I wish they all could be California games…
Who could blame the Seattle Kraken for wanting that small tweak to the Beach Boys classic? No one, after the Kraken completed their pre-Christmas schedule by sweeping the Sharks, Ducks, and Kings, all in the Golden State.
Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle proved equally adept against an East Coast foe, downing the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1. The same team that lost 10 of 11 earlier this month has now won four in a row; during the newest streak, the Kraken have allowed a combined six goals in the four victories.
Philipp Grubauer continued his season-long stellar netminding with 31 saves. Jordan Eberle scored his team-leading 14th goal in the 2nd period, and Chandler Stephenson joined him in the double-digit goals department early in the 3rd. Eeli Tolvanen chipped in two empty-net goals as part of a three point night.
The much-maligned Kraken penalty kill disposed of all three Philadelphia man advantages.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
1st Period
The goal-challenged Kraken welcome back two of their best offensive weapons.
Defenseman Vince Dunn (5-14-19) and forward Jared McCann (5 goals in the 11 games he’s played) return from injury; for McCann, it’s been two separate stints on IR. Defenseman Brandon Montour (6-10-16) and forward Jaden Schwartz (8-7-15) remain out.
The Kraken penalty kill has nudged above 70%, but remains last in the NHL. It’s put to work when Berkly Catton is called for holding. Grubauer makes two saves on Jamie Drysdale long-range bombs that each make a “thud” sound off his pads. Grubi uses his blocker to deny Travis Konecny from the bottom of the left circle.
Realizing he doesn’t have the speed to prevent Denver Barkey’s breakaway, Ryan Lindgren chooses a tackle the Seahawks would approve of. The officials don’t. However, the Kraken PK improves to 2-for-2. Six of the Flyers’ eight shots through the first 15 minutes have come with a man advantage.
Shane Wright has Seattle’s best scoring chance, as Jared McCann saucers a pass behind the Philly defense. Unfortunately, the puck won’t cooperate, bouncing off Wright’s stick when it lands.
Lindgren sizzles a shot from the left circle off Flyers goalie Dan Vladar’s left pad. Adam Larsson’s right point blast pinballs in at 20:01 – since hockey periods are 20 minutes long, the goal doesn’t count.
2nd Period
The Kraken haven’t scored a 1st period goal since Dec. 6 in Detroit, a stretch of 10 games including this one. Does it matter who scores first? Depends which team you ask. 12 of Seattle’s 15 wins have come when they break the ice. 12 of Philadelphia’s 19 wins have come when they don’t score first.
That becomes relevant at 3:48, as the Kraken thread the needle on a pass and a shot to take a 1-0 lead. Kaapo Kakko avoids a maze of Flyers legs to reach Eberle between the hashes. The captain fires against the grain, finding a window over Vladar’s shoulder, inside the right post, and underneath the crossbar.
Not all secondary assists are equally earned. Matty Beniers gets full marks for his 17th helper, lugging the puck in the zone, reversing course behind the net, then passing to Kakko.
Drysdale’s right point wrister, deflected by Sean Couturier, still can’t get by Grubauer.
Rightful American League MVP sighting:
Kraken coach Lane Lambert gets his money’s worth when a linesperson whistles a too-many-men penalty. At the time, said linesperson was perched with his tush on the boards in front of the Kraken bench (usual procedure to avoid players rushing by). Before getting out of earshot, Lambert gave him an earful.
More importantly, Seattle kills the penalty. Flyers lead in shots after 40, 18-14.
3rd Period
Prior to tonight’s game, the Kraken are 3-0-0 since trading Mason Marchment. The Columbus Blue Jackets are 2-1-0 since acquiring Mason Marchment. Would it suprise you to know that Marchment is somewhere within this pileup during tonight’s 4-2 Jackets win over the Islanders? Apparently, New York got fed up with Marchment roughing up their young superstar, Matthew Schaefer.
Back to our regularly-scheduled 3rd period…
More pinpoint passing doubles the Kraken lead at 5:49. Eeli Tolvanen does the dirty work, digging the puck free behind the Flyer net. Tolvanen puts the puck on the tape of a racing-down-the-middle Chandler Stephenson, who accepts the pass and fires in one motion.
Philipp Grubauer shutout watch: his fine save on a Bobby Brink snipe is his 27th, and he soon adds a 28th with 5:13 left. Grubi has 21 career shutouts, including his most recent, a 2-0 Kraken win over the Penguins on Feb. 29, 2024.
Save 29 is also quality, Konecny with shifty moves in close.
Vladar exits in favor of a sixth attacker with 3:23 left. Philly then calls its timeout. Grubauer’s glove swallows Owen Tippett’s drive, his 31st save.
From behind the vacated Flyers cage, Stephenson centers. The puck bounces off the stick or body of a quick-arriving Tolvanen and in for a 3-0 Kraken edge at 17:31.
Carl Grundstrom with 1:57 remaining ruins the shutout, with a score that entered and exited the net so quickly, video review was needed to confirm the bad news.
The Flyers pull Vladar again, and Tolvanen scores into the empty net again, at 18:24.
Up Next
The Kraken, having in Cali won the second half of a back-to-back for the first time since the Eisenhower administration, get another crack at it. Monday at CPA, the Vancouver Canucks face the Kraken for the first time this season, in the calendar year’s final game.