Tuesday’s clash with Minnesota is likely the last home game for one or more Seattle Kraken regulars. If so, the currently constructed roster gave fans at Climate Pledge Arena an exciting going-away present in advance of Friday’s trade deadline. Exciting, but not victorious.
Four Wild compiled multi-point games as the Minnesotans hung on for a 4-3 win at Climate Pledge Arena. The multi-pointers included goal scorers Mats Zuccarello, Frederick Gaudreau and Jared Spurgeon. Filip Gustavsson made 33 saves.
Shane Wright scored his team-leading 7th power play goal, and 14th overall, for Seattle. Defensemen Adam Larsson and Brandon Montour had other Kraken tallies; Seattle has 37 goals from D-men, top-5 in the NHL. Eeli Tolvanen couldn’t convert on a 2nd period penalty shot.
Despite falling to 10th in the composite NHL standings, Minnesota recorded its league-best 22nd road victory.
1st Period
11 minutes into the period, Seattle has one lonely shot on goal – yet it doesn’t feel like they’re being outplayed. Weird. (Minnesota has six SOGs.)
Brandon Tanev vigorously – does he know any other way – protests a high-sticking call at 12:01. Half a minute later, Vinnie Hinostroza deflects home Mats Zuccarello’s shot for a 1-0 Wild lead. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord immediately protests, because Hinostroza’s stick clearly pushes Daccord’s pad before the puck crosses the line.
The referees huddle to discuss, don’t place a call to the situation room, and Seattle coach Dan Bylsma, not wanting to risk a penalty should his challenge fail, doesn’t challenge.
The Kraken answer at 16:40. Matty Beniers is tripped, the referee’s arm rises, and Daccord skates to the bench for a sixth attacker. Defenseman Adam Larsson’s 66-foot slapper beats Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson cleanly for a 1-1 tie.
Daccord makes an amazing reaction save on former teammate Marcus Johansson. An up-ice pass finds a breaking Eeli Tolvanen, who gloves down the pass, then shoots on Gustavsson, who makes the save, and on Tolvanen’s follow-up, and on Jamie Oleksiak’s folow-follow-up. Business has picked up in the latter part of the period.
More business at 18:23: the Wild’s Jared Spurgeon scores from the right circle faceoff dot to send the visitors into intermission with a 2-1 lead. Hinostroza, proving to be a real pest, provided the screen which took away Daccord’s vision. Shots after 20 minutes are 9-9.
2nd Period
Minnesota grabs a two goal lead on a bad-luck bank shot at 1:41. Frederick Gaudreau’s centering pass does a sharp right turn off Jamie Oleksiak’s skate and past Daccord for a 3-1 Wild lead.
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A highly unusual sequence at 4:21. Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber slashes Eeli Tolvanen on a breakaway, causing Tolvanen to whiff on his shot. The refs had already decided that warranted a penalty shot, when Faber slammed Tolvanen from behind into the end boards. So the wild D-man was further assessed two minutes for boarding.
None of the above resulted in a Kraken goal. Gustavsson made a relatively routine stick save on Tolvanen’s penalty shot. The Kraken applied intense pressure on the PP, including four shots on goal, but couldn’t get one past the Minnesota’s 30th(!)-ranked penalty kill.
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Instead, the Wild score next. Deft Minnesota lateral passing in the o-zone has Daccord swimming out of position. Mats Zuccarello puts the biscuit into the unguarded basket for a 4-1 Wild lead at 8:22. Johansson has assists against his old team on both goals this period.
Shane Wright gives catch and release a new meaning to pull Seattle within 4-2 on the power play at 14:10. Wright collects a pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand in the left wing circle and whips a shot past Gustavsson. Wright has 16 points in his last 15 games.
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Reports of the Kraken’s demise might have been premature, courtesy of that fickle puck luck in the final 11.7 seconds. Yanni Gourde, back in the lineup after an extended injury absence, feeds Jordan Eberle from behind the net. The Wild’s Marco Rossi blunts Eberle’s shot, with the puck squirting right to Brandon Montour. The defenseman puts all his might behind a buzzer-beater to narrow the Seattle deficit to 4-3.
3rd Period
The 3rd period has been by far Seattle’s best this season, outscoring the opposition 76-53.
Now, Dan Byslma does challenge. Minnesota appears to go ahead 5-3 at 2:50 on a pretty shot against the grain by another ex-Kraken, Devin Shore. Did Minnesota play the puck with a high stick first? Answer, upon review: yes. The score reverts to 4-3.
Seattle pulls their goalie for a sixth attacker with 2:11 left. The Kraken continue the pressure they’ve applied during the second half of the period, with the Wild hanging on for dear life. They do.
Up Next
For anyone claiming the Kraken are having a disappointing season, the Nashville Predators say, “Hold my tears.” The media-proclaimed winners of last summer’s free agent frenzy actually trail Seattle in the standings. So consider Thursday’s Kraken-Preds game in Nashville the Condolence Bowl. Less than 24 hours after Friday’s 12 noon PT trade deadline, the remaining Kraken will face the Flyers in Philadelphia (9:30 am Seattle time puck drop).