For Seattle Kraken fans bemoaning the 4th-year franchise’s middling performance, Buffalo Sabres supporters would reply, “Hold my snow shovel.”
In business since 1970, the Sabres have never rewarded arguably the NHL’s most passionate U.S-based faithful with even one championship. Worse, over the last decade-plus, the Sabres have gained about as much traction as bald tires after a Buffalo ice storm.
The Sabres stumbled into Climate Pledge Arena Monday for a Martin Luther King Day matinee.
Defenseman Jamie “Big Rig” Oleksiak scored the go-ahead 4-3 goal, defenseman Adam “Big Cat” Larsson added a 3rd period insurance marker – that proved to be the game-winner – as the Kraken downed Buffalo 6-4.
Those nicknames? Oleksiak is 6-foot-7, 252; Larsson is 6-foot-3, 207. Before today, the punishing blueliners had combined for five scores this season.
John Hayden, Chandler Stephenson, Matty Beniers and Jared McCann scored the other Kraken goals. The win completes a two-game sweep of the Sabres, who allowed the final six goals in a 6-2 Kraken triumph Jan. 11 on the Niagara Frontier. Seattle has won both games so far on its homestand, and four of their last six overall.
“Still A Lot Of Work To Be Done”
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
We’re two days removed from the 67th anniversary of Willie O’Ree becoming the first Black player in the NHL, when he stepped on the ice for the Boston Bruins in 1958 at the Montreal Forum.
In a 2021 NBC Sports interview, O’Ree explained how Martin Luther King had impacted his life. “The one quote that has stayed with me all these years, ‘Don’t judge a person by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.'”
Since 1998 the NHL’s diversity ambassador, the 89 year old O’Ree reminds us, “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
KHN Screengrabs
Also of note on MLK Day 2025: One of today’s referees is Jordan Samuels-Thomas, who wears Jackie Robinson’s #42. He’s seen in the above photo at left calling a penalty on Seattle’s Mitchell Stephens.
Samuels-Thomas has a happier Kraken connection. During the 2008-09 season, he was a teammate of current KHN TV analyst J.T. Brown on the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL. Like all Monday Kraken games, Brown was joined in the TV booth by regular radio voice Everett Fitzhugh, while John Forslund is away calling national games for Prime Video.
1st Period
The teams trade goals 27 seconds apart. First, Buffalo’s Jack Quinn at 5:07.
Seattle gets even on a “Callup Special” at 5:34. John Hayden gets his 1st goal of the season, with one of the assists going to fellow Coachella Valley Firebirds callup Mitchell Stephens. Check out Hayden and Stephens’ dogged battle for the puck before the goal.
The Kraken pepper the Buffalo net to take the lead at 11:06. Ryker Evans shoots – blocked, then Oliver Bjorkstrand shoots – blocked, then Chandler Stephenson shoots – and scores past a beleaguered Sabres goalie Devon Levi. It’s Stephenson’s 8th goal of the year, and Evans’ second assist of the period.
WHL Recognizes Catton’s High-Scoring Week
At the other end of the Evergreen State, Spokane Chiefs forward – and Kraken 2024 1st round draft choice – Berkly Catton is WHL player of the week. Five goals and three assists will do that for you. Catton has 20 goals, 42 assists and a +27 rating in 33 contests this season, and is third among all WHL skaters in points per game (1.88).
Catton and the Chiefs will take on fellow Kraken prospect Kaden Hammell and the league-leading Everett Silvertips on Wednesday in Spokane.
2nd Period
Kraken goalie Joey Daccord makes his best save so far when Jiri Kulich is left by his lonesome to fire from between the circles.
Call him Matty Bumpers, for his 10th goal of the season. On a Kraken power play, Beniers takes a pass in the bumper position from Stephenson and in one motion sweeps it past Levi for a 3-1 Kraken lead at 6:41.
The Sabres get one back on a power play of their own, Jason Zucker bringing Buffalo back within 3-2 at 9:31.
Deflation: Buffalo completely erases the two goal deficit on a Tage Thompson goal at 15:38.
Turn those frowns upside down: 54 seconds later, defenseman Jamie Oleksiak restores the Kraken lead.
3rd Period
In the category, “Didn’t age well,” ESPN’s September, 2023 “Future Power Rankings.” The network polled its hockey analysts to rank “how teams are set up for success this season as well as the next three seasons.” Buffalo was ranked #3, Seattle #5.
How you know you have a hard shot: Eeli Tolvanen’s slot laser knocks goalie Levi’s stick out of his hand and all the way to the far corner.
Adam Larsson provides Seattle with unexpected but appreciated insurance at 10:25.
Buffalo’s Alex Tuch scored a 6-on-5 pulled goalie marker with 1:21 left to create some sweaty palms in the stands. But Jared McCann’s 14th goal, into that empty net, replaced the nerves with cheers in a 6-4 final. Oleksiak drew an assist, his 100th in the NHL.
Up Next
The back half of the four game Kraken homestand features a pair of aging but still high-performing all-timers, Thursday night, Alex Ovechkin brings his chase of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record to CPA, along with the NHL’s top team, the Washington Capitals. Saturday afternoon (1 pm start), Sidney Crosby leads his Pittsburgh Penguins into Seattle.
Note: DJLR will profile The Great 8 and Sid The Kid, plus photos from past matchups with the Kraken, in this space on Wednesday.