Kraken wrap tentacles around Panthers, suffocating Florida in 4-0 shutout
The Panthers have been shut out three times in 28 games this season
It was a frustrating night for the Florida Panthers on Tuesday in Seattle, playing a strong road game but ultimately coming up empty.
The Panthers were statistically the better team, but on the scoreboard, the only place it really counts, it was the Kraken holding the 4-0 advantage.
Florida got off to another solid road start, helding Seattle to just three shots on 10 attempts and one scoring chance during the first period.
Seattle found a crack in the Cats’ defense early in the second period when Kailer Yamamoto got behind the Panthers back line and Will Borgen found him with a perfect pass from the Kraken end.
Yamamaoto broke in on Sergei Bobrovsky and popped a quick shot over his glove to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
That’s how the score would stay through the game’s first 40 minutes, with both teams combining for just 26 shots on goal (16 for Florida and 10 for Seattle).
The home team took a two-goal lead about six minutes into the third period when Pierre-Edouard Bellemare one-timed a Ryker Evans feed past the blocker of Bobrovsky.
For Evans, the assist was the 18-year-old’s first NHL point.
About four minutes later, former Panther Alex Wennberg came streaking into the Florida end with the puck on his blade, and he snapped a wrister under the crossbar to give Seattle a 3-0 lead and sending the Climate Pledge Arena faithful into a frenzy.
Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice pulled Bobrovsky with 5:40 to go in a last-ditch comeback attempt, but it would only end with the Kraken popping in an empty net goal.
On to Vancouver.
Here are some thoughts and observations from Tuesday’s battle in Seattle:
On a night where Florida mostly dominated possession metrics, the Panthers fourth line and second line of Sam Bennett centering Nick Cousins and Matthew Tkachuk noticeably struggled.
Kraken goalie Joey Daccord was excellent, earning his first career NHL shutout. He did well to keep the Panthers from making it a game until Seattle was able to pop in a couple insurance goals during the third period. Daccord finished with 24 saves, including four high danger saves, and his expected goals against was 2.37.
On the other hand, Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced, including 5 of 7 high danger shots. Bob’s expected goals against was 1.96.
Florida finished 0-for-3 on the power play, with two coming early in the game when it was still scoreless and the third coming shortly after Seattle scored its first goal.
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