The Seattle Kraken had two unveilings against the New York Rangers Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena. One was scheduled – the first on-ice appearance of the team’s third jerseys. The other was more of a surprise – former Ranger Kaapo Kakko returning ahead of schedule from a thumb injury to play his first game of the season.
For the second straight game, the Kraken force their opponent to overtime, but can’t capture that second point. New York’s Will Cuylle scored with just over two minutes left in the extra session for a 3-2 win, as the Rangers finally converted one of the cross-ice passes they had been trying all game long.
Seattle goals in regulation came from Chandler Stephenson on the power play in the 1st period, and Brandon Montour’s third in two games in the middle frame. But Seattle recorded just 13 shots on goal. Joey Daccord made 24 saves. Kakko skated an uneventful 14:16 TOI in his season debut.
1st Period
Actor/comedian Adam Sandler made a guest appearance in the Kraken dressing room and was gifted one of those 3rd jerseys. (Sandler performed this week at CPA.) For Halloween, the entire Kraken team dressed up as Adam Sandler characters.
Kakko wasn’t the only ex-Ranger facing his old team. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren, signed as a free agent over the summer, called it “a little weird.”
The player traded for Kakko last December, defenseman Will Borgen, made his first visit to CPA as a visitor. Borgen, a 233-game Seattle veteran, was warmly cheered during a timeout tribute video.
When Josh Mahura takes an early tripping penalty, Joey Daccord makes three strong saves on a sharp-looking NYR power play to keep the game scoreless.
Near the period’s midpoint, Seattle’s Ben Meyers and New York’s Sam Carrick engage in a netfront battle. That obscures Daccord’s vision, so when Vladislav Gavrikov shoots, the goalie only gets a piece with the shaft of his stick – which seemed to obstruct his own glove. 1-0 Blueshirts at 10:16.
The Kraken draw even on the power play. Chandler Stephenson cleanly beats Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin from the left faceoff dot at 12:49.
The tie lasts 61 seconds. Daccord makes the save on a Will Cuylle rush, but Noah Laba beats Jordan Eberle to the rebound, scoring and sliding into the end boards as New York takes a 2-1 lead. Laba had started the play by stripping Matty Beniers at the Blueshirts blueline.
Shots are 10-5 NYR in the 1st period.
2nd Period
One of the reasons the 2025-26 Rangers have been so tough to figure out: they have among the worst home records in the NHL (0-3-1), and the best road record (5-1-1). Basically, if you’re in the stands at a New York Rangers game at MSG or anywhere else, there’s a good chance you’re going to leave disappointed.
On a 2-on-1 with Tye Kartye, Ryan Winterton calls his own number but fires wide. The Kraken have better luck with sustained offensive pressure, thanks largely to the puck-hungry Matty Beniers. He drives possession for so long, the Kraken continue in the o-zone after his shift ends. Seconds later, defenseman Brandon Montour cocks his stick at the right point. Jaden Schwartz obliges by passing the puck, and the Montour rocket ties the game 2-2 at 6;59.
Shane Wright’s slashing penalty exposes the age-old battle between the moveable object and the stoppable force. Both the Rangers power play (13.3%) and Kraken penalty kill (64%) are ranked 30th in the league.
New York doesn’t retake the lead on the PP, and doesn’t retake the lead when they shove the puck into the net moments later. In the closest thing to an NHL tush push, Rangers and Kraken wrestle at Daccord’s crease. The puck goes in, but after initially being ruled a goal, that call is reversed – without explanation. Apparently Cuylle crossed the line, making contact with Daccord, before the puck crossed the line.
Shots are 6-3 NYR in the period, 16-8 through 40. Have the Kraken ever looked so competitive while having such an anemic number of SOGs?
3rd Period
Lindgren was called for hooking in the final six seconds of the 2nd period. So the Rangers start the 3rd with a full intermission of strategizing and 1:54 of fresh ice to try and break the deadlock. They can’t.
Kraken-on-Kraken crime: a collision with teammate Jaden Schwartz sends Eeli Tolvanen to the ice (he’s no worse for wear).
Minutes played in the period: eight. Kraken shots in the period: zero.
Sustained o-zone pressure by Seattle with nine minutes left. New York is forced to ice the puck. The Kraken change, while the Rangers can’t. No scoring chance results, but the ice has tilted. The Rangers ice it again with 6:23 left. BTW, Eeli Tolvanen’s blast at 8:45 and a backhand by Kakko at 12:15 remains the only Kraken SOGs of the period. The Blueshirts have seven on Daccord.
Daccord makes a sparkling save on J.T. Miller after the Rangers’ captain received a pass at the far post. If “back-door misses” was an official statistic, the visitors might be up to a half-dozen tonight. Here’s another one:
Overtime
Shots finished 25-12 favoring New York through regulation.
In OT, Beniers fired wide on an odd-man rush, and Shesterkin saved Tolvanen’s backhand.
The Rangers win it at 3:42 when Will Cuylle converts a cross-ice pass from Miller before Daccord could get across.
Up Next
Two games remain on Seattle 5-game homestand. The Chicago Blackhawks (Monday) and San Jose Sharks (Wednesday) may have finished at the bottom of the league standings last season, but they’re providing much tougher opposition this season. The Sharks beat the Avalanche on Saturday, and the Blackhawks took the Oilers to overtime.