaccinated player. Blashill said afterward that Bertuzzi would be out 10 days and miss five games. Bertuzzi has missed three other Red Wings games played in Canada this season. He’s not allowed to cross the border due to his unvaccinated status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 4, 2021 Author Share Posted December 4, 2021 Game # 24 Seattle 4 EDM 3 Kraken take early lead, hold off Oilers for 4-3 victory ByAP Updated: 12 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Though it took a little more than a month to find a style of play that would lead to success, the expansion Seattle Kraken are now rolling. And they’re beating some pretty good teams along the way. Colin Blackwell and Alex Wennberg scored less than three minutes apart in the second period, and the Kraken beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Friday night. Yanni Gourde and Adam Larsson scored in the first period for the Kraken, and Philipp Grubauer had 29 saves — including 13 in the third period. “I think we’re getting a lot of great efforts from up and down the lineup. I think tonight’s a great example of, we had some adversity, but we were able to weather the storm,” Blackwell said. “I think maybe in the beginning of the season, that might have happened and we might have lost a game or something like that. But we really got that identity rolling right now.” After a five-point road trip, Seattle returned home and won its third in the past four and fifth in the past seven, most of those coming against some of the top teams in the league. Three of Seattle’s previous four wins had come against some of the best in the Eastern Conference with victories at home over Washington and Carolina, and a road win at Florida. Since Nov. 21, Seattle is 5-1-1 and its 11 points are tied with Minnesota for the most in the league. “Probably the biggest factor tonight was we had contributions from everybody in the lineup," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "Big or small we had contributions from everybody in the lineup.” Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner made 30 saves as Edmonton snapped a three-game win streak. McDavid pulled with Oilers within one on his 16th with 8:16 remaining in the third. Edmonton got a power player with 1:31 left after Larsson was called for roughing, but couldn’t find an equalizer even with a 6-on-4 advantage. “We had some opportunities, had some opportunities on the power play we didn’t capitalize on,” Edmonton coach Dave Tippett said. “We shot ourselves in the foot a couple times. But that being said, we were right in the game right untill the end.” Gourde scored his sixth goal of the season 49 seconds into the game to put Seattle up 1-0. Draisaitl scored his league-high 21st to tie it at 6:41 on in the first period, and Larsson scored against his former team to put Seattle back ahead with 9:22 remaining. Bouchard scored on a slap shot at 8:12 of the second to tie it. Blackwell put the Kraken back ahead with 6:54 remining in the middle period, and Wennberg gave Seattle a 4-2 lead a two-goal 2:47 later. Wennberg appeared to be sending a pass to Marcus Johansson and it deflected into the Edmonton net. Skinner's glove save on Morgan Geekie with 8:32 remaining in the third a Seattle power play kept it a two-goal deficit and 16 seconds later, as the advantage ended, McDavid tipped Bouchard’s shot from the point past Grubauer. “We had a good push and fought our way back a little bit, but just a little short there,” said Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had two assists. “But I mean overall it's a pretty solid game and (Skinner) made some pretty big saves to keep us in it late.” WELCOME HOME Edmonton’s Kailer Yamamoto and Derek Ryan became the first NHL players born in the state of Washington to play a regular season in the state. Both players are from Spokane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 7, 2021 Author Share Posted December 7, 2021 Game # 25 Seattle 1 Pens 6 Guentzel scores twice, Crosby once as Pens top Kraken 6-1 Sidney Crosby, Jeff Carter and Danton Heinen tally goals for Pittsburgh to give them an early 3-0 lead. ByAP 3 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and the Pittsburgh Penguins didn't take long to stagger the NHL's newest franchise with an early onslaught. Crosby and Danton Heinen scored 25 seconds apart early in the first period, Guentzel extended his point streak to 13 games with two goals and an assist, and the Penguins routed the Seattle Kraken 6-1 on Monday night. Jeff Carter scored 1:47 into the game and Crosby followed with his fourth goal at 4:42 by finishing a shot from the blue line from Guentzel. Heinen scored on a wrist shot moments later to leave the expansion Kraken stunned. “We had a great start," Crosby said. "Being able to get the lead early, I think they still stuck behind their team and supported them but I think it just takes the pressure off a bit when you're playing in a building like this and be able to get a lead like that.” Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer was pulled after Heinen’s goal and replaced by Joey Daccord. Grubauer faced four shots and three found the back of the net. Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said it was a disappointing effort coming off an impressive win over Edmonton last Friday. “It's not an acceptable way for us to start the hockey game and play throughout the 60 minutes," Hakstol said. "We all know that. We own that. I'm not going to explain more of it away. That's the reality of it.” Guentzel scored his 14th goal of the season and Carter added his second of the game, both on odd-man rushes late in the second period. The goals came 23 seconds apart. Guentzel added his 15th at 8:28 of the third period and has five goals in the past two games after a hat trick Saturday in Vancouver. “He's had some good runs but he's just doing everything so well, finding different ways," Crosby said. "Whether it's going to the net, or you see his second goal tonight, that shot is perfect. He's doing it all.” Crosby finished with two points and has 11 in the past six games. Heinen had his first three-point game of the season, adding two assists to go along with his seventh goal. Daccord made 24 saves for Seattle. Jordan Eberle scored his 12th of the season early in the second period, but it was a lackluster performance by the Kraken, who had been one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Seattle had won five of seven and earned 11 points during the stretch, but was handed its worst home loss to date. “That just can’t happen. It's that simple,” Eberle said. “You get behind against them, it’s tough.” Pittsburgh goalie Casey DeSmith made 28 saves, and his stick saved a goal late in the second period. DeSmith was able to deflect Morgan Geekie’s pass with Jared McCann wide open at the back post. A little more than a minute later, Guentzel scored and a potential 3-2 game quickly became 5-1. It was the first victory of the season for DeSmith in his fifth start. “Mentally that was big for me to go out there and get a solid win,” he said. While Guentzel extended his point streak, there was a brief bit of concern after he took a shot from Adam Larsson off his hand late in the first period. Guentzel dropped his stick and immediately went to the bench. He returned for one more shift, but went back to the bench and to the locker room with about two minutes left in the period. Guentzel was back on the ice for his first shift of the second period. STREAKING Guentzel’s run is the longest active point streak in the league and the third-longest this season behind Connor McDavid (17 games) and Troy Terry (16). Guentzel has 12 goals and seven assists during the streak. CARTER'S COMPANY Carter became the second player to record a multipoint game against all 32 teams, joining Derick Brassard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 10, 2021 Author Share Posted December 10, 2021 Game # 26 Seattle 0 Jets 3 Connor, Hellebuyck power Jets to 3-0 win over Kraken 4 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Kyle Connor scored two goal in the third period and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-0 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night. Winnipeg’s first shutout of the season came after a team meeting during morning skate to address the Jets' weak penalty kill. They stuffed all five power plays they faced in the win. “We're the worst PK in the league pretty much — we've got to take some pride in that,” defenseman Brenden Dillon said. “I think our room, we’re prideful guys and we know we expect a lot better of ourselves. We know we’ve got to get better.” Hellebuyck was challenged often, especially after the Kraken pulled goaltender Philipp Grubauer late, but preserved his 25th career shutout. “I look forward to 26,” Hellebuyck said with a sly smile. The goalie credited Connor with turning the game late. “He’s got so much skill,” Hellebuyck said. “Tonight was the way that NHL games should look. You should grind a team out and then once plays are available, you make them, and he’s got the skill to make them clearly.” Dominic Toninato also scored for the Jets, winners in four of their last six games. Paul Stastny, Mark Scheifele and Logan Stanley had assists as the Kraken again faltered early. Stastny gathered in a turnover by Carson Soucy behind the net and found Toninato at the point for a one-timer past Seattle goaltender Grubauer at 5:24 of the first period. Grubauer, who was pulled after giving up three goals on four shots in Seattle’s 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday, allowed the goal on Winnipeg’s third shot of the game. But he finished the period with several tough saves, then traded athletic moves with Hellebuyck as neither team scored in the second period. Grubauer stoned Nikolaj Ehlers on a breakaway midway through the second, then made another tough save after Ehlers gathered the puck and centered it to Logan Stanley. Grubauer shut down the chance with a glove save. Hellebuyck countered with a sprawling save on a Jared McCann shot 30 seconds later. A few minutes later, Grubauer responded with a quick save on Josh Morrissey’s slap shot out of a faceoff. But loose defense failed Grubauer early in the third period, when Connor took a pass from Scheifele and scored his 16th goal of the season at 47 seconds after being allowed to skate freely in the crease. He added his second goal, unassisted at 14:54, after taking a turnover from Adam Larsson at mid-ice and outskating the defense before beating Grubauer. Grubauer stopped 28 of 31 shots. “They’re one of the better teams we've faced this year and they made it really hard for us to get out of our zone,” Grubauer said. “They forced us to make mistakes back there.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 Game # 27 Seattle 4 CBJ 5 OT Domi has two goals, Columbus holds off Seattle 5-4 in OT Jake Bean shows composure with this overtime game-winning goal for Blue Jackets. ByAP 4 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Back in the summer, Jake Bean believed he would be selected in the NHL's expansion draft and the next stop in his career was going to be in Seattle. Bean instead ended up in Columbus, and made his first trip to Seattle as a member of the Blue Jackets memorable. Max Domi had two goals and an assist, Bean scored 55 seconds into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Saturday night. “To be honest, it was a pretty tough day for me and my family when I didn’t get taken,” Bean said. “But once I got to Columbus, it’s been all Columbus and I haven’t really thought about it since.” Jack Roslovic and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and assist for the Blue Jackets, who won for the second time in eight games. Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves and the Blue Jackets withstood Seattle’s furious rally in the third period. Merzlikins also got a big assist from Bean in the first period when he covered an open net to block Jamie Oleksiak's wraparound attempt. Columbus had lost five straight road games. “You got to give that team credit. They worked, they used the crowd to their advantage and found a way to get to overtime,” Domi said. “We would like to finish it in regulation, but the two points is two points and we will take the win any way we can.” Seattle rallied with three goals in the third, capped by Vince Dunn’s wrist shot with 4:06 remaining to pull even at 4-all. Seattle scored twice 22 seconds apart early in the third, with Jaden Schwartz deflecting Joonas Donskoi’s shot past Merzlikins at 3:41 and moments later Morgan Geekie snapped a wrist shot off a pass from Mason Appleton to pull Seattle within 4-3. Jared McCann added his 11th of the season in the second period for Seattle. The Kraken earned a point, but lost their third straight. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves, but couldn’t get his blocker up in time to deflect Bean’s shot from the right circle in OT. “The thing that our players can take a lot of pride is coming out in the third period and playing an outstanding period and earning one point,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “At the end of the day that makes losing the the extra point not being able to finish it out in overtime a pretty hard pill for everybody to swallow.” Columbus scored four times in the second period to take a 4-1 lead. Bjorkstrand scored at 8:13 of the second, beating Grubauer with a wrist shot from the left circle. Three minutes later, Roslovic redirected Domi’s pass into the net for his fifth of the season. Then it was Domi’s turn. His breakaway goal at 16:43 of the second gave the Blue Jackets a 3-1 lead, and he added a second score 2:51 later when Bjorkstrand’s shot slipped between Grubauer’s pads, and Domi was there to guide the puck into the net. Domi had a three-point game for the third time this season. COVID CONCERNS Seattle placed forwards Yanni Gourde and Riley Sheahan, and assistant coach Jay Leach into the league’s COVID-19 protocol on Saturday morning. The trio joined forward Colin Blackwell, who was placed into the protocol on Wednesday. Hakstol indicated the team learned of the positive tests on Saturday morning. “We get the information in real time here and we got some new information this morning. So we want to make sure that we’re clear in our minds as to who is available for tonight’s game,” Hakstol said after the morning skate. “It’s not ideal to have these types of changes on the morning of a game, but as you said it’s not new for anybody in the sports world right now.” Seattle recalled forward Alexander True from Charlotte of the AHL. True is the first former Seattle Thunderbirds player to debut for the Kraken. Game notes It was the first overtime game at Climate Pledge Arena. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 Game # 28 Seattle 3 Sharks 1 Donato's goal vs. former team helps Kraken beat Sharks 3-1 The Seattle Kraken take the 1-0 lead over San Jose in the third period thanks to Ryan Donato. ByAP 5 hours ago SAN JOSE, Calif. -- — Ryan Donato broke a scoreless tie early in the third period of his return to San Jose and the Seattle Kraken beat the Sharks 3-1 on Tuesday night. Donato knocked a rebound of his own deflection off Sharks defenseman Radim Simek’s skate and past James Reimer for the goal. Donato spent last season playing in San Jose before leaving as a free agent in the summer. “Obviously it’s nice to do it against an old team and that kind of stuff," Donato said. “It was a blessing that somehow it bounced off a couple of things and went into the net. I’m happy it went that way.” Brandon Tanev added an insurance goal that proved key when Logan Couture finally got the Sharks on the board when he scored with the San Jose net empty with 2:07 to play. Chris Driedger didn't allow anything else, thanks to defenseman Adam Larsson bailing him out in the second period with a stop on Matt Nieto. Driedger made 33 saves to help Seattle snap a three-game skid. “I just felt confident,” Driedger said. “I thought we just locked it down. I can’t recall many odd-man rushes. ... I thought we just locked it down really well. We only had one penalty kill. It was just an all-around great team effort. Nights like that will be a little bit easier to stop the puck.” Calle Jarnkrok sealed the game with an empty-net goal. Reimer made 27 saves. San Jose fell to 2-2 on a seven-game homestand that is the longest of the season for the Sharks. “It seemed like the first one was going to win the game," Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. "But the thing that’s probably disappointing the most is they got the 1-0. We’ve got to keep it 1-0 and try to get that game to 1-1 to get to overtime. We can’t give up the second one and we did. It was a frustrating game. We knew they work hard and they’ve got a balanced lineup. We couldn’t generate enough.” Both teams struggled to generate good scoring chances in the first two periods when most of the 38 shots came from low-danger areas and none got past either goalie. The Sharks had the only power play, but struggled for sustained time in the offensive zone as the Kraken easily killed it. “I think early on we were a little too cute," Sharks forward Timo Meier said. "Tried too much to make some passes cross-ice and that’s not how we score goals. I think it’s got to be more of a straight line and more pucks and more bodies there.” The best chance came early the second when Nieto got a rebound on his stick with an open net in front of him. His shot looked headed into the net, but Larsson got his stick down on the goal line and stopped it. “That was the save of the year,” Driedger said. “It’s always nice when one gets past you to have your D bail you out there.” HOMECOMING The Kraken started the game with a line of former Sharks with Alexander True centering Donato and Joonas Donskoi. True was taken in the expansion draft by Seattle, while Donato and Donskoi signed as free agents in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 Game # 29 Seattle 1 Ducks 4 Terry, Grant propel first-place Ducks past Kraken, 4-1 Sam Carrick shoots the puck and banks it in off Kraken goaltender Chris Driedger's skate to increase the Ducks' lead. ByAP 5 hours ago ANAHEIM, Calif. -- — Troy Terry scored his 18th goal and Derek Grant got one short-handed in the Anaheim Ducks' fourth victory in five games, 4-1 over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night. Trevor Zegras and Sam Carrick also scored for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks, who spoiled expansion Seattle's first appearance in Southern California with a one-sided win. Anthony Stolarz made 19 saves for Anaheim, which has scored 11 goals on the Kraken in two meetings this season. Although they're off to an outstanding start this season, the Ducks still aren't too far removed from their struggles of the past three years to forget the importance of bringing their best game nightly, even against a last-place opponent on the second game of a back-to-back trip. “We've learned our lessons here,” coach Dallas Eakins said. “We've been in a tough spot. We take no one lightly.” Ryan Donato scored a power-play goal in Seattle's fourth loss in five games. Philipp Grubauer stopped 15 shots through the first two periods of his fourth consecutive winless appearance before Chris Driedger finished up the Kraken's two-game California road trip, which began with a win at San Jose on Tuesday. “Early on, we gave them a 2-on-1, and then we made a mistake on the power play, and it’s 2-0,” said Jordan Eberle, who had an assist. “It was tight to a point, but then we gave them freebies, and the game is somewhat out of hand. ... We made too many mistakes against a good offensive team. You can’t be doing that and expect to come back.” Anaheim earned at least one point for the eighth time in nine games and moved out to a three-point lead on Calgary atop the division, continuing its abrupt transformation after missing the playoffs the previous three seasons. The Ducks got a goal from both their power play and their penalty-killing unit, extending their excellent play on special teams after being among the NHL's worst last season. “For us, it's about the progress we make every day," said Grant, who scored his second goal in 28 games this season. “We believed in ourselves from Day One, and we're just enjoying the progress we're making.” Stolarz also was solid in his first back-to-back starts of the season in place of injured John Gibson. Stolarz hasn't lost in six starts since October. Zegras put the Ducks ahead just 10 minutes into his first home game since making his over-the-net pass to Sonny Milano in Buffalo for one of the most spectacular NHL goals in recent seasons. Anaheim's prized 20-year-old center scored his seventh goal of the season with a wicked wrist shot that beat Grubauer through traffic. Grant then got the puck on a Seattle power play and skated unimpeded for an unassisted goal, Anaheim's third short-handed tally of the season. Terry scored from the slot early in the second period on a power play, moving him to fourth in the NHL in goals during his breakout season. Only Teemu Selanne (23), Corey Perry (19) and Paul Kariya (19) have scored more goals in the first 30 games of an Anaheim season than Terry's 18. Donato scored on Eberle's setup with four seconds left in a power play late in the second, giving him goals in back-to-back games for the first time this season. Carrick scored his sixth with a remarkable tight-angle shot from below the goal line early in the third period, all but clinching the Ducks' 10th win in 16 home games this season in front of a loud crowd. “It's been fun, and we're a pretty confident group right now,” Carrick said. “We know what we've got, and we know what our expectations are.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 19, 2021 Author Share Posted December 19, 2021 Game # 30 Seattle 3 EDM 5 Foegele scores 2 to lift Oilers to 5-3 win over Kraken Evan Bouchard tallies goal vs. Kraken ByAP Updated: 2 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Warren Foegele scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Saturday night. Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid each had a goal and an assist, and Colton Sceviour also scored for the Oilers, who have won two straight after a six-game losing streak. Leon Draisaitl had three assists and Stuart Skinner had 14 saves. It was Foegele’s first multi-goal game of the season. “He’s such a quick, up-tempo player,” Oilers associate coach Jim Playfair said. “He went to their net hard and was rewarded for it.” Foegele’s tiebreaking goal with about 11 minutes left to play was initially waved off as he fell into Driedger as the puck went into the net. After review, it was determined that he was pushed into the goalie, negating the interference call. “I knew I wasn’t in the paint, I knew I got pushed in there, but you never know with some of these decisions,” Foegele said. “Just try to get to the net — good things happen when you go to the net.” Ryan Donato, Jared McCann and Carson Soucy scored for Seattle, and Jordan Eberle had two assists. Chris Dreidger had a season-high 36 saves as the Kraken fell to 1-4-1 in their last six games. “It was a pretty tight hockey game,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We couldn’t get a push in the second and third periods. We didn’t get through the neutral zone and we didn’t get any type of a forecheck going, so there was no momentum to be found for us.” The Kraken opened a 2-0 lead early in the game. Donato opened the scoring about four minutes in, giving him a goal in his third straight game — matching his career high. McCann had the second goal about five minutes later, when Eberle’s pass from behind the net found him right in front. It was McCann’s 12th goal, tying him with Eberle for the team lead. The Oilers tied it late in the first period. Evan Bouchard got the first with about seven minutes to go on a shot from the point that bounced off the glove of Driedger before finding the net. Edmonton’s league- best power play tied it with three minutes left in the first, as Foegele hammered in a loose rebound to make it 2-2. “Whatever the score is you’ve still got to play the right way,” Foegele said. “We were continuing to attack, and it’s not fun to play against a team that’s constantly attacking and playing hard. You keep pounding that rock and the rock’s going to chip.” The teams traded goals in the second period. Sceviour scored with seven minutes to go, and Soucy it again with 3 1/2 minutes left in the second. McDavid had an empty-net goal in the final minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 30, 2021 Author Share Posted December 30, 2021 Game # 31 Seattle 2 Flyers 3 OT Flyers return from break with 3-2 win over Kraken in OT Ivan Provorov scores in overtime to lift the Flyers to a 3-2 win vs. the Kraken. ByAP Updated: 2 hours ago SEATTLE -- — Even after a long layoff, the Philadelphia Flyers kept rolling. Ivan Provorov scored 2:14 into overtime and the Flyers beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Wednesday night as both teams returned to the ice after more than a week away due to postponements and the holiday break. Philadelphia improved to 5-0-1 in its last six games, continuing the team's turnaround since losing 10 straight in late November and early December. “In the third period we recognized that we were pretty fortunate to be in the position that we were in and we started to come out and have a better mindset,” interim coach Mike Yeo said. James van Riemsdyk's second goal of the night with 5:13 left in regulation pulled the Flyers even at 2. He scored 15 seconds after Seattle’s Jeremy Lauzon got his first of the season after having a goal disallowed by goaltender interference earlier in the period. But the lead was gone in a blink when van Riemsdyk beat Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer for the second time in the game. Van Riemsdyk also scored on a power play at 4:44 of the first period and has five goals in the past six games. “Anytime you can get one to go you get that confidence and you start playing a little more free,” van Riemsdyk said. “I think generally that’s why those things come in a bunch.” Martin Jones made 34 saves and kept the Flyers close with Seattle dominating most of the first two periods. Seattle doubled the Flyers in shots over the first 40 minutes and generated numerous scoring chances but failed to build a lead. “We probably played too much in our own end but I thought we did a decent job defending," Jones said. "Obviously we would like to build off how we played in the third.” Seattle appeared to take the lead with 14:03 remaining in the third when Lauzon’s shot from the point and through traffic beat Jones. Philadelphia challenged, claiming goalie interference, and the goal was disallowed after a video review determined Seattle’s Jaden Schwartz had impeded Jones in the crease. Yanni Gourde scored a power-play goal in the first period for Seattle. Grubauer made 19 saves but dropped to 7-12-4. “Overall we played a really good game. But down the stretch, I think we just need to tighten things up,” Lauzon said. “We’ve seen that happen too many times for our team this year. So I just think moving forward it's something that we need to take pride in.” Both teams played for the first time since Dec. 18 due to COVID-19 protocols causing postponements and the NHL taking a longer holiday break than planned around Christmas. Seattle had four games postponed, while the Flyers had two postponed by all the recent schedule changes. GIROUX’S MARK Claude Giroux moved into second place on the Flyers’ career scoring list by assisting on van Riemsdyk’s goal in the first period. Giroux passed Bill Barber and trails only Bobby Clarke. It was the 600th assist of Giroux’s career. He has 884 points. “I never really thought about it before. To be able to pass Bill Barber, it’s a great honor. He’s a legend in Philly,” Giroux said. COVID-19 UPDATES Seattle was without defenseman Vince Dunn, and forwards Mason Appleton and Ryan Donato due to COVID-19 protocols. Defenseman Adam Larsson was the one question for Seattle as he came out of protocols earlier Wednesday. He played 22:38. “Frustrating to lose on a night like this. We had enough chances to win the game,” Larsson said. Philadelphia was without top goaltender Carter Hart, top-line center Sean Couturier, forward Scott Laughton and center Derick Brassard due to protocols. Hart played junior hockey 30 miles north of Seattle for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 Game # 32 Seattle 4 Flames 6 Giordano scores three points, Kraken lose to Flames Former Calgary captain has goal, two assists in first game against former team by Andy Eide / NHL.com Independent Correspondent 2:39 AM SEATTLE -- Mark Giordano scored three points in his first game against his former team, but the Calgary Flames recovered for a 6-4 win against him and the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday. "[Giordano] was a great captain and I loved playing with him here," Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau said. "I was happy for him, but at the end of the day, it's another game against another team. But like I said, he's a great captain." Gaudreau scored twice and had an assist for the Flames (16-7-6), who had seven games postponed and were playing for the first time since Dec. 11. Jacob Markstrom made 18 saves. "I think there's guys that really led the charge," Calgary coach Darryl Sutter said. "Johnny and [Milan Lucic) were really good for us tonight and they carried our team a lot. I think there were guys who showed rust. Some guys looked like they were playing an exhibition game but other guys carried them." Giordano and Calle Jarnkrok each had a goal and two assists for the Kraken (10-18-4), who lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday. "Our guys fought extremely hard and we battled hard on a night we were playing back to back," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "There's no excuses in the room, there's no consolation prizes that we're looking for, so there's no soft landing, but call it for what it is, our guys battled extremely hard and continued to fight back." After Kraken forward Jared McCann deflected a pass from Giordano to tie the game 4-4 with 2:39 left in the third period, Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk scored 13 seconds later for a 5-4 lead. "'Chucky' scored a big goal there to make 5-4," Gaudreau said. "Guys were capitalizing and that's a big way to respond there." Noah Hanifin scored an empty-net goal at 19:40 for the 6-4 final. "It's tough to swallow when we're able to find the back of the net four times," Hakstol said. "We are a team, the way we played that should be enough to come away with two points or to push it into overtime." Giordano gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 5:48 of the first period with a wrist shot from the slot. Gaudreau tied it 1-1 at 9:46 after he received a cross-ice pass from Nikita Zadorov. Jarnkrok put the Kraken ahead 2-1 nine seconds into the second period when he scored a power-play goal after McCann's shot hit the crossbar. Gaudreau tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 3:54 on a wrist shot, and Lucic made it 3-2 at 14:56 with a quick shot from the circle. "It's an important win for us," Gaudreau said. "Obviously, a division game for us. It's a big win for us that sets us up for January." Yanni Gourde tied it 3-3 at 4:59 of the third period when he scored in the crease after Colin Blackwell made a centering pass. Andrew Mangiapane gave Calgary a 4-3 lead with a power-play goal at 16:51. "Obviously, we like the lead," Hakstol said. "We came back and had a push. Their power play was effective for them tonight. That being said, we got four tonight and that should be enough to come away with points." oal The win for the Flames was their 12th on the road to tie the Carolina Hurricanes for the most in the NHL. "We found a way to win and that's the important thing, getting back in the win column," Tkachuk said. "It was ugly, especially late. That's not the kind of team we are, giving up four. We should have been well-rested, and we had good days of practice. There was no excuse that we couldn't come in here and beat a team that played last night." NOTES: Giordano played 15 seasons with the Flames, eight as captain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted January 2, 2022 Author Share Posted January 2, 2022 Game # 33 Seattle 2 Van 5 Canucks score 3 in third period to topple Kraken 5-2 (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) After a day full of obstacles - including traveling the morning of the game and a series of false positive COVID-19 tests - the Vancouver Canucks savored getting the best of their new Pacific Northwest rivals again. Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander scored first-period goals, Tyler Motte and Conor Garland scored in the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks stayed hot with a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night. The Canucks traveled to Seattle on Saturday morning, but had a handful of players return positive COVID-19 tests. After a series of retests, it was determined they were false positives and the Canucks were cleared to play. "The whole day was crazy. I used to always put my lineup together in the morning and when you have so many changes potentially to make, it gets a little wild," Vancouver coach Bruce Boudreau said. Tanner Pearson added an empty-net goal in the closing minutes and Vancouver improved to 8-0-1 since Boudreau took over as coach last month. The Canucks have won both games in Seattle against its new Pacific Northwest rival this season. The Kraken were scheduled to play in Vancouver earlier this week, but that game was postponed. Pearson had a fight in the first period, and a goal and assist in the third to cap the long and stressful day. "It's definitely a mental grind ..." Pearson said. "They want to get games in, but personally you don't know if you're going to test positive or not." The Kraken lost their fifth straight and eighth in the past nine games. Seattle also has not won at home since Dec. 3 when it beat Edmonton. "You've gotta keep battling," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "That's the bottom line. We were our worst enemy in a couple of areas tonight." Podkolzin scored at 8:53 to give the Canucks an early lead, followed by Hoglander's power-play goal later in the period for a 2-0 advantage. Motte made it 3-1 at 4:46 of the third period with his third goal of the season, and Garland provided a quick answer after Will Borgen pulled Seattle to 3-2 midway through the period. Thatcher Demko was terrific on Oct. 23 when the Canucks beat the Kraken in their first home game in franchise history. He made 30 saves this time, and Vancouver's defense limited the number of dangerous chances for Seattle. "It was the the best first period I think we've had since I've been here," Boudreau said. "So it makes life a lot easier when you get lead on a team that hasn't come back too often." Calle Jarnkrok scored midway through the second period for Seattle and Borgen scored his first NHL goal midway through the third to pull Seattle within one. Jordan Eberle beat Demko but hit the crossbar on a late power play for Seattle. One of Seattle's problems was defensive mistakes, and the Canucks capitalized on them. The goals by Podkolzin and Motte both came off turnovers by Borgen in Seattle's defensive zone. Garland's goal came less than a minute after Borgen scored in part because Mark Giordano lost his stick after colliding with teammate Jamie Oleksiak behind the Seattle goal. Philipp Grubauer made 30 saves for Seattle. COVID CHANGES Seattle got a boost with the return of forward Ryan Donato from the NHL's COVID-19 protocols on Saturday, but defenseman Jeremy Luzon was added to the protocols. Defenseman Vince Dunn also came out of the protocols but was not activated to play. Seattle has two in protocol. Vancouver thought it was clear, announcing after the morning skate there weren't any additions to its COVID-19 protocols. But before the game, the Canucks said forward Jason Dickinson had been added to the protocol list. Vancouver now has four in protocols. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 Game # 34 Seattle 3 Avs 4 Kadri's third-period goal lifts Avalanche over Kraken 4-3 ByAP Updated: 3 hours ago DENVER -- — Nazem Kadri scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period, and the surging Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on Monday night. Nicolas Aube-Kubel had two goals and Devon Toews also scored for Colorado, which beat former goalie Philipp Grubauer to win its franchise-best 12th straight at home and fifth in a row overall. Grubauer, who had 31 saves, played the previous three seasons with the Avalanche. He received a warm reception from the crowd, who shouted “Gru” when he was first shown on the scoreboard. He was 30-9-1 in 40 games with Colorado last season but was a casualty of the salary cap, became a free agent in the summer and signed a six-year, $35.4 million deal with Seattle. “I wasn’t sure if they were boos or Grus coming back here,” Grubauer said. “If it was a Gru, I definitely appreciate it. The love and the appreciation and the support I got here, it’s been incredible. Denver is always a special place in my heart, especially the fans, too. It feels amazing for sure.” The Kraken had six games postponed since Dec. 18 and were playing for the first time since losing to Vancouver on Jan. 1 but showed little rust. Marcus Johansson, Jared McCann and Colin Backwell had goals to put Seattle ahead 3-1 in the second period. “We played a darn good hockey game but at the end of the day you have to address what the result is,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “We didn’t come here to play a good hockey game, we came to win a hockey game.” Aube-Kubel’s second goal of the game made it 3-2 and Toews tied it when the puck deflected off his right skate and in at 11:47 of the third. The goal was upheld upon review. “I don’t know what the definition of a kick-in is,” Grubauer said. “Maybe you can find an answer for me.” McCann and Johansson also had assists. Kadri got the winner when he beat Grubauer high at 14:17 of the third for his 13th goal of the season. “I had some room. I was looking to pass it, but I had some room to walk in and just wanted to stay aggressive and was able to find that short side,” said Kadri, who also had an assist Monday night. Grubauer came off for an extra skater but the Kraken couldn’t get the equalizer against Pavel Francouz, who finished with 23 saves. Avalanche captain and top-line forward Gabriel Landeskog tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and was placed in health and safety protocols. Andre Burakovsky moved up to the top line and finished with two assists. “Of course it’s a big loss for us but we’re a good enough team to try to rebound and scrape together a few wins without him,” Kadri said. “Obviously he can’t be replaced and we’re much better with him but our team has shown a lot of maturity, a lot of character coming back in these type of fashions that I don’t think we would have handled the same way a year or two ago.” Game notes Avalanche D Ryan Murray was scratched after playing in the last two games. Murray missed 11 games with a lower-body injury before returning against Winnipeg on Thursday night. ... Kraken RW Joonas Donskoi does not have a goal in 34 games this season. He had 17 goals in 51 games with Colorado last season. Donskoi was taken by Seattle in the expansion draft. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.