THAT’s how you break an extended losing streak to a high-flying division rival.
Jaden Schwartz scored a pair of 2nd period goals, followed by singles in the period from Jani Nyman, Matty Beniers, and Andre Burakovsky – and a sixth that was removed on an offside challenge – to swamp the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 Thursday at Climate Pledge Arena.
Schwartz leads the Kraken with 23 goals, and has scored in three straight.
Nyman and Beniers’ middle period goals came 16 seconds apart; when Burkovsky joined the party, that made three tallies in 1:51. It would have been four, except an Edmonton challenge wiped out Jordan Eberle’s contribution to the scoring spree between Beniers and Burakovsky.
The victory breaks a nine-game Oilers winning streak in the series. Seattle has now won three of 15 meetings all-time.
As in their 5-4 victory over the Kraken Mar. 22 in Edmonton, the Oilers played without injured superstar centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – a loss of a combined 75 goals and 192 points.
1st Period
Off the rush, Brandon Montour sends a testing backhand that Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard blockers away. Seattle survives the 6th ranked Edmonton power play twice; one full, one abbreviated to 13 seconds by an Oilers minor.
Jeff Skinner, who scored a hat trick in the teams’ previous meeting, backhands home the game’s first goal with 56 seconds left. But the score doesn’t survive Dan Bylma’s coach’s challenge for a “missed stoppage in play.” In English, that means Connor Brown deflected the puck out of the air in front of Kraken goalie Joey Daccord with a high stick (really, really high – like almost straight up).
Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn (29, reaching with a glove for the puck), almost cost his team a goal. In the below image, you can see Dunn (hands outstretched) objecting to Brown’s high stick instead of preventing Skinner’s backhand over Daccord’s shoulder – but he was bailed out by the successful challenge.
Shots finished 12-12 in an officially scoreless 1st period.
2nd Period
Which Seattle pro sports game will break the shutout first – Kraken vs. Oilers at CPA, or Athletics at Mariners in Opening Day baseball at T-Mobile Park? The M’s and A’s are scoreless through four innings.
It’s the Kraken, their #22 power play besting the Oilers’ #21 penalty kill. From the right wing circle, Andre Burakovsky finds Jaden Schwartz camping out at the left edge of the crease. It’s a simple matter – for Schwartz, anyway, not a mere mortal – to push the pass behind Pickard for a 1-0 Kraken lead at 1:18.
Schwartz didn’t need assistance to double the Kraken advantage at 3:24 for goal #23. Stealing an ill-advised Vasily Podkolzin pass from the corner, Schwartz rifled a shot blocker side-high before the goalie had time to react.
Daccord kept the lead 2-0 with an amazing reaction save. The puck pinballed to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at the left edge of the goal mouth. Daccord slid over to put a pad in the way of a sure Edmonton score.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Before the period ended, Seattle put four more pucks into the net. Three of them counted.
Jani Nyman, who rip-roared home his first two goals as a Kraken, shows a deft touch on a tip-in for a 3-0 Kraken lead at 10:50. The Coachella Valley Firebirds aren’t getting this guy back until the AHL playoffs.
See how much net Matty Beniers has to shoot at? So does he. Beniers scores his 18th, set up by Kakko and Nyman, at 11:06 for a 4-0 Kraken cushion.
See how much net Andre Burakovsky has to shoot at? So does he. Burakovsky deftly kicks the puck to his stick before depositing his 8th of the year at 12:41.
3rd Period
Zach Hyman broke Joey Daccord’s shutout. Jared McCann got the goal back for Seattle, his 18th. Otherwise, 20 minutes of garbage time in a rare Kraken laugher. Daccord stopped 36 of 37 Edmonton shots. Seattle had 37 shots also.
Up Next
The Kraken three game homestand continues against the Dallas Stars on Saturday, and concludes with another game against the Dallas Stars on Monday. After that, only two home games remain.