Seattle Falls To 2-1-1; Two Road Pre-Season Games Remain
McDavid McDazzles
At least in pre-season, Seattle Kraken fans should be able to admit it's a pleasure to watch Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid play hockey. Pinpoint passing, leaving defenders flat-footed, seeing the play three moves ahead, even backchecking.
Is he really 26, entering his ninth NHL season? When did this happen?
The game wasn't half a minute old when last year's 153-point scorer played the puck like a yo-yo, then sent a blistering snap shot labeled for the far corner. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer flashed his glove hand to make a fine save.
McDavid got even 2:49 into the third period. From almost the same spot, the inside portion of the left wing circle, McDavid rifled a shot five-hole to give Edmonton a 2-1 lead.
Yamamoto's Mojo
Seattle Kraken Kailer Yamamoto taps in a first period power play goal to tie the game with the Edmonton Oilers 1-1 Monday night at Climate Pledge Arena.A skater is never sorry to score a goal; especially a free agent addition trying to lock down a roster spot against his former team. Even so, Kailer Yamamoto felt a little sheepish about his first period power play goal. Jaden Schwartz's redirection had leaked through Oilers goalie Jack Campbell and was wobbling toward the net.
It likely would have made it home anyway, but Yamamoto made sure, pushing the puck the final inches over the goal line.
Yamamoto's third goal of pre-season was on-brand. He's known for positioning himself within arm's length of the opposition goalie. As Kailer told me in an interview we brought you Sunday, "That's where most of the goals are scored. The puck is eventually going to get there."
Net Results
Both teams' number-one goalies went the distance. Edmonton's Campbell was far busier, stopping 32 Kraken shots, many of them quality chances. Campbell flashed leather for his finest save midway through the third period, robbing Jared McCann on a bad-angle snipe after taking a cross-ice pass from Cale Fleury.
Grubauer allowed Xavier Bourgault's first period rebound goal - not his fault; Kraken skaters backed in too far, and didn't block out after Grubauer made the initial save on Ben Gleason. (Gleason also assisted on McDavid's goal.) Otherwise, he handled Edmonton's other six shots through two periods, as Edmonton repeatedly fired wide.
By The Numbers
Shots on goal: Kraken 33, Oilers 14. Power plays: Kraken 1-5, Edmonton 0-4. However, Bourgault scored his second goal of the game for a 3-1 Edmonton lead five seconds after Shane Wright's high sticking penalty ended, but before Wright could fully rejoin the play.
Mattias Janmark scored an empty-net goal with six seconds left to finalize the score at 4-1 Oilers.
Next Game
Seattle is now finished with its home portion of the pre-season, going 1-1-1 at Climate Pledge Arena. They head to Abbotsford, BC on Wednesday to face the Vancouver Canucks, and conclude the pre-season in Edmonton on Friday, Oct. 6.
The regular season begins for the Kraken in Las Vegas, where they will face the Golden Knights - and be in attendance for their banner-raising ceremony - on Oct. 10.