Kraken Finish Homestand 2-2-2; Two Game Winning Streak Snapped
What a super saturated sports Saturday.
Thirteen NHL games, three NFL games (Bengals QB: "I need a beer!"), 10 NBA games (Pistons lose 23rd straight!), a boatload of bowl games (one with 13 fumbles in a monsoon!), men's college hoops (#1 Arizona upset!), and women's college hoops (#1 South Carolina wins by 70!).
So Seattle Kraken fans could be forgiven for losing focus on the concluding game of Seattle's homestand against the L.A. Kings.
Just when it seemed all the crazy, impossible plays had already happened on this super-sized sports day, the Kraken had one more in store. Despite going without a goal for more than 50 minutes since Adam Larsson gave them an early lead, Oliver Bjorkstrand tield the game 2-2 with a late 3rd period power play.
Kailer Yamamoto briefly gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead in the shootout. Yanni Gourde gave Seattle a 2-1 lead and Matty Beniers a 3-2 lead. L.A. came back to win the skills competition 4-3, and the game, 3-2.
1st Period
Those Adam Larsson sporting-a-bowl-haircut T-shirts worn by Kraken teammates might need to be stocked in gift shops.
Playing his 300th consecutive game, 5th longest iron-man streak in the NHL, Larsson finds himself deep in the L.A. zone. The puck squirts off his stick and dances through a maze of skates into the net. 1-0 Seattle at 6:45.
"It's not the nicest goal I've scored, but it counts," Larsson said in a ROOT Sports interview. Larsson's 2nd goal of the season is assisted by Vince Dunn and Kailer Yamamoto. For Yamamoto, five points now in his last three games.
That problem the Kraken have had handling the puck in their own zone - yeah, not quite fixed yet. That, and fancy stickhandling by Trevor Moore ties the game 1-1 at 13:32.
The sound of a block off Pierre-Edouard Bellemare's boot can be heard throughout the arena. On the same shift, he takes a tripping penalty (probably needed to rub the sting out of that barking foot). The Kraken kill the penalty, increasing their PK streak at home to 16-for-16.
SOG confirm who had the territorial advantage in the period: 13-3 L.A.
2nd Period
The Kings are kings of the road. L.A. won its first 11 games away from home, and could have made it 13 except for surrendering two goal leads in losses at the Rangers and Islanders.
Rookie Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans with another NHL first, one he won't remember as fondly as his first point (against Florida Tuesday) and first multi-point game (against Chicago Thursday). He's whistled for interference.
Kraken teammates ensure he gets to stay the full first two minutes in an NHL penalty box, killing his penalty. The Kings do likewise on Seattle's first power play.
Along with more scoring and more winning, Seattle has turned up the fiesty-meter. They throw several heavy hits, but when Will Borgen takes a roughing penalty, the Kings take advantage.
Ageless superstar Anze Kopitar scores his 12th, putting L.A. ahead for the first time, 2-1 at 17:16.
2nd period shots were 15-6 L.A., 29-9 for the game.
The Kraken have just seven even strength shots, and the one which went in wasn't even an intentional shot. It's been a quiet first 40 for new Seattle winger Tomas Tatar (zero shots, one hit in 8:45 TOI). To be fair, it's been a quiet game for the entire forward corps, with no goals and only six SOG total.
3rd Period
Joey Daccord has stopped 27 of 29 L.A. shots, and looked comfortable doing so. He even barely missed recording a shot on goal. Daccord has played every second of the homestand since replacing an injured Philipp Grubauer in the 3rd period one week ago vs. Tampa Bay. He's acquitted himself well.
The Kings are second in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.42). Tonight the Kraken found out why. Los Angeles never allowed Seattle the puck possession and pace coach Dave Hakstol so often preaches.
And then, with 3:40 remaining in the contest, a glimmer of hope. L.A.'s Mikey Anderson puts the puck over the glass from his defensive zone. In the NHL, that's known as a delay of game penalty.
L.A. also has the league's second best penalty kill, at 88%. Does Oliver Bjorkstrand care? No, he does not.
Bjorkstrand's 10th, on the power play at 17:31, improbably ties the game 2-2 at 17:31 and sends the game to overtime. Evans earns an assist, giving him points in three consecutive games. Jared McCann gets the other helper.
Overtime
Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn takes a slashing penalty two minutes into OT. Stellar PK work and Daccord standing tall keep the Kings from winning on the power play. To the shootout.
Despite taking the lead in the skills competition three times, LA wins the shootout 4-3, and the game, 3-2.
Postgame
Seattle now leaves on a four game road trip. It begins Monday in Dallas, and continues Wednesday against these Kings, Dec. 23 in Anaheim, and after the Christmas break, Dec. 27 in Calgary
