Kraken Stun Another Canadian Foe With Multi-Goal Comeback, 5-4 In OT Over Montreal At CPA

The 2024-25 Seattle Kraken did it to Vancouver. They did it to Calgary. Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena, they did it to the most storied franchise in hockey – a multi-goal 3rd period rally.

Down 4-2 in the 3rd period to the Montreal Canadiens, late goals by rookie Jani Nyman, playing his first NHL game, and Matty Beniers with 2:12 left, sent the game into overtime. Brandon Montour took the OT faceoff directly down ice on a breakaway, scoring not only the game-winner, but a goal which set two Kraken records.

Montour’s second of the night eclipsed Vince Dunn’s team record for goals in a season by a defenseman with his 15th. The goal, at 4 seconds of overtime, was the fastest OT score in NHL history.

Eeli Tolvanen also scored for Seattle. Jordan Eberle assisted on the first three Kraken goals. Montour assisted on both 3rd period Kraken goals as part of a four-point effort. On his bobblehead giveaway night, Seattle goalie Joey Daccord also seemed unsteady, letting in three goals on the first dozen shots he faced. Who cares?

Hello, Nyman:

The Seattle Kraken this week sent out an email to the fan base titled, “Big Changes, Bigger Opportunities.” Which is the way you message fans when you’ve traded three loved veterans, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev.

Those “big opportunities” include highly-touted winger Jani Nyman, who made his NHL debut Wednesday. Nyman thrilled the CPA crowd, including his parents, who flew in from Finland, by scoring his first NHL goal midway through the 3rd period on a power play.

Nyman is the first of several prospects general manager Ron Francis says will get a “taste” with the big club between now and the end of the season.

1st Period

Somewhat surprising that Montreal with a win tonight can climb into a tie for the 2nd Wild Card in the Eastern Conference, while that Western Conference ship has long since sailed on the Kraken. Why? Because the teams have exactly the same goals-for per game average, 2.94. Their goals-against per game only diverges by .03, with Seattle at 3.22 and Montreal at 3.25.

And that’s with the Kraken slaughtering the Habs 8-2 back in October.

Montreal’s seldom-used backup goalie Jakub Dobes gets a rude welcome at 4:54. Jordan Eberle shows some hops and elevation (basketball terms), gloving down a Canadiens clearing attempt. From the near boards, the captain sends a pass into the right wing circle. Defenseman Brandon Montour does the rest.

It’s Montour’s fourth goal against the Canadiens in four periods; he scored a hat trick when the two teams met in Montreal.

Seattle having tilted the ice, defenseman Adam Larsson leaves a dent in the right post. Dobes’ shoulder turns aside a glorious Matty Beniers chance from in close. Montreal looks like the team on the second half of a back-to-back, while a layoff since Sunday hasn’t hurt the Kraken one bit.

Nyman, getting time on Seattle’s first power play, puts another dent in the right post. On the same PP, Dunn’s wrister is deflected by Wright – stop me if you’ve heard this – off the right post.

Seattle had 15 SOGs, plus three “pings.” The Habs had five, but none for the final 13:08. Which reminds us, here’s a look at the Canadiens number one star for the period:

2nd Period

Buzz in the press box before the game centered on center Shane Wright, listed as playing on the Kraken’s fourth line, between Mikey Eyssimont and Tye Kartye. Wright has ramped up his offensive game since the new year, scoring his 15th goal Sunday vs. Washington.

Another Kraken newcomer, Mikey Eyssimont, is flattened by a cross-check in the back by Arber Xhekaj. The visitors are feeling the pain a few moments later, as Eeli Tolvanen’s power wrister beats Dobes for a 2-0 lead at 4:47.

Seattle takes the fourth-fewest penalties in the league, smart strategy when you’re 25th in the league at home on the PK. Montour doesn’t get the memo; he goes off for tripping, and Patrick Laine’s rocket makes him pay at 7:11. Laine, back in the lineup after battling a virus, gets Montreal on the board with just their eighth shot of the game.

After Dobes freezes the puck, Larsson skates through the crease, making contact that leaves the goalie prone on his stomach. The scrum which follows includes 20 on 20 crime: Tolvanen and former #1 overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky tangle. You remember Juraj, taken by the Habs in 2022 instead of Wright.

The truculence seems to have motivated the visitors. Playing 4-on-4, a pretty passing play draws Montreal even at 11:21. From the bottom edge of the right circle, Laine feeds Alex Newhook at the goal mouth, who taps it home for a 2-2 tie.

Less than three minutes later, after the Habs survive severe Kraken pressure, Slafkovsky skates up ice to give Montreal a 3-2 lead. Shots in a wide open offensive period favored the Habs, 15-13.

3rd Period

Cale Fleury, who earned a sweater on defense in place of Josh Mahura, is playing his 71st NHL game. His lone NHL goal came as a rookie with – drum roll, please – Montreal.

Slafkovsky scored again at 7:18, though for a while the goal was in doubt. Standing in front, Slafkovsky had his stick pointed directly up to the CPA roof. Daccord was sure he hadn’t lowered it sufficiently to be legal when he deflected the shot for a 4-2 Montreal lead. Coach Dan Bylsma challenged, and lost.

But Nyman got that one back against the league’s #7 penalty kill. Eberle collected his third apple, sending the puck from behind the net to the 20-year-old Finn, streaking down the slot. Nyman, with no windup, pushed the pass into the net at 10:53.

When Montreal takes a penalty in the final three minutes, the Kraken pull Daccord for a 6-on-4 advantage. Nyman is one of the six. Vince Dunn blasts from long range, Matty Beniers tips it in, and the Kraken have made another multi-goal 3rd period rally to tie 4-4 at 17:48.

Overtime

Before the OT center ice faceoff, Chandler Stephenson huddled with Montour, noticing the Canadiens weren’t keeping on of their three players in the defensive zone. Stephenson won the faceoff, sending the defenseman steaming in alone. His rising shot gave the Kraken their most rousing home victory of the season.

Up Next

Seattle’s three game homestand continues Friday, when the Utah unnamed – but almost certainly not Yeti – make a visit. “Hockey Club” is still in the mix for a wild card berth. The best in the West, the Winnipeg Jets, close out the homestand on Sunday evening.

After that, just five home games remain in the Kraken’s 2024-25 season. *Sigh*.