The Seattle Kraken played another of those “did a lot of things right” games. Just not enough to beat the Minnesota Wild Monday at Climate Pledge Arena.
Onetime Kraken Marcus Johansson scored the game winner midway through the 3rd period of a 4-1 Wild victory. As was often the case, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer was left on an island, with no skater in the vicinity to defend against Johansson’s slick deflection.
Minnesota players repeatedly had abundant time and space, only for Seattle to be bailed out by their goalie. Grubauer was the best player in those cursed 3rd jerseys, stopping two breakaways among his 25 saves. (The third and fourth Wild goals were scored after Grubauer was pulled for a sixth attacker.)
The Kraken actually won the special-teams battle, getting their lone goal from Jordan Eberle on the power play. Also of note, the much-maligned penalty kill disposed of all three Minnesota man advantages. However, the Kraken remain winless in their alternate sweaters (0-5), and have a losing streak to match (0-5).
1st Period
The league-worst Kraken penalty kill must go to work 1:52 into the game, when Chandler Stephenson trips Matt Boldy. Mats Zuccarello has a clean look from point-blant range (how did he get this open?), followed by a Ryan Hartman breakaway (how did he get this open?). Fortunately, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer makes the save on both.
By the way, this is Stephenson’s 600th NHL game. Naturally, his fan club weighs in.
Back at even strength, Liam Ohgren’s shot thuds loudly off Grubauer’s pads. Nine minutes in, SOGs are 7-0 Minnesota. Vince Dunn tests the Kraken’s luck, high-sticking Kirill Kaprizov at 11:16. Seattle’s PK – with Stephenson – kill this one, too, and against a Wild PP ranked #10.
Back on, Dunn levels Zuccarello with an open-ice hit. The Wild confront Dunn in a corner of the Kraken zone.
A situation room video review confirms Dunn’s hit was clean, made with his shoulder and not his elbow. For the ensuing truculence, he does receive two minutes for roughing, while Minny’s Danila Yurov, for taking exception to the hit, receives a double minor.
Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Taylor Codomo Photo
The Kraken don’t score on the PP, but do tilt the ice back their way late in the period. Shots finished 10-8 for the Wild.
2nd Period
Beautiful vision breaks the visitors on top. Joel Eriksson Ek squeezes through Stephenson, leaving him just open enough to accept Matt Boldy’s below-the-goal-line pass and surprise Grubauer at 1:18.
On the plus side, the Kraken kill their third shorthanded situation tonight, a Kaapo Kakko high stick on the goal-scorer. Has a new era of Seattle penalty killing efficiency begun?
Unusual sequence: Boldy takes down Montour in the Kraken zone. While they stare daggers at each other, the whistle hasn’t blown. Seattle maintains possession for 45 seconds before the Wild touch up.
It takes far less time for the Kraken to tie the game once the power play officially begins. Jared McCann goes cross-ice to Stephenson in the right circle. Mr. Game 600 finds Jordan Eberle at the near post for the 1-1 tap in at 6:48.
Seattle defenseman Ryan Lindgren accidentally kicks the skates out from under Grubauer, sending the goalie sprawling. He’s back up before the Wild can take advantage.
Speaking of not taking advantage, to say Kraken passing on their second power play was sloppy would be an insult to the word “sloppy.”
Then it gets worse – a Yakov Trenin shorthanded breakway (KHN screengrab at left). But Grubauer, showing confidence we’ve rarely seen in his 4+ Seattle seasons, outwaits Trenin to make the save and keep the game tied.
Shots after 40, 19-14 Wild. Oh, and in case you were wondering about those spontaneous “MVP, MVP” chants, they were for Seattle Mariners catcher – and rightful American League MVP – Cal Raleigh.
Cal was rocking a Vince Dunn 3rd jersey, which Seattle is wearing tonight for the fifth time this season.
3rd Period
Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Anticipating a Minnesota shot getting through, Grubauer goes down in the butterfly. A deflection instead comes to certified veteran goal scorer Vladimir Tarasenko. Grubauer somehow is still able to reject his shot. Then Trenin is set up on the doorstep, but Grubauer won’t let him in. Trenin is left gazing up at the CPA roof in disbelief.
For the record, Filip Gustavsson is tending goal for Minnesota. The shot quantity and quality he’s faced from Seattle has been significantly smaller than Grubauer at the other end. However, he did finish with 23 saves on 24 Seattle shots.
Ex-Kraken Johansson, from below the hashes, deftly deflects Eriksson Ek’s shot-pass to retake the lead for Minnesota at 8:12. (How did he get this open?)
Tye Kartye appears to tie the game 2-2 a mere nine seconds later. However, officials immediately wave the score off, because Kartye batted the puck down into the net, making contact while his stick was above the crossbar.
Up Next
Seattle’s three game homestand concludes Wednesday, with the L.A. Kings providing the opposition at CPA. Then the Kraken will pack for another one-game road trip, Friday in Utah. Then it’s back home for games Sunday, Dec. 14 vs. Buffalo and Tuesday, Dec. 16 vs. Colorado.