Despite Surrendering Two Goal Lead, Seattle Wins To Finish Trip 2-1-1
Someone, please tell the Seattle Kraken they don't get paid more for overtime.
Monday at Amalie Arena, Jared McCann scored on an OT power play to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3. It marked the third overtime game during Seattle's four game road trip, and their second extra-time win.
The victory was also Seattle's first-ever against Tampa Bay, the last NHL opponent they hadn't beaten.
1st Period
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who left the Lightning to sign a free agent contract with Seattle this summer, gets a warm welcome back from Tampa Bay fans.
Jaden Schwartz skates in on a 2-on-0 with Jordan Eberle. Schwartz elects to shoot, and Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson elects to make the save.
Brian Dumoulin makes sure the Kraken don't let goal-scoring woes fester. The d-man's first in a Seattle sweater breaks the ice at 12:08, assisted by Schwartz and Justin Schultz.
Exactly one minute later, another former Lightning fan favorite doubles the Kraken lead. Yanni Gourde, who won two Cups with Tampa Bay, burns his old team for a 2-0 lead at 13:08. Assists go to Kailer Yamamoto and Jared McCann.
That dreaded two goal lead, which the Kraken have failed to protect in the first three games of this road trip, lasts a mere 29 seconds. Tanner Jeannot reduces the Lightning deficit to 2-1 at 13:37.
What's this? Yamamoto restores the two-goal cushion with his second point of the period, a power play goal for a 3-1 Seattle lead at 15:52. Assists go to Eeli Tolvanen and Schwartz, earning his second apple tonight.
Before the game, coach Dave Hakstol said he wanted to see his team play with "swagger." Shots are a swagger-like 20-9 for Seattle.
2nd Period
"We've had some extended zone time," Dumoulin said in a ROOT Sports interview. "It's really helped us gain some traction, get a lot of pucks to the net. Good bounces come from that."
The Kraken penalty kill, so reliable in the first few games, has become unraveled on this road trip. Jamie Oleksiak goes off for holding, and the man he held, Alex Barré-Boulet, brings Tampa back within 3-2 at 3:40.
Oliver Bjorkstrand, moved to the top line by coach Dave Hakstol, is stopped on two grade-A's by Johansson. But the O-zone pressure forces Mikhail Sergachev into a delay of game penalty at 11:27.
The best scoring chance belongs shorthanded to Brandon Hagel, whose fancy moves free him for a close-in backhand which Grubauer denies.
Seattle's PK looks better killing an Alex Wennberg high-stick at 14:27. So despite a 15-13 Tampa shot advantage in the middle 20, the Kraken will take a lead into the third period.
3rd Period
The task for the Kraken is simple: protect the lead. "One shift at a time mentality," Gourde said in an intermission interview. "You go out there, you win your shift. If you do that, we're going to be in a good spot at the end of the third period."
Haydn Fleury, a first-season Kraken for 36 games who assisted on the first Tampa Bay goal, hits the post from long range with 10 minutes left.
The swagger, and the lead, officially go bye-bye at 14:32. Tampa Bay's Hagel ties the game 3-3, converting a pinball bounce.
Another disturbing trend on this road trip - Seattle's offensive well running dry after a fast start. By the end of the period, the Kraken haven't scored for more than 44 minutes. They didn't even register a shot for more than seven minutes.
Seattle survives to overtime because Jeannot, with open net to shoot at, sends a backand off the post with 30 seconds left. 3rd periods shots are 12-6 Lightning, reflecting their domination (39-36 Seattle through regulation).
Postgame
Tampa's Braden Point rings the post 1:45 into OT. Given new life, the Kraken earn a power play on a Nick Paul hook at 1:59. Dave Hakstol calls his timeout to organize the 4-on-3 PP.
Goal! At 2:53, finishing a nice passing play, Jared McCann fires so hard, it almost goes through the net. Vince Dunn and Bjorkstrand get the tic-tac-toe passing helpers to create a 4-3 win over the Lightning.
The Kraken, on their second PPG of the night, secure five out of eight standings points on the four game road swing. For McCann, it's his fifth goal of the season, and a two point night.
Two points for the Kraken, too, who get a well-deserved breather before returning to action Thursday, hosting the Nashville Predators at Climate Pledge Arena.
