Seattle Kraken Season Chatter 22/23 (Season # 2)

[Brewin Flames]

Inside look at Seattle Kraken

Bjorkstrand, Burakovsky, Schultz added to help franchise continue to grow in second season

by Jackie Spiegel @jackiespiegel93 / NHL.com Staff Writer

 September 1, 2022

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NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 8-Sept. 8. Today, the Seattle Kraken.

 

The Seattle Kraken are focused on putting their inaugural season behind them.

 

The Kraken (27-49-6) finished with the third-worst record in the NHL last season. They also were tied for 28th in goals per game (2.60), 29th on the power play (14.6 percent) and tied for 30th on the penalty kill (74.9 percent).

 

"It's a results-based league, so our job is to show improvement in everything that we did," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. "At the end of the day, everybody's extremely competitive and you want to compete, to be playing at meaningful times and playing meaningful games at the key time of the regular season and compete to be in a playoff spot and have that opportunity."

 

In order to take a step closer to that, the Kraken brought in new faces this offseason, including forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand (acquired in trade with Columbus Blue Jackets on July 22) and Andre Burakovsky (signed five-year contract July 13), defenseman Justin Schultz (signed two-year contract July 13) and goalie Martin Jones (signed two-year contract July 13).

 

[Kraken 32 in 32: 3 Questions | Top prospects | Fantasy breakdown]

 

"I could imagine, after what Vegas [had] done (advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018) and then coming into the League, I'm sure they were [having] high expectations of them doing well," Bjorkstrand said of the Kraken. "Unfortunately for them, it didn't go that way. So I would say that this year expectations are different. But as a group, you've got to go in and prove people wrong now and prove to them that you have a good team."

 

Also hoping to make an impact this season is center Matty Beniers. The No. 2 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 10 games, and Seattle's offense improved when the 19-year-old arrived after agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract April 10. The Kraken averaged 2.90 goals per game and converted at 17.2 percent on the power play with Beniers, up from 2.56 goals per game and 14.1 percent on the power play in their first 72 games.

 

Beniers could be joined in Seattle this season by forward Shane Wright, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

 

"He's an outstanding fit for us," Hakstol said of the 18-year-old. " … I've been really impressed with the way his summer has gone right from the days after the draft through our development camp (in July) and now on looking forward to training camp. Just getting a real focus as to the job at hand every day … and feel really good about where he is and really confident in what he's doing."

 

 

 

Kraken sign Burakovsky

 

• 00:53 • July 13th, 2022

It's a lot to ask of two teenagers to help the Kraken improve their scoring, especially at 5-on-5, where Seattle was 28th with 152 goals. At 5-on-5, Burakovsky scored 18 of his 22 goals and Bjorkstrand scored 16 of his 28, and the healthy returns of forwards Jaden Schwartz and Brandon Tanev also should provide a boost.

 

More offense, and more time in the offensive zone in general, should take pressure off the goalies. 

 

Philipp Grubauer is expected to be the No. 1, with Jones serving as the backup while Chris Driedger recovers from having surgery June 6 to repair a torn ACL in his right knee; with recovery expected to take 7-9 months, he's likely to miss at least the first three months of the season.

 

Grubauer was 18-31-5 in 55 games last season, and his .889 save percentage was the worst of his 10 NHL seasons.

 

"A lot of the focus lands on a goaltender's numbers, and our goaltenders' numbers need to be better … [but] also, we want to empower our goaltenders by giving them a little bit more margin for error as well," Hakstol said.

 

Helping with that could be Schultz, with Hakstol calling him "an extremely good puck-mover who gets you out of the zone."

 

The 32-year-old won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 2017) and will provide another veteran voice in the dressing room.

 

"When I look at the lineup, I feel like it's definitely a team that could be competitive," Bjorkstrand said. "But just because you look at the roster and the guys on the team, you think it'll be competitive, you've still got to go out and do it. ... You've got to have the attitude that you're good enough to make it (to the Stanley Cup Playoffs) and that should be your goal. And again, looking at the roster, I think that we're allowed to have that type of thought process."

[Brewin Flames]

Kraken Rookies on Ice

Seattle's second season starts this week with Rookie Camp, featuring top draft choices Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans among an impressive group of players

by Bob Condor / @ByBobCondor / nhl.com/kraken

 September 19, 2022

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The Kraken prospects pool gets a head start on team veterans Monday with the beginning of Rookie Camp. The first pucks spilled from bench walls to the ice during the eleven o'clock morning hour at Kraken Community Iceplex.

 

The drills and workouts will run two days, Monday and Tuesday, before Thursday's first entry of Kraken Training Camp Presented by Starbucks. Kraken veterans will undergo physicals Wednesday. Centers Matty Beniers and Shane Wright are headliners at rookie camp, both top-four picks in the past two NHL drafts and Beniers bringing his nine points-in-10-NHL-games gravitas to the group.

 

The rookie training days are open to the public. Among other prospects, fans will be able to size up 2021 second-round pick and defenseman Ryker Evans, who is coming off a career-high Western Hockey League 61-point season (14 goals, 47 assists). He ranked seventh among all WHL defenders. Via public comments by Seattle GM Ron Francis, Evans will be given every opportunity to make the 23-man opening day active roster.

 

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2022 Rookie and Training Camp Roster

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While Evans will play for American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley if he doesn't stick with the big club to start the season, most of the team's 2021 and 2022 draft choices will return to their respective juniors or European teams if they don't make the Kraken roster. The NHL and Canadian Hockey League (comprised of the WHL, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) have an agreement that players on CHL teams must be 20 or have played four junior seasons before they progress to the AHL. 

 

Drafted players can in fact make the opening night roster - Wright is perhaps the most likely under-20 candidate in rookie camp to make the possible leap straight to the NHL. But if that is not the case, players return to the CHL for more seasoning and dominant time-on-ice for their teams. 

 

Around the league, some 18-year-olds make opening NHL rosters who can then play up to nine NHL games and still be reassigned to their juniors teams. If an 18-year-old CHL player appears in 10 NHL games or more, it counts as a year of three-year entry level contract. If an 18-year-old CHL players appears in more than 40 NHL games as a rookie, it accrues as a year toward free agency.  

 

While Evans is the lone second-rounder from the 2021 draft, fans attending rookie camp and upcoming days of training camp open to the public can watch four 2021 second-round draft choices in action: CHL forwards Jagger Firkus and David Goyette and two Finnish countrymen, 6-4, 217-pound wing Jani Nyman (played for Finland pro team last season) and goaltender Niklas Kokko (Finnish juniors in 2022-23).

 

Fans are likely to notice Firkus' offensive prowess, both his playmaking moves and above-average range of shots. Nyman is coming off a six-point performance (3G, 3A) in six games for silver-medal Finland in the 2022 World Junior Championship.

 

During this summer's development camp, Wright signed his three-year entry-level contract with a ceremonial signing at center ice to cap off the camp's final-day intrasquad games. Fellow prospects and forwards Ryan Winterton and Jacob Melanson signed their entry-level agreements too.

 

Winterton, 2021 third-rounder, scored 20 goals and 26 assists in half a regular season (he missed the first half recovering from a shoulder injury) before notching seven more goals and 12 assists in his Ontario Hockey League team's run to the championship game of the coveted elite juniors Memorial Cup this past summer.

 

For his part, Melanson scored 35 goals in the Quebec Major Junior league (plus four goals in eight playoff games) in a comeback season from breaking his collarbone not once but twice in the previous two seasons. The Kraken fifth-rounder plays a skilled and physical game, which fans at Kraken Community Iceplex will no doubt observe first-hand this month.

[Brewin Flames]

Final Buzzer: Off to Fun Start

Yes, preseason is less about the score and more focused on preparing for when games count. But, hey, Monday's 3-0 Kraken win featured highlight-reel goals and clutch saves

by Bob Condor / @ByBobCondor / nhl.com/kraken

 September 26, 2022

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The 2022 portion of the Kraken's second season started with a whole lot of 22. The entire Seattle squad dressed for Monday's preseason opener skating out wearing the No. 22 on their jerseys, not to be mysterious but to raise money for the One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena.

 

Fitting enough - and why not consider it a good omen? - that trade acquisition Oliver Bjorkstrand will be wearing the jersey number all season and throughout his Kraken career. He wore No. 28 in Columbus, but switched to No. 22 in part because new teammate Carson Soucy dons the digits plus the more sentimental part due to his father.

 

"Growing up, I used 22 a lot," said Bjorkstrand. "My dad played [professional] hockey in Denmark. He was number 22. It stuck with me ... I thought 22 was a good fit."

 

The 22 sightings continued early in Monday's game. Bjorkstrand set up linemate Matty Beniers with a crisp net-front pass for a scoring chance that just missed. Seconds later, Bjorkstrand moved the puck to Ryan Donato for a quick shot on goal.

 

+ Picking up where he finished last season (9 points in his 10-game NHL debut), rookie center Matty Beniers scored the game's and Kraken preseaon's first goal. Young Finnish defenseman Peetro Seppala, signed as a free agent this summer, notched a takeaway in the neutral zone and quickly found Beniers.

 

 

 

Beniers rips in opening goal

 

• 00:45 • September 26th, 2022

The former University of Michigan and Team USA star took it from there, reaching gracefully behind him for the pass, gathering the puck and releasing a shot that rocketed past Edmonton goalie going far corner high.

 

+ Beniers' linemate and summer workout partner Donato made it 2-0 later second period, taking a stretch pass from goalie Joey Daccord (just subbed in for Martin Jones) and motoring into the Oilers zone. Though steered to the outside by an Edmonton defender, Donato stayed with it, falling to the ice but keeping his stick blade on the puck. Donato, signed late in the summer after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Kraken, finished a highlight-reel play by hooking stick and puck for a wraparound goal.

 

"It was a little disappointing at the beginning [of the summer]," said Donato in an exclusive interview before training camp. "But I always knew there was a chance I would be back here. I wanted to be back here and that was my gut feeling no matter [qualifying offer or not]. Management gave me the benefit of the doubt [last season], giving me an opportunity coming here the first time. I love the team, my teammates here, the staff, everybody from the top down."

 

 

 

Donato's wrap-around beauty

 

• 00:44 • September 26th, 2022

Fans were loving Donato right back Monday night after the goal. Showing his appreciation for Daccord, who made a glove save then quickly dropped the puck to pass the puck to Donato at the red line, Donato did the usual hand-bumping at the bench before skating back to Daccord for a one-on-one glove bump. Daccord finished the night with 16 saves of his own to make it two outstanding nights and one shutout for SEA goaltenders.

 

+ NEWS FLASH for kids, little and big: The Kraken is saving the planned new elements for the game-presentation and entertainment show for the home opener against Vegas Oct. 15. But the preseason will unveil much-anticipated news about the Kraken mascot. A first of two teaser videos (with another due Tuesday) gave clues and in-arena announcers promised a major announcement at the Oct. 1 preseason home game versus Vancouver.  

Late second period during a TV timeout, the crowd here at Climate Pledge Arena roared when a light-hearted video about three kids embarking on a mascot hunt turned revelatory when former Sonics great Detlef Schrempf "pitched" the idea of the Kraken mascot to be a kindred spirit (and/or kindred character or creature or who knows?) to Sonics beloved mascot "Squatch." In his remarks, Schrempf referenced the NBA and Sonics coming back to Seattle. The crowd roared. Check out the full video here.

 

+ Free agent signee Martin Jones finished the night with 14 saves and a clean sheet. He made a big-time save late first period and another early middle period with Edmonton on the power play. After the Beniers goal, Jones kept the lead with several point-blank saves flashing reflexes and executing perfect positioning. It's early, but Jones has been clear in early interviews he wants to play his share of games. GM Ron Francis, coach Dave Hakstol and even fellow goaltender Philipp Grubauer wouldn't expect other from a veteran who has played nearly 400 NHL games and led San Jose to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.

 

+ While young centers and top draft choices Matty Beniers and Shane Wright (who debuts Tuesday against Calgary) have been getting the most media attention, Morgan Geekie has quietly put together his second straight high-flying performance during training camp. Hakstol and the coaching staff have connected fan-fave Geekie with another fan favorite, the returning Brandon Tanev, and Boston free-agent wing Jesper Froden. Geekie and Tanev have worked together on the penalty-kill too, which paid dividends in Monday's third period. Tanev started a 2-on-1 break during a five-minute major on Kraken prospect Jacob Melanson, stayed patient to draw the defense, then passed cross-ice to Geekie for a one-timer too fast for a fully-stretched Oilers goalie.  

[Brewin Flames]

Final Buzzer: A Whale of a Game

In a match that started with chippy play, a persistent effort brought the Kraken back from a two-goal deficit to earn an overtime win

by Alison Lukan / @AlisonL

 12:26 AM

 

The Kraken headed out on the road for the first time this preseason to line up against a veteran-heavy Vancouver squad. While most of the Seattle players had seen some preseason action it was the first outing for Tye Kartye, Cameron Hughes, Austin Poganski and Matt Tennyson. And there were many lessons to learn about the levels of competition in the NHL. But that is the point of preseason play.

 

The Kraken fell down on the scoreboard early with the Canucks scoring two goals in the first ten minutes of play, but they were able to steady themselves and maintain play in the second period before building a comeback in the final twenty minutes of regulation to force overtime. In extra time, back-and-forth play filled the majority of the bonus minutes before Ryan Donato got off on the breakaway and beat Arturs Silvo for the game winner with forty seconds remaining on the clock.

 

An impressive comeback all around for the young Kraken squad.

• After giving up two goals to the Canucks in the first period, the Kraken did get on the board thanks to Tye Kartye who was playing in his first preseason game.
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• Seattle was playing with an extra skater after Andrei Kuzmenko (who had scored the two aforementioned goals) tripped Morgan Geekie. Shane Wright fired a shot from the right flank - where he's been practicing on the power play in training camp. That shot was stopped by Thatcher Demko but Kartye jumped on the rebound and his second attempt found the back of the net.

 

 

 

Kartye scores goal

 

• 00:36 • September 29th, 2022

• The first period was a chaotic and chippy one with Seattle getting dinged for six infractions and Vancouver earning five penalty calls. And arguably specialty teams became the difference maker. The Canucks would convert two of their three opportunities on the power play while Seattle had only two chances, converting one.
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• However, play settled down in the second with only one two-minute call (outside fisticuffs between John Hayden and Dakota Joshua after Joshua laid a hit on Michal Kempny that resulted in the veteran defenseman leaving the game). With more time at even strength, the Kraken were able to find a bit of a groove and generated a few more scoring chances for themselves. There were a few calls in the third but play remained fairly steady.
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• As Seattle settled down, the Kraken were able to find more of a scoring touch. The third frame saw two goals go in. First, Kole Lind was able to tuck the rebound of a Will Borgen shot behind Silvos. And then, tone setter John Hayden - who brought the physicality and had two fights - added a tying point off a pass from Cameron Hughes. Donato - who's known for his offensive contributions - then added the final goal of the night.

 

 

 

Lind pokes in a loose puck

 

• 00:41 • September 29th, 2022

NOTABLES

• Forward Joonas Donskoi collided with Kole Lind along the boards and left the bench shortly after. He, along with Kempny did not return to play.
• Shane Wright continues to look more and more comfortable. He notched his first preseason point with the helper on Kartye's goal and contributed in all three zones. The 2022 draftee was strong on the puck, generated quality scoring chances, and was noticeable for his back check as much as his offensive drive. It's all in the details and Wright is showing his attention to so many.
• Joey Daccord turned away 18 of the 21 pucks he faced. In relief (the game was once again intentionally split between both goaltenders) Martin Jones stopped all 15 pucks he faced.

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[Brewin Flames]

Pre-Season

 

Final Buzzer: Kraken Blank Canucks In Fun-Filled Night

Kraken continue to perform in preseason with strong performances from Grubauer, Gourde, and Wennberg. Plus fans meet Buoy

by Andy Eide / @AndyEide / nhl.com/kraken

 12:07 AM

 

SEATTLE - Buoyed by 17 Philipp Grubauer saves and some Matty Beniers magic the Seattle Kraken remained unbeaten in preseason play with a 4-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday.

Beniers scored his second goal in as many preseason games, Alex Wennberg scored a goal and added two assists, and Yanni Gourde scored twice. Grubauer has yet to allow a goal in the preseason. Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko played well in the loss and allowed three goals on 25 shots.

 

"I think the closer we get to the end of camp, I think there's a lot of excitement," Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had an assist, said. "I feel like a lot of guys have gotten a few games done at least. So, you start feeling better and chemistry starts developing. Now you just start getting ready for that first game."

 

Grubauer previously stopped 10 shots in a 3-0 win against the Calgary Flames in a Sep. 10 game. As a team, the Kraken have not allowed a preseason goal at home this year. After allowing a pair of power-play goals to the Canucks on Thursday, Seattle held the Canucks to 0-for-2 Saturday.

 

"Tonight is a difficult game for a goaltender to play," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "Grubi had two real good saves that for me, that's a goaltender doing his job and doing it well." 

The Kraken improved their preseason record to 4-0. Saturday was the last preseason home game with the club finishing the preseason on the road starting Monday, Oct. 3 in Calgary against the Flames.

 

Winning preseason games is of course important but the real key is that the team starts to gel and to do that, coach Dave Hakstol deployed a lineup filled with most of his NHL regulars. Those veterans were mixed in with two promising rookies in Beniers and Shane Wright.

 

"We've got work to do," Hakstol said. "We're positive with a lot of things that we're doing but tonight we didn't play a complete game. I wouldn't expect that at this point in time. Of the lines out there tonight we were four for four in terms of new combinations. That's gonna take some time and we've still got some competition. We're gonna have some difficult decisions to make as we move through the next week." 

 

How the goals were scored

After the two teams played a scoreless first period, Matty Beniers opened the scoring at 6:42 of the second period when he fired a wrist shot from the slot that beat Demko in the top corner of the goal. Andre Burakovsky and Adam Larsson each picked up assists on the play. It was the second goal for Beniers in as many games this preseason.

 

 

 

Beniers strikes first

 

• 00:50 • October 1st, 2022

The Kraken extended the lead to 2-0, 58 seconds into the third when Oliver Bjorkstrand took the puck behind the net and slid it to Wennberg who was parked in front. He beat Demko with a quick one-time shot.

 

 

 

Wennberg scores goal

 

• 00:28 • October 1st, 2022

Gourde made it 3-0 at 7:15 when he took a pass from Wennberg and broke in alone to beat Demko for his first of the preseason.

 

 

 

Gourde buries breakaway

 

• 00:13 • October 1st, 2022

Gourde scored on an empty net at 17:15 to finish the scoring. 

 

Matty Beiers continues to shine

He still has yet to turn 20 years old but the 2021 first-round pick of the Kraken continues to impress and excite. The shot that he scored his goal on was elite and made a good goalie like Demko freeze in his crease.

Beniers played on a line with free agent signee Andre Burakovsky and last season's leading scorer Jared McCann and were pushing the pace for most of the night. The rookie keeps taking a step and plays older than his age suggests.

 

Shane Wright strides forward

Playing in his third straight game, Seattle's first pick in the 2022 NHL Draft was active all night. He played on the power play with Vince Dunn, Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann. They had two great looks in the first period but were turned away by Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko.

Wright ended with two shots in a game that may have been his best yet to date in the preseason despite not getting on the scoresheet. He played with Brandon Tanev on one wing and Daniel Sprong on the other.

[Brewin Flames]

Pre-Season

 

Final Buzzer: Kraken Fall Short

Icing a close-to-regular lineup, the defending Pacific Division champion Calgary Flames extinguished the Seattle Kraken 4-1 Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome

by Andy Eide / @AndyEide / nhl.com/kraken

 October 3, 2022

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The Flames were the stingiest NHL team last season in terms of goals allowed and the Kraken learned why Monday. Calgary started strong, absorbed a pushback from the Kraken and that was enough for goaltender Jakob Markstrom who made 21 saves and allowed one power-play goal.

 

Christopher Tanev, Michael Stone, and Noah Hanifin each scored to build a lead and provided all the offense that Markstrom needed. 

 

Matty Beniers scored a goal and Martin Jones made 21 saves for the Kraken who lost for the first time in the preseason.

 

Seattle had its chances prior to the Beniers goal. The Kraken had a glorious chance on a give-and-go between Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle. The rookie Wright slid a pass to Eberle whose shot from in close hit the crossbar and out of play.

 

How the goals were scored 

Tanev opened the scoring to give Calgary a 1-0 lead at 7:44 of the first period after his initial shot was blocked by Beniers. The rebound came back to Tanev and he flung a wrist shot past Jones.

The Flames doubled the score 2-0 at 5:33 of the second period with a power-play goal from Stone who blasted a shot from the point.

 

Hanifin made it 3-0 Flames at 15:49 with a point shot that beat a screened Jones. The Seattle goalie was unable to see the shot until it was past him. 

 

Beniers scored on the power-play to cut the lead to 3-1 at 2:22 of the third period.

 

Blake Coleman would make it 4-1 at 9:32 to reestablish a three-goal lead when he got in low and threw the puck on net where it squeezed through Jones.

 

Jaden Schwartz 

Schwartz was back in the lineup Monday after sitting out the previous two preseason games. He played on a line with Beniers and Andre Burakovsky. Earlier in training camp, coach Dave Hakstol said that Schwartz was the type of player who improved any line he was on. He was good Monday, despite being held off the scoreboard. Schwartz was strong on the forecheck freeing up pucks and extending possession. He goes to the so-called 'dirty' areas and plays a tough, hard game. All in all he played over 15 minutes and was credited with two shots on goal. When he was on the ice, the Kraken had their most dangerous chances.

 

Injury concerns

The Kraken were already playing without Michael Kempny and Joonas Donskoi, each of whom are out day-to-day with upper body injuries, but they were also missing Yanni Gourde who Hakstol said was out with a non-Covid illness. Morgan Geekie and Matty Beniers had scares on Monday. Beniers blocked Tanev's shot and was temporarily hobbled in the first period but did not miss a shift. Geekie was hit skate to skate in the second period and had to go to the dressing room to be looked at. He missed the rest of the period but was back to start the third period.

 

Beniers scores again

Beniers scored his third goal of the preseason and he's never not scored a goal in a preseason game. After being selected by the Kraken with the second overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Beniers chose to return to the University of Michigan for one final year, which meant he did not play in the preseason and joined the Kraken for the last 10 games of the season. He tallied 9 points in those games and is off to an equally hot start in the preseason.

[Brewin Flames]

Pre-season loss to. the oilers 5-3.

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 1

 

Seattle 4 Ducks 5 OT

 

Terry scores 2nd goal in OT, Ducks rally to beat Kraken 5-4

By JOE REEDY

AP Sports Writer

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Troy Terry scored his second goal 55 seconds into overtime and the Anaheim Ducks overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

John Gibson made 44 saves and assisted on Terry's winner.

Ryan Strome had a goal and two assists in his Ducks debut, Trevor Zegras added a goal and an assist and Frank Vatrano also scored. Mason McTavish and John Klingberg each had two assists.

McTavish, the third pick in the 2021 draft, became the third player in NHL history to record multiple points in his first two season-opening games at 18 and 19 years old. He joined Bobby Carpenter and Ray Bourque.

The Ducks have won seven straight home openers, which trails only Tampa Bay (9-0-0 dating to Jan. 19, 2013) for the longest active run, and have points in each of their last 10 (9-0-1).

Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist for the Kraken, who lost their opener for the second straight year. Jared McCann, Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand had power-play goals and Justin Schultz had a pair of assists.

Philipp Grubauer stopped 22 shots.

It is the first multi-point game for Beniers, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft. The center, who turns 20 on Nov. 5, joined the expansion Kraken late last season after two seasons at the University of Michigan. He has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 11 games.

Beniers delivered a cross-ice pass to Jared McCann on the power play to tie it at 1 midway through the first period. Beniers put a rebound into the back of the net to give Seattle a 4-2 lead 4:09 into the third period before the Ducks rallied.

Vatrano fired a wrist shot just outside the left faceoff circle that hit the inside of the crossbar and went in at 9:56. Less than four minutes later, Zegras evened it with a slap shot from inside the left circle.

Terry got the Ducks on the board 51 seconds into the game on a wrist shot in front of the net after getting the pass from McTavish. Terry's tally was the second-fastest goal in a Ducks' season opener, behind Max Comtois, which happened 49 seconds into the first game of the 2018-19 season at San Jose.

Seattle built a 3-1 lead midway through the second period with all of their goals coming on the power play. After McCann evened it in the first period, the Kraken added second-period scores by Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand with the man advantage.

Strome, who spent the past four seasons with the New York Rangers, brought the Ducks within 4-2 with 1:36 remaining in the second with a power-play goal.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 2

 

Seattle 4 LA 1

 

Tanev scores go-ahead goal in 2nd, Kraken beat Kings 4-1

 

By JOE REEDY

AP Sports Writer

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) Brandon Tanev scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period and the Seattle Kraken rebounded from an opening loss to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Thursday night.

Jaden Schwartz, Alex Wennberg and Adam Larsson also scored for the Kraken and Martin Jones made 28 saves.

Seattle bounced back from a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night, when the Kraken squandered a two-goal lead in the third period.

Alex Iafallo had Los Angeles' lone goal and Jonathan Quick stopped 18 shots. The Kings have dropped their first two games.

Tanev, who had nine goals and 15 points in 30 games last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury, got his first goal in 11 career games against the Kings at 6:08 of the second period. He won possession of the puck in the corner, got past Adrian Kempe and then put a wrist shot above Quick's shoulder on the short side.

Seven minutes later, Wennberg gave the Kraken a two-goal advantage when he grabbed Matty Beniers' pass at the front of the net and put it past Quick.

It was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes after both teams scored on the power play. Seattle scored first at 5:21 Schwartz put in a rebound after Quick made a pad save on Jordan Eberle's shot from the slot. Two minutes later, Iafallo evened it on a wraparound after the Kings won the faceoff.

Larsson added an empty-net goal with 1:01 remaining.

QUICK START

Beniers had an assist and became the sixth player in the NHL's modern era (since 1943-44) to find the score sheet in at least 11 of his first 12 career games. He joins Jonathan Toews, Rob Gaudreau, Teemu Selanne, Dimitri Kvartalnov and Joe Sakic. Kvartalnov and Sakic had a point in their first 12 games.

Beniers, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, has 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his first 12 games.

CLARKE'S DEBUT

Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke made his NHL debut. The 19-year old Clarke, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 draft, is the 32nd teenager to play for the Kings and the fourth to make his debut in Todd McLellan's four seasons as coach. The others were Tobias Bjornfot, Arthur Kaliyev and Quinton Byfield.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 3

 

Seattle 2 VGK 5

 

Marchessault scores 2, Golden Knights beat Kraken 5-2

 

---

ByAP

Updated: 3 hours ago

 

SEATTLE -- — Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 Saturday night.

 

Keegan Kolesar, Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore also scored to help the Golden Knights win their third straight to open the season. Adin Hill stopped 31 shots in his first start.

 

Justin Schultz and Jaden Schwartz scored in the third period for Seattle. Martin Jones had 19 saves through two periods, and Philip Grubauer stopped all five shots he faced in the third.

 

Kolesar scored just 12 seconds into the game. After the opening faceoff, the puck was on the stick of Seattle defenseman Will Borgen in his own zone. William Carrier took it away from him and got it to Kolesar just beyond the top of the crease for a shot into the lower left for his first of the season.

 

“That was great turnover by Carrie. Those are ones I missed in the last game in Chicago, and I wasn’t missing it this time,” said Kolesar, who played five seasons of junior hockey (2012-17) here with the Seattle Thunderbirds. “This is a good start for us right now.”

 

With Seattle’s Alex Wennberg in the box for high sticking, Alex Pietrangelo sent a pass across the ice from the right faceoff circle to Marchessault, and he sent a slap shot past Jones at 3:07 to make it 2-0.

Smith needed just 8 seconds into a power play to make it 3-0 for Vegas with 6:05 left in the second, sweeping in a pass from Chandler Stephenson for his first.

 

Marchessault made it 4-0 with 2:49 remaining in the middle period with his third of the season, sending a shallow shot from the right side behind Jones and into the net.

 

Theodore, a former Thunderbirds teammate of Kolesar, drilled one in from the high slot with 16.5 seconds left in the period for his first and a 5-0 lead.

 

“I think it’s good for the guys to get a taste of success early – everyone is chasing that early in the year and we don’t want to be behind,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I thought we started well tonight, which is something we addressed. I didn’t think our starts in L.A. and at home against Chicago were great. They weren’t bad, but when you can put the other team on their heels, that always helps.”

 

The Kraken avoided a shutout when Schultz scored with 6:41 left in the game for his first. Schwartz, playing in his 600th NHL game, scored his first of the year with 3:43 to go.

 

“From the start, we were stuck in quicksand for the first 10 minutes of this game – we couldn’t get our feet going,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Once we steadied our game, we just didn’t execute with the puck. We’re looking at the number of opportunities we gave them in transition right off our tape, whether it was turnovers on entry or slow forechecks, or we just didn’t get there. They killed us on transition, especially in the second period.”

 

NOT THE FASTEST

 

The goal at the 12-second mark did not go down as a record for either team. The Vegas record for fastest goal was by William Karlsson just 10 seconds in against Colorado on April 29, 2021, in a 5-2 victory. The fastest goal allowed by Seattle was last Feb. 21 in Vancouver when Tyler Motte scored 11 seconds into the Canucks' 5-2 win.

 

Vegas had a chance to make it 3-0 at the 4:37 mark of the second period when Chandler Stevenson was hooked by Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn and was awarded a penalty shot. However, Jones made a stick save on Stevenson’s wrister.

 

HOME WOES

 

The Kraken lost their second straight home opener. Their first home game in their inaugural season last year was a 4-2 loss to Vancouver.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 4

 

Seattle 1 Canes 5

 

Svechnikov scores twice, Hurricanes blow through Kraken 5-1

 

Jordan Martinook scores goal vs. Kraken

Jordan Martinook scores goal vs. Kraken

---

ByAP

Updated: 4 hours ago

 

SEATTLE -- — Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals 70 seconds apart in the second period, Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists, and the Carolina Hurricanes remained unbeaten with a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Monday night.

 

Carolina improved to 3-0 behind a barrage of second-period goals. Carolina scored three times in less than three minutes, two of them coming on the power play after the Hurricanes started the season 0 for 5 in extra-man opportunities.

 

“You need your best players to be the best players if you want to have any kind of success as a group," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "So far, those guys have been — three games in — but they certainly have done their job. We need to keep that going.”

 

Svechnikov’s two goals helped Carolina create separation after Andre Burakovsky scored on the power play to pull Seattle to 2-1.

 

Svechnikov’s first came at 13:24 of the second when Aho found him alone at the side of the net. Barely a minute later, Martin Necas’ shot from between the circles was tipped by Svechnikov in front of the net and trickled past Seattle goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer.

 

It was Svechnikov’s first two-goal game of the season after he had five last year on his way to a career-high 30 goals.

 

“He's a great player. You want to find him because he can put the puck in the net,” Aho said.

 

Seth Jarvis jammed a short-side goal past Grubauer in the opening minutes of the first period to give Carolina an early advantage after coming back from 1-0 deficits in each of its first two wins. Aho’s power play goal midway through the second made it 2-0.

 

“You’re playing with fire when you put these guys on the power play that often and you know it came back to get us on their second goal,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.

 

Jordan Martinook scored on a rebound at 14:41 of the third period for his first goal of the season.

 

Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen made 22 saves, including 12 in the third period as Seattle pushed to get back in the game.

 

Burakovsky’s goal was his 300th career point and pulled Seattle within 2-1 at 13:06 of the second period. It was his second goal and fifth point in four games with his new team. But Seattle’s’ scoring chances were limited for the first 40 minutes and the Kraken had just 11 shots through two periods. Seattle was routed at home for the second straight game after losing 5-2 to Vegas on Saturday.

 

Grubauer made 29 saves, but the soft early goal allowed to Jarvis left Seattle playing from behind form the outset.

 

“That puts you in a hole right away and you have to play from behind. Now we were able to get going and pushed back in, but again that’s not a great way to start a hockey game,” Hakstol said.

 

HOME DEBUT

 

Seattle first-round pick Shane Wright made his home debut after being scratched on Saturday against Vegas. The Kraken plan to be cautious with Wright’s workload early in his rookie season. Wright was paired on the fourth line with Daniel Spring and Morgan Geekie, but the amount of special teams time on the ice limited Wright to just 6:50.

 

“That’s partly the special teams and partly the flow of the game,” Hakstol said.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 5

 

Seattle 4 Blues 3

 

Faulk scores 2nd goal in OT to lift Blues over Kraken, 4-3

 

 

1:12

 

Justin Faulk's 2nd goal wins it for the Kraken in OT

Justin Faulk tallies his second goal to win it for the Kraken in overtime.

---

ByAP

5 hours ago

SEATTLE -- — Justin Faulk scored his second goal of the game at 2:50 of overtime and the St. Louis Blues beat the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on Wednesday night.

 

Vladimir Tarasenko took advantage of a defensive miscue behind the net and found Faulk in front of the net for his third assist of the game. Faulk put the shot past Martin Johnson from the crease.

 

“He's dangerous,” Faulk said aboutTarasenko. “I think it attracts a lot of attention. He could shoot and score from anywhere. So anytime that puck's on his stick he probably creates more space for his teammates and finds opportunities for them. When they’re dangerous players like that, teams have to take notice and be aware.”

 

Too many times he slipped away, though, starting with an assist on Brayden Schenn's goal. He also assisted on Faulk's first goal. Jordan Kyrou also scored and Jordan Binnington made 32 saves to help St. Louis improve to 2-0.

Will Borgen, Ryan Donato and Alex Larsson scored for Seattle in its third straight loss at home to start the season.

 

Seattle wiped away a two-goal deficit in the second and played its best defensive period of the season to send it overtime.

 

“This is our hockey team tonight, the way we battled. competed, executed, the pace and the tenacity that we played with," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said.

 

Faulk gave St. Louis a 3-1 lead with 7:48 left in the first period, scoring 17 seconds after Schenn. But the team gave up a two-goal lead for the second time in two games.

 

“I’m going to take the two points, but definitely it was pretty ugly in the second and third period again,” Faulk said.

 

Donato stuffed the puck home midway through the second and Larsson buried a slap shot from the blue line to tie it with 1:29 left in the period. Binnington appeared to have the puck lined up on Larsson's shot, but Torey Krug inadvertently redirected the puck into the net with his stick.

 

“We just didn’t play a simple enough game,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “We kind of fed them, let them have too much time in the offensive zone.”

 

SUE BIRD CELEBRATION

 

Seattle fans aren’t tired of cheering for Sue Bird. The newly retired Seattle Storm star was in attendance for another official salute at Climate Pledge Arena, the place where she memorably finished her career last month.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 6

 

Seattle 3 Avs 2

 

Kuhlman scores tiebreaking goal, Kraken beat Avalanche 3-2

 

 

0:54

 

Karson Kuhlman tallies winning goal for the Kraken vs. the Avs

Karson Kuhlman tallies winning goal for the Kraken vs. the Avs

---

ByAP

Updated: 2 hours ago

DENVER -- — Karson Kuhlman scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the Seattle Kraken beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Friday night.

 

Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann scored 22 seconds apart in the second period and added an assist each for Seattle. Philipp Grubauer had 17 saves before being replaced by Martin Jones midway through the third period. Jones got the win with just one save.

 

Kraken coach Dave Hakstol did not have an update on Grubauer’s status after the game.

 

“That was an all-around good team effort,” Schwartz said. “Thought we checked them hard, took away their time and space, had some pretty good (offensive) zone time. We looked quicker and a little bit cleaner coming out of our end.”

Bowen Byram had a goal and an assist and Evan Rodrigues also scored for Colorado, which has dropped two straight.

 

“They’re solid team but I don’t think it was as much them as it was us,” Byram said. “We’ve just got to find our stride. We have a really big test (Saturday) night so we got to refocus and look at our mistakes, learn from them and turn the page.”

Kuhlman put the Kraken ahead when he maneuvered around Kurtis McDermid and beat Pavel Francouz with 7:54 left in the third.

 

“Schwartzy makes a good play, putting puck into space. Let me skate into it,” Kuhlman said. “He was kind of draped on me there. I usually like to get that puck to the far post, kind of beat the goalie over there, but saw a little opening and was able to put it in the net.”

 

Francouz finished with 35 saves.

 

The game was scoreless after the first period but the teams combined for three goals in the first six minutes of the second. Schwartz scored a power-play goal at 1:38 with a one-timer from the slot, and McCann’s second goal of the season made it 2-0 just 22 seconds later.

 

The Avalanche cut the lead in half when Rodrigues scored off a feed from Valeri Nichushkin at 5:55 for his first goal in a Colorado sweater. Nichushkin had two assists.

 

“It felt good, however it’s not the result we wanted,” Rodrigues said. “But good to get that one out of the way.”"

 

Byram scored a short-handed goal at 6:58 of the third to tie it.

 

RETURNING CHAMPION

 

Kraken left wing Andre Burakovsky was honored on the scoreboard in his first game back in Denver since signing with Seattle in the summer.

Burakovsky played three season with the Avalanche and was a key part of their run to the Stanley Cup title. He scored the overtime goal in Game 1 of the final against Tampa Bay and finished with three goals and five assists in 12 postseason games.

Colorado played a short video of his highlights with the team, and he raised his stick to the crowd as it cheered him on.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 7

 

Seattle 4 Hawks 5

 

Blackhawks rally late for 3rd straight win, 5-4 over Kraken

 

 

0:46

 

Tyler Johnson scores goal for Blackhawks

Tyler Johnson scores goal for Blackhawks

---

ByAP

Updated: 43 minutes ago

CHICAGO -- — Jason Dickinson and Tyler Johnson scored 13 seconds apart late in the third period, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Sunday for their third straight win.

 

Max Domi and Jujhar Khaira also scored for Chicago (3-2-0), which trailed 2-0 midway through the first period and 4-3 going into the third. The Blackhawks also erased a two-goal deficit in their previous two wins.

Johnson tied it at 4 with his second goal of the game with 7:03 left. He beat Martin Jones from the slot after taking a feed from Jonathan Toews behind the net.

 

Dickinson then scored from the right circle with 6:50 remaining after Seattle defenseman Adam Larsson couldn’t control the puck cleanly.

 

Jared McCann had a goal and an assist for the Kraken for the second straight game. Vince Dunn, Andre Burakovsky and Matty Beniers also scored.

 

Khaira’s short-handed goal with 2:56 left in the first sparked Chicago’s comeback. It was the Blackhawks’ fourth short-handed goal already this season.

 

Johnson then tied it at 2 with his first of the season with 42 seconds to go in the first, firing in a rebound of Seth Jones’ shot from the top of the slot.

 

Jones and Patrick Kane each had two assists for Chicago.

 

Both teams were without their No. 1 goalies. Alex Stalock made 30 saves for the Blackhawks, and Jones blocked 22 shots for the Kraken (2-3-2).

 

The Blackhawks placed goaltender Petr Mrazek on injured reserve with a groin strain after he got hurt during the home opener on Friday. Coach Luke Richardson said Mrazek was scheduled to be re-evaluated later Sunday, and the injury might keep him out “for at least a week.”

 

Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer is day to day with a lower-body injury. He got hurt during the third period of the Kraken’s 3-2 win at Colorado on Friday.

 

Seattle pounced on two Chicago mistakes to score 1:45 apart early in the first.

 

McCann opened the scoring at 5:46, converting Morgan Geekie’s drop pass in the slot after getting open.

 

Burakovksy connected at 7:31. Jordan Eberle knocked the puck away from Seth Jones on the left boards, then fed Burakovsky in front.

 

Domi converted a rebound from the doorstep to put Chicago ahead 3-2 just 32 seconds into the second. But Beniers replied 19 seconds later after Stalock got caught out of position.

 

Dunn put Seattle back in front midway through the second. Trailing on the play, Dunn steamed down the slot alone, took McCann’s feed and ripped a shot past Stalock.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 8

 

Seattle 5 Buff 1

 

Sprong has 3 points, Kraken start fast in 5-1 win vs Sabres

 

 

0:52

 

Matty Beniers capitalizes on the power play

Matty Beniers capitalizes on the power play to give the Kraken a 5-1 lead.

---

ByAP

Updated: 3 hours ago

SEATTLE -- — Daniel Sprong had a goal and two assists as the Seattle Kraken beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 on Tuesday night.

 

Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak opened the scoring less than 2 1/2 minutes in. Morgan Geekie, Jordan McCann and Matty Beniers also scored for Seattle. Martin Jones made 15 saves.

 

“It’s huge that we can rely on offense up and down the lineup,” Geekie said. “If someone’s not going, we can hop on the back of somebody else.”

 

Dylan Cozens scored for the Sabres.

 

Buffalo and San Jose are the only teams that have lost three times to the Kraken since they joined the NHL as an expansion franchise last season. Buffalo has never beaten the Kraken.

 

“We couldn’t get in a rhythm,” said Sabres coach Don Granato. “(Seattle) had much better energy than us. We chased it. We had a lot of guys that didn’t look like themselves. It was a tough night as a result.”

 

Seattle jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, outshooting the Sabres 12-5. Oleksiak's goal came at 2:20. Three minutes later, Geekie scored on a breakaway.

 

Sprong, who assisted on Oleksiak’s goal along with Yanni Gourde, made it 3-0 at 4:46 of the second.

 

“It was just a good bounce,” Sprong said. “It hit a skate and came right to me alone on the goalie. You make a fake, he slides and you have a wide-open net. You’ll take those any day.”

 

The goals were the first of the season for Oleksiak, Geekie and Sprong.

 

Cozens scored at 12:25 of the second off assists from Vinnie Hinostroza and Rasmus Dahlin, who leads NHL defensemen with nine points.

 

McCann answered with a power-play goal late in the period. McCann, who leads the Kraken with four goals, tied a career high by scoring in three consecutive games.

 

“We were able to make plays and get through a couple rough patches,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “At the end of the second period was a critical time. We were back on our heels a little bit after a great start to that period.”

 

Jack Quinn appeared to score a power-play goal for Buffalo early in the third, but a replay review showed the Sabres were offside. Beniers then scored on a power play at 9:45 to extend the Kraken’s lead. Sprong and Justin Schultz were credited with assists.

 

“We didn’t play very well,” Sabres captain Kyle Okposo said. “I just thought that they had much better jump than we did. We just couldn’t find it. When we did, we made a push and took a penalty in the offensive zone. We can’t do that. It killed any momentum.”

 

GRUBAUER OUT

 

Seattle placed goalie Philipp Grubauer on injured reserve, but how long he’ll be out remains unknown. Grubauer sustained a lower-body injury in the third period of Seattle’s win in Colorado last Friday. Hakstol said after the morning skate that the netminder was day to day.

 

Game notes

It was the first matchup between Buffalo’s Owen Power and Beniers, the top two picks in the 2021 NHL draft and college teammates at Michigan. ... The Sabres recalled defenseman Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans on Friday and he played his first NHL game since March 5, 2020. ...

 

Dahlin entered on a five-game goal streak — the only defenseman in NHL history with a season-opening goal streak of five games or more.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 9

 

Seattle 4 Van 5

 

Canucks end season-opening skid at 7, beating Kraken 5-4

By CHRIS TALBOTT

Associated Press

 

SEATTLE (AP) Ilya Mikheyev scored his first two goals of the season and the Vancouver Canucks ended their season-opening losing streak at a franchise-record seven games, beating the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Thursday night.

Elias Pettersson, Andrei Kuzmenko and Conor Garland each had a goal and had an assist to help coach Bruce Boudreau reach 600 NHL victories. Garland scored the winner into an empty net.

"Just to to hear the music in the (locker) room and knowing how hard they've practiced and they've never given up hope," Boudreau said. "... The spirit has never been down where we've gone into a game and gone, `Oh, woe is me.' So I think it was a great reward for them."

Thatcher Demko stopped 32 shots for the Canucks, including two as he lay on his back midway through the third. Referees also disallowed a late Andre Burakovsky goal for a high stick.

Jamie Oleksiak, Jared McCann, Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz scored for Seattle, with Schwartz connecting on a power play with 30 seconds left.

"Sometimes you have a hot goalie and he played pretty well," Beniers said. "You know, it just happens that way. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't."

Jordan Eberle had two assists, reaching 600 points on Beniers' goal that made it 3-3 in the second.

Martin Jones made 14 saves for Seattle. The Kraken are 0-5 against their nearest rival.

"We were the better team for most of the night, but they beat us on specialty teams by one and that was ultimately the difference in the hockey game," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said.

BOUDREAU'S TALLY

Boudreau became the 22nd coach in NHL history and the fifth active coach to reach 600 wins (600-322-127). Only former Detroit Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman (.657) has a better points percentage than Boudreau's .633.

It took a lot longer than he imagined, however.

"I haven't been thinking about that since the third game," he said. "I just wanted to get the win for the guys and and let them feel better."

NOTES: With five players on injured reserve since Monday, Vancouver acquired F Jack Studnicka from the Boston Bruins on Wednesday for depth. The Bruins received goaltender Michael DiPietro and D Jonathan Myrenberg in exchange for Studnicka. He played in one game this season for Boston, recording four penalty minutes, and has recorded seven points in 38 career games. He's expected to join the team Friday.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 10

 

Seattle 3 Pens 1

 

Kraken hand Penguins 4th straight loss with 3-1 victory

 

---

ByAP

Updated: 3 hours ago

SEATTLE -- — Jordan Eberle and Martin Jones each welcomed new additions to their families before jumping back on the ice for the Seattle Kraken and teaming up to keep the Pittsburgh Penguins sliding.

 

Eberle scored midway through the second period after Seattle had two goals disallowed by challenges, Morgan Geekie scored late in the second and the Kraken beat Pittsburgh 3-1 Saturday night for the Penguins' fourth straight loss.

“Obviously, midseason you have a baby there’s a lot going through your head, but once you get out there you kind of just zone into it a bit,” Eberle said.

 

Eberle’s wife gave birth to the couples’ second child, while Jones and his wife welcomed their first child both on Friday. With everyone healthy, the pair quickly switched their focus back to the Penguins.

 

“It’s been a roller coaster,” Jones said. “Just tried to wrap my head around playing hockey today and sometimes when you’re not thinking too much things work out for you. That might have been the case today.”

 

Eberle’s goal at 11:20 of the second pulled Seattle even at 1-1 and Geekie’s goal with 1:27 left in the period gave the Kraken the lead for good.

 

Jaden Schwartz added an empty net goal for Seattle, his fifth of the season, while Jones stopped 32 shots in his finest performance to date for the Kraken.

 

Jake Guentzel scored on a breakaway midway through the second period and Casey DeSmith had 27 saves, but Pittsburgh’s road trip concluded with a thud.

 

The Penguins lost three straight in Western Canada before closing out its road swing against the Kraken. Pittsburgh was outscored 15-5 in losses in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

 

“Guys are discouraged. They’re proud guys. They care about winning. And when you go through times like this, everybody feels it because they care. We all do,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “So we just got to make sure that we turn our discouragement into determination.”

 

Seattle scored four times in the second period, only to see two of the goals waved off after successful challenges by Pittsburgh. Ryan Donato’s goal at 8:09 was disallowed after it was determined he was offside on the play and entered the zone ahead of Eberle, who had the puck.

 

Three minutes later, Andre Burakovsky slammed a rebound past DeSmith, but Pittsburgh’s challenge was successful again and it was determined the play should have been whistled for a stoppage before the goal due to a high stick.

 

However, on the ensuing faceoff, Matty Beniers found Eberle open at the side of the goal for his first of the season.

 

Late in the period, Geekie gave Seattle the lead with his second of the season, getting the rebound of Daniel Sprong’s shot and scoring from a sharp angle.

 

Jones had two saves to deny Sidney Crosby in the third period. First, he lunged to stop Crosby on a power play early in the period, then stopped Crosby again with 1:47 left after Pittsburgh pulled DeSmith. Danton Heinen hit the post with 7:50 remaining.

“I was able to come up with a big save early and and the boys did a great job the rest of the way,” Jones said.

 

Guentzel returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games with an upper body injury. His fourth goal of the season was a gift from Seattle defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who made a lazy pass at the blue line and Guentzel got a breakaway and beat Jones at 10:05 of the second period.

 

Game notes
Sullivan tied Ed Johnston for most games coached in Penguins history at 516. Sullivan has been in charge of the Penguins since 2015 and is the second-longest tenured coach in the league behind Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper. ...

 

 

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 11

 

Seattle 5 Flames 4

 

Kraken score 3 goals in 3rd period for 1st win over Flames

 

---

ByAP

Updated: 2 hours ago

CALGARY, Alberta -- — Daniel Sprong, Yanni Gourde and Matt Beniers scored in a five-minute span of the third period and the Seattle Kraken beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Tuesday night.

 

Carson Soucy and Morgan Geekie also scored as the Kraken beat the Flames for the first time. Oliver Bjorkstrand had a pair of assists and Joey Daccord stopped 36 of 40 shots for the win in his first start of the season.

“We’ve got so much more confidence in this group,” Gourde said. “Last year was last year. We know we can rally back and we know we have the skills to do it.”

 

Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist for Calgary to reach 400 career points. Nazem Kadri, Nikita Zadorov and Trevor Lewis also scored for the Flames, who led 4-2 early in the third.

 

Elias Lindholm added a pair of assists. Dan Vladar stopped 21 of 26 shots in the loss.

 

“We kept turning the puck over and eventually it was going to bite us,” Toffoli said. “That’s what happened.”

 

Calgary was up 2-1 against Edmonton on Saturday but lost 3-2.

“We’re not happy. We’re an older group and we know good teams don’t do that,” Toffoli said.

 

Calgary scored twice in a 17-second span starting at 1:34 of the third period for a 4-2 lead, but Seattle responded with power-play, short-handed and even-strength goals to pull ahead.

 

“Just finding timely plays and sticking with things, that’s how you come out of these types of games with two points,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said.

 

Beniers scored on an odd-man rush off a feed from Jordan Eberle at 13:26. Gourde stripped Kadri of the puck in the neutral zone for a short-handed breakaway at 11:26. And with Calgary’s Brett Ritchie serving an interference minor, Alex Wennberg at the side of the net fed Sprong for a one-timer at 8:31.

 

“A couple tough breaks that were kind of self-inflicted,” Kadri said. “Having a two-goal lead in the third period, you should be able to close it out, but give them credit. They pushed back.”

[Math]

Wright TOI sequence since the season start:

 

6:14

scratched

scratched

6:50

6:36

8:42

5:51

scratched (4x)

 

Shane Wright is maybe not out of criticism, but this is the worst thing to do with your #4 overall pick, on both sides. Either you play him at a decent amount of time and you live with his mistakes or you send him back to the AHL to give him significant ice time. He didn't make the right choices during the pandemic and lost a lot of momentum and it's time for him to get back on track but his current utilization is effin' stupid for his development and it's not like the Kraken were contenders and had a lot of depth too.

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 12

 

Seattle 4 Wild 0

 

Jones stops 22 shots, Wennberg nets 2, Kraken blank Wild 4-0

 

---

ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- — Martin Jones stopped 22 shots for his first shutout in 55 games, Alex Wennberg scored twice and the Seattle Kraken beat the Minnesota Wild 4-0 on Thursday night.

 

Morgan Geekie and Jamie Oleksiak also scored for Seattle, winners of three straight and four of five in its second NHL season.

 

“There’s no secret to it. I wish we could say that there is, but it’s just a hard-working team. Everyone’s fighting for one another,” Wennberg said.

 

Seattle has scored at least three goals in eight consecutive games.

 

“We’re having a good time. I think we’re playing solid hockey, both ends of the rink. We’re making plays out there. The more we can create more offense, I think we’re going to be solid and keep going,” Geekie said.

 

Despite leaving plenty of juicy rebounds, Jones kept Minnesota off the scoreboard for his first shutout since April 2, 2021. His best saves were stuffing Joel Eriksson Ek from point-blank range on a rebound late in the second and thwarting Mason Shaw’s attempt just outside the blue paint in the final minute of the period.

 

Jones said his mindset is to stay in the moment, but he knew those stops were critical.

 

“Momentum is a big part of games and to go in with a three-goal lead and then come out and really shut them down for the first five, six minutes of the third period was really good,” Jones said.

Wennberg’s first goal came after a fortuitous bounce.

 

Off a Minnesota turnover, a shot from Daniel Sprong was deflected into the air. Standing in front, Wennberg attempted a soccer-like header on the puck. He missed, but the puck fell high off his back and deflected into the Wild net for a 3-0 lead.

 

“I saw the puck right away, so I had plenty of time,” Wennberg said. “The first thought was actually try to head it sideways but you’re not allowed to score with your head so I tried to duck last second. Hard to say that was what I wanted to do.”

 

Officials initially ruled no goal, but a video review overturned that call — much to the dismay of the vocal Wild fans expressing displeasure. They’d had little to cheer about at that point.

 

After a scoreless opening period in which Minnesota didn’t get its first shot until 11 1/2 minutes in, Geekie redirected a harmless-looking shot from Sprong at the half wall early in the second to make it 1-0.

 

Geekie has goals in three straight games and four of five.

 

Six minutes later, an odd-man rush worked to perfection for the Kraken with a give-and-go between Oleksiak and Yanni Gourde resulting in Oleksiak tucking home a feed. The defenseman has three goals in his past five games.

 

Wennberg added his second of the night on a third-period redirect. It was his first multi-goal game since a hat trick on May 8, 2021.

 

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 19 shots for Minnesota, which had won four of five.

 

“We know that they’re a hard-working team and they just battle and compete kind of from the top down. We didn’t match that whatsoever tonight,” Wild defenseman Matt Dumba said.

 

Minnesota skated 11 forwards and seven defensemen because four wingers remain out with upper-body injuries. Jordan Greenway has resumed skating and could return for next week’s West Coast trip. No updates were provided on Brandon Duhaime, Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman.

 

“Would we like some guys back that are regular NHL hockey players? Sure. If they are, wonderful. If they aren’t, then we need people to step up and provide us with game within our lineup,” coach Dean Evason said.

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

On 11/2/2022 at 1:37 PM, Math said:

Wright TOI sequence since the season start:

 

6:14

scratched

scratched

6:50

6:36

8:42

5:51

scratched (4x)

 

Shane Wright is maybe not out of criticism, but this is the worst thing to do with your #4 overall pick, on both sides. Either you play him at a decent amount of time and you live with his mistakes or you send him back to the AHL to give him significant ice time. He didn't make the right choices during the pandemic and lost a lot of momentum and it's time for him to get back on track but his current utilization is effin' stupid for his development and it's not like the Kraken were contenders and had a lot of depth too.

 

 

 

OHL Perhaps...not AHL eligable.  I'll 100 percent agree that the way they have been using him is a head scratcher, rumor is that he's already disgruntled.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 13

 

Seattle 3 Pens 2

 

Tanev scores late as Kraken hand Pens 7th straight loss, 3-2

 

 

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ByAP

Updated: 7 hours ago

PITTSBURGH -- — Brandon Tanev scored the game-winning goal with 3:39 remaining and the Seattle Kraken beat Pittsburgh 3-2 on Saturday night, sending the Penguins to their seventh straight loss.

 

Tanev took a pass from Yanni Gourde and beat goaltender Tristan Jarry from point-blank range to snap a 2-all tie. It was Tanev’s first goal of the season and it came against the team he played for from 2019-21.

 

The Kraken won their fourth straight, the longest streak for the second-year franchise. Seattle has five wins in its last six games, including a sweep of its three-game road trip.

 

“Great for me, but I think it’s more important that the team got all six points on this road trip,” Tanev said. “That’s the mindset and the goal we had setting out to this road trip and the three games we played. We beat three good teams. That’s the idea.”

Vince Dunn and Gourde also had goals for the Kraken. Martin Jones stopped 36 shots after shutting out Minnesota in Seattle’s previous game.

 

“This group, they’re a pretty tight group,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “That’s always a great place to start. Tonight, third game in a road trip, there were pieces here that weren’t all that pretty. But there was never a point in the hockey game where you felt our group was rattled.”

 

The Penguins got goals from Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Crosby also had his 900th career assist.

 

 

The Penguins tied it 2-all when Guentzel’s pass went off the stick of Seattle’s Matty Beniers and into the net with 10:09 remaining.

 

That came just under two minutes after Gourde scored when Tanev kicked the puck to him after having a pass from Morgan Geekie bounce off his knee.

 

“In the third period, I thought we had some momentum, so it’s discouraging from that end of it,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.

 

However, Sullivan said his team needs to keep from getting frustrated as the losses pile up.

 

“The solution is just making sure we stay in the moment, and we don’t get overwhelmed by all the noise around (the losing streak),” Sullivan said. “We just have to focus on the process and that’s what we’re trying to do.

 

“When we don’t live up to the expectations we have for each other and don’t get the results we want … these guys take it to heart. We’ve got to dig in a little more, be more determined, be more vigilant in more critical moments of the game.”

Crosby opened the scoring at 5:24 of the second period by converting a one-timer off a pass from Kris Letang.

 

Dunn tied it a little less than 2 1/2 minutes later on a slap shot off a faceoff.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 14

 

Seattle 5 Preds 1

 

Kraken win fifth straight, beat Predators 5-1

 

 

---

ByAP

Updated: 4 hours ago

SEATTLE -- — The Seattle Kraken are in a situation they really never faced in their inaugural season — learning to deal with success.

 

Jordan Eberle scored two of Seattle’s four goals in the first period, including the first shot of the game, and the Kraken beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight win.

 

Seattle enjoyed a night of firsts, posting its first five-game win streak in franchise history and the first time scoring four goals in a period that didn’t include an empty-netter.

 

“I think the biggest thing for us right now is to not get too high, here,” Eberle said. “I know we’ve won five in a row, but we have a big homestand, some really good teams that we’re about to play. A lot of times you get a little bit lackadaisical and think things are too easy, and that's when this league gets you.”

 

Seattle's big night started nearly from the opening faceoff as Eberle beat Nashville’s Juuse Saros on a slap shot from the right circle just 38 seconds into the game. Will Borgen made it 2-0 at 7:29 after Saros made an initial sprawling save to deny Morgan Geekie.

 

A bad Nashville turnover led to Andre Burakovsky’s goal with 4:44 left, set up by Alex Wennberg’s pass, and Eberle capped Seattle’s big first period with his second goal 1:09 later off another Predators mistake.

Brandon Tanev added an empty-net goal with 1:11 left in the game for Seattle.

 

Coming off an impressive three-game road sweep with wins in Calgary, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, the Kraken continued to roll in the opener of a season-high six-game homestand. Burakovsky added a pair of assists to go with his fourth goal, his first three-point game of the season.

 

“I think last couple games here doing our five-game winning streak we’ve been having good starts," Burakovsky said. "I think that was a little bit of a problem earlier in the year where we came out a little bit sleeping and we’ve been talking about it a lot. Now I think we were coming out hot. That sets the tone for sure.”

 

Nashville saw its two-game win streak snapped and lost whatever momentum was gained from rallying from down 3-0 to beat Vancouver in a shootout on Saturday.

 

Saros was lifted after allowing four goals on six shots and replaced by Kevin Lankinen. Saros has allowed 13 goals in his last three starts. Lankinen saved all 13 shots he faced.

 

“We knew it was gonna be a tough game here and and probably played better than 5-1," Nashville's Filip Forsberg said. "I thought the result was not necessarily indicative of the game, but at the same time that's what happened.”

 

Forsberg scored his fifth of the season on a breakaway midway through the second period but that was the only time the Predators managed to beat Seattle goalie Martin Jones. Jones continued to excel in goal since taking on the full-time starter's role with Philipp Grubauer out with a lower-body injury. Jones made 24 saves and improved to 5-1 in his last six starts.

 

Jones withstood a barrage of Nashville shots following Eberle’s early goal and Borgen’s second goal of the season was a needed relief from the pressure. Borgen had two goals in 36 games all of last season.

“We’ve played real well here over the last stretch and to have that start here was a good start, was an important start to the hockey game,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 15

 

Seattle 0 Wild 1

 

 

Fleury posts 72nd career shutout, Wild edge Kraken 1-0

 

 

3 hours ago

SEATTLE -- — Marc-Andre Fleury made NHL history and all he could do was smile at what it meant.

 

“I think it just means I'm old, maybe,” Fleury said after getting a shutout against the 28th different team, the most by any goalie in NHL history. “I have been playing for a while, I guess.”

 

Fleury posted the 72nd regular season shutout of his career and made Mats Zuccarrello’s goal late in the first period stand up as the Minnesota Wild snapped Seattle’s five-game win streak with a 1-0 win over the Kraken on Friday night.

 

Fleury had been tied with Ed Belfour, Dominik Hasek, Martin Brodeur and Tomas Vokoun, all of which shut out 27 teams in their careers. The only teams Fleury hasn’t shut out at this point: Columbus, St. Louis, Vegas and ... Minnesota.

 

Fleury made 28 saves and was excellent in the third period as Seattle pushed for an equalizer, getting his first shutout in his 22nd regular season game with the Wild. Fleury made three stops in the closing seconds on Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde.

 

“Just seems like when we play them at home or here it’s boring a bit and not too much action both sides,” Fleury said. “We played a little defensive and didn’t give them much. It’s good. It gives us a chance to win every night when we do that.”

Fleury had four shutouts last season with Chicago before being traded to Minnesota.

 

Zuccarello scored his sixth of the season at 18:19 of the first period, finding open space in the slot and beating Seattle goalie Martin Jones.

 

Jones made 20 saves in another strong performance for Seattle. His stop on Mason Shaw’s short-handed breakaway attempt early in the third period kept Seattle's deficit at just one but the Kraken couldn't find a tying goal.

 

“We couldn’t find a way to get one in behind so it’s that kind of night,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “You got to find a dirty one, a greasy one somewhere and we weren't able to do that tonight.”

 

The Kraken saw their longest win streak in the two seasons of the franchise come to an end. Part of that win streak was a 4-0 win in Minnesota last week where Seattle got the better of Fleury.

 

He wasn’t going to let that happen again. Fleury has allowed one goal or fewer in three of his last four starts after giving up 24 goals combined in his first seven of the season.

 

“He admitted he was trying to do a little bit too much instead of just do his job. We all did. When we get back to doing your job, committing to that, like he has, it gives a give us a chance to win every night,” Minnesota coach Dean Evason said.

 

Minnesota's goal came late in the first period when Jon Merrill’s cross-ice pass ricocheted off the side boards and slid onto the stick of Zuccarello unmarked in the slot. His wrist shot beat Jones.

 

It was Merrill’s first point of the season in his 10th game. Kirill Kaprizov also got an assist on the play, giving him 16 points in 14 games.

 

Game notes]

Seattle played its first game since D Jamie Oleksiak landed on injured reserve with a lower body injury. Cale Fleury moved into the lineup for the first time this season, while Gustav Olofsson was recalled from Coachella Valley. ...

 

Minnesota forward Jordan Greenway had a setback as he continues to recover from an upper-body injury suffered last month, Evason said after morning skate. Greenway played on Tuesday in Los Angeles, but it was just his second appearance of the season and first since Oct. 20. Evason said Greenway, “may need a little more time rehabbing to get back.” ... Seattle D Adam Larsson skated in his 700th career game.

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 19

 

Seattle 2 Jets 3 OT

 

Winnipeg Jets defeat Seattle Kraken 3-2 in overtime

 

 

 

Mark Scheifele nets goal vs. Kraken

---

ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

SEATTLE -- — Mark Scheifele scored 54 seconds into overtime on Sunday night, capping a dramatic comeback as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Seattle Kraken, 3-2.

Scheifele’s goal was his second of the night. He also scored in the second period.

 

Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler forced overtime with 3.9 seconds left, knocking in a loose puck from the top of the crease while the Jets had a 6-on-4 advantage with goalie David Rittich on the bench and Seattle’s Carson Soucy sent to the penalty box for roughing with 25.2 seconds remaining. It was Wheeler’s fourth goal of the season and the 300th goal of his career.

 

“It was nice to get a good bounce and get a reward,” Wheeler said. “The team played well, so it would have been a shame to leave here without anything. That’s the key is to not lose confidence on the power play and special teams.”

 

Rittich had 16 saves.

 

Jordan Eberle and Brandon Tanev scored for the Kraken. Goalie Martin Jones, making his 400th NHL start, made 28 saves.

 

Josh Morrissey set up the overtime winner. Skating down the left side, he passed toward the center, and Scheifele, from the low slot, beat Jones to the lower right side for his 10th of the season.

 

“I was pretty exhausted,” Scheifele said. “I don’t know if I had my legs for most of the night, but what a fantastic pass. It was an amazing pass, and I was lucky to be there."

 

Jets coach Rick Bowness said “that's not quite how we drew it up, but we’ll certainly take it.”

 

Tanev scored near the midpoint of the third period, his third goal in the last four games, to give Seattle a 2-1 lead. He now has four for the year. Eberle scored in the first period on a power play, his fourth.

Scheifele’s goal also was on the power play midway through the second to tie it at 1-1.

 

The penalty on Soucy, who punched Pierre-Luc Dubois from behind, was the Kraken’s third of the third period and eighth of the night.

 

“We put ourselves in position to win the game, and three minor penalties (in the third) is probably the thing that stands out,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “When you do that in the third period, down to the last 30 seconds, that’s a tough way to close out a hockey game. Eight penalties is too many.”