Coach Dan Bylsma, after seeing his Seattle Kraken offense sputter the last two games, rejiggered his forward lines for Thursday’s tilt against the unbeaten Winnipeg Jets at Climate Pledge Arena.
Matty Beniers moved up to the first line, Brandon Tanev moved up to the second line, Yanni Gourde moved up to the third line, while Shane Wright and Andre Burakovsky moved down to the fourth line.
The reconstituted first line got two goals from Beniers (plus an assist) and one from Jordan Eberle, and Kraken goalie Joey Daccord once again wowed the home crowd with acrobatics, but it wasn’t enough.
Behind Connor Hellebuyck’s 29 saves, a pair of goals by Nino Niederreiter, and the overtime winner from Nikolaj Ehlers, the Jets escaped with a hard-fought 4-3 win. The Kraken fall to 4-3-1, and have lost their last two, while Winnipeg runs its perfect record to start the season to 7-0-0.
1st Period
Apropos of nothing: a Detroit winter sports team last night was whistled for too many men. Not the Red Wings, the NBA Pistons. Really.
When the Jets and Kraken meet, it’s also a faceoff between Winnipeg center Adam Lowry and his dad, Seattle assistant coach Dave Lowry. We could have witnessed another family reunion, but the home team scratched Cale Fleury and the visitors scratched his older brother, Haydn Fleury.
The contest will feature a matchup of unbeaten goalies. Joey Daccord (3-0-0) starting for the Kraken, vs. Jets superstar Hellebuyck, he of the ridiculous numbers (5-0-0, 1.40 GAA, .948 save pct.).
Best scoring chance for either side so far: Jared McCann feeds cross-ice to Jordan Eberle, whose open left-circle drive is stopped by Hellebuyck.
New best scoring chance: McCann battles for a loose puck inside the Winnipeg blue line, causing it to squirt to Matty Beniers. The new first-liner fires high blocker from the top of the left circle at 11:27 for his first goal of the season. Kudos also to Adam Larsson’s stretch pass from behind his own goal line, which got the play started.
McCann, who somehow isn’t credited with an assist, creates more havoc, forcing Dylan DeMelo into an interference minor. Despite two SOG, the 18th ranked Kraken power play (19%) can’t double the lead.
The 12-7 Kraken shots lead after 20 reflects their territorial advantage in the period.
2nd Period
The audio and video haven’t been in sync on the Winnipeg TV broadcast, and social media wags are writing that the Jets also look out of sync.
Daccord’s amazing athleticism keeps the Kraken in front. The only debate is which of his two bang-bang saves is more spectacular: the original glove-hand robbery on Neal Pionk, or his cat-quick recovery to stymie Cole Perfetti. Fans reward the goalie with spontaneous “Jo-ey, Jo-ey” chants.
Winnipeg does draw even soon after. The puck gets behind Daccord, and Nino Niederreiter is judged to have legally nudged it the last few inches at 3:56.
Gourde involved at both ends. First, a heavy check on Ehlers behind the Kraken net. Way at the other end, just before Oliver Bjorkstrand appears to give Seattle a 2-1 lead, Gourde is adjudged to have impeded Hellebuyck’s ability to stop the shot. A successful goalie interference challenge keeps the game tied at 1-1.
Eberle and Beniers come inches away from a Kraken lead, but Hellebuyck and mates pile the sandbags high in the crease just in time. Still, this reunited first line appears to be clicking.
Gabriel Vilardi becomes unlucky #13 for Seattle – or make that forgotten #13. Vilardi gets behind the Kraken defense, allowed to waltz across the crease and beat Daccord with a shot that barely sneaks inside the right post. 2-1 Winnipeg at 15:05.
Will Borgen plasters Vladislav Namestnikov with a check in the final 10 seconds of the period, which sees the Jets outshoot the Kraken 15-10 and outscore them 2-0.
3rd Period
Since scoring a combined 13 goals in victories over Nashville and Philadelphia, the Kraken have lost their scoring touch. Five goals in the last eight periods plus an overtime won’t win many games. It doesn’t help that the Jets are the stingiest club in the league, allowing 1.67 goals per game.
On an early Winnipeg power play, Daccord stones Mark Scheifele at the doorstep. As the penalty ends, though, Tanev and Jamie Oleksiak get tangled up in the slot, giving Niederreiter a clear path for his 2nd goal of the night and a 3-1 Jets lead at 4:21.
For the second straight game, a Kraken forward scores a pretty goal from in close with his back to the netminder. Captain Jordan Eberle finds himself alone just outside the crease, and like McCann against Colorado, pitchforks the puck past the goalie to narrow the Kraken deficit to 3-2 at 11:01. Now McCann gets an assist, his 10th point of the season, on the captain’s 6th goal.
Prediction, without having to climb very far out on a limb: the Beniers-McCann-Eberle line will be staying together for a while.
Can confirm prediction. With 3:22 left, McCann digs a puck from the near boards to Brandon Montour at the right point. Beniers deflects Montour’s shot past Hellebuyck to knot the game 3-3.
Overtime
Seattle was about to be called for a delayed penalty. With Hellebuyck at the bench for a fourth attacker, Ehler’s shot dribbles through Daccord for the game-winner at 1:24. Winnipeg wins 4-3, Seattle’s first setback this season after regulation.
Up Next
Seattle has a scheduled practice Friday and an optional morning skate Saturday. The five game homestand concludes Saturday evening at CPA with a visit from the Carolina Hurricanes. Then the Kraken embark on a Canadian road trip beginning Tuesday in Montreal.