Jared McCann found an incredible time for his 400th NHL point.
In the dying seconds of overtime Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena, it appeared the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights were headed for a shootout. Then, McCann found the rebound of a Matty Beniers shot and put it home with 3.8 seconds left for a hard-fought 2-1 Kraken win.
This is the first time the Kraken have ever earned points in each of the first two games of a season.
Power play goals by Seattle’s Matty Beniers and Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev accounted for all the scoring through regulation. The Kraken (2-0-0) didn’t look outmatched against the Golden Knights, one of the favorites to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final. But Seattle wouldn’t have reached overtime without another stellar performance in goal from Joey Daccord (26 saves).
1st Period
Vegas tests Joey Daccord two minutes in, Ivan Barbashev with a sweet deflection down low that doesn’t beat the Kraken goalie. Jordan Eberle doinks the goalpost behind Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill. The early pace is furious, two teams guilty of slow starts in prior games, determined to avoid a repeat.
Daccord makes a bang-bang glove save on Pavel Dorofeyev, who already has a hat trick to his credit this season. Then the goalie denies Shea Theodore from between the circles with his blocker. Does Vegas – with nine goals already through two games – take any shots that aren’t Grade-A?
Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson with a Big (Cat) hit that sends former teammate Jeremy Lauzon onto his wallet. Seattle outhit Vegas 17-6. From the left point, Zach Whitecloud misses Daccord but dusts the far right post. Colton Sissons flies down the slot, only to have his backhand stopped by Daccord’s pad.
Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
The Kraken’s best offense came in the final minute. Beniers shoves a centering pass just wide, then Jordan Eberle’s turnaround is barely foiled by Hill. After a scoreless 20, shots are 9-7 Seattle. The Golden Knights might not have the 1st period shot volume Anaheim did on Thursday (17), but their quality was worthy of two or three goals – if not for #35 in the home net.
2nd Period
Kraken-Golden Knights is one of three intra-division battles in the Pacific, with all 32 NHL clubs in action on this Saturday. Earlier, Calgary lost and L.A. lost. It’s not too early for scoreboard-watching… is it?
Seattle can’t convert the game’s first power play. Daccord gobbles up Lauzon’s laser from the inner edge of the left wing circle.
Jamie Oleksiak thought he’d gotten away with a cross-check from behind, because the ref closest to the play didn’t raise his arm. But the ref in the neutral zone did. When Seattle touches the puck and Oleksiak learns he’s box-bound, he lifts his gaze to the rafters. Besides Daccord, who made two saves, the PK hero is Freddy Gaudreau with a block and a hard-fought clear.
The Kraken break the ice on a power play goal at 7:58, showcasing fancy stick-handling the Globetrotters would appreciate. From behind the net, Eberle sends a no-look pass between his legs into the crease. Matty Beniers accepts, dangling the puck from forehand to backhand, sliding the puck past Hill’s outstretched pad.
Whitecloud is busy batting a neutral-zone puck fluttering above his head. So he doesn’t notice a fast-approaching freight train named Brandon Montour. While Whitecloud, on his rear, tries to remember the day of the week, Ben Hutton comes in to defend his teammate (though the shoulder check was absolutely clean). In their brief fight, Montour drops Hutton, too.
Back on ice, Whitecloud smashes Tye Kartye. Kartye returns the favor moments later. Have the Kraken gotten into the Vegas defenseman’s head? He tackles Jani Nyman for a minor penalty. The Kraken don’t score, but Vince Dunn draws “ahhhs” from the CPA crowd by faking a slingshot pass behind him and then skating between the frozen defenders.
Vegas outshot the Kraken 10-4 in the period, and 17-13 through 40. Seattle leads in blocks, 17-11, and hits, 23-15 (Kartye with four). Vegas’ new $108 million man, Jack Eichel, has three shots – and five giveaways.
3rd Period
Seattle’s Eberle was called for holding in the final 11 seconds of the middle period. In the box, the Kraken captain raised his palms upward in disbelief. This means Vegas will have 1:49 of fresh ice and an intermission worth of strategizing to try and tie the game. But a pair of Chandler Stephenson PK steals, and some sloppy Vegas passing, help Seattle keep its lead.
Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
When Ryan Winterton goes off for tripping, Eichel beats Daccord cleanly but hits the post. The reprieve is brief; that red-hot Dorofeyev (5th goal) finds the corner above Daccord’s shoulder, just below where the right post and crossbar meet. Dueling power-play markers have the contest tied 1-1 at 4:11.
Through the first 16 minutes of the 3rd, shots are 4-1 Vegas.
Each team had a late golden opportunity. Adam Larsson saved the day for Seattle with a block of a Mark Stone slot drive after a Winterton turnover. At the other end, Dunn’s floating wrister through traffic hit iron with 30 seconds left.
Overtime
Surprisingly, Seattle had the better of the 3-on-3 possession and scoring chances, but neither goalie cracked. Seattle outshot Vegas in the first 4:50 of OT, 4-3. Then, one last Kraken win of a faceoff. Beniers, knowing he was fighting the clock, fired on goal. Vegas netminder Hill cross-checked Jared McCann, standing in front. McCann rose, cross-checking Mitch Marner. Then the rebound of Beniers’ shot came to McCann, who found space for a memorable Kraken win.
Up Next
Seattle embarks on a six-game road trip, beginning Tuesday in Montreal. Other destinations include Ottawa, Toronto, Philadelphia, Washington, and Winnipeg. The Kraken don’t return home until Saturday, Oct. 25 when they host the Edmonton Oilers.