Power-less Play, Defensive Miscues Doom Seattle Kraken In 2-0 Shutout By Ottawa Senators

Given the Seattle Kraken's winless start to its road trip, and just one win in its last five games, coach Dave Hakstol's pregame message couldn't have been more succinct. "You gotta keep pushing."

Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre, the push may have been there, but the goals weren't. Two Kraken defensive mistakes led to two Ottawa Senators goals, all that was necessary in a 2-0 victory.

Against a team whose fans are calling for their coach's ouster, and who lost last night to a last-place Columbus Blue Jackets team, the Kraken generated 39 SOG - without a killer instinct to go along with it.

Four Seattle power plays yielded no goals, extending a 2-for-25 drought with the extra man. The Kraken fall to 0-2-1 on their current road trip, which concludes Monday in Montreal.

With Jaden Schwartz and Andre Burakovsky on injured reserve, Brandon Tanev tonight is a welcome return to the Kraken forward corps. Initially, he'll skate on a line with Alex Wennberg and recent AHL callup Marian Studenic. 

Tanev's return means another Coachella Valley Firebird callup (and onetime Ottawa draft pick) Max McCormick doesn't get a sweater tonight.

Senators goalie Anton Forsberg makes a point-blank save on Oliver Bjorkstrand at the tail end of a Kraken power play. A confidence-builder for Forsberg (3.51 GAA, .850 save % this season).

Kraken starting goalie Joey Daccord was a 7th round draft choice of the Senators in 2015, playing nine total games for Ottawa. You might say he gets a "hometown" bounce, as Drake Batherson's shot rings off the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.

Seattle's Yanni Gourde line has a power play-looking shift in the Ottawa zone, even though the teams are skating 5-on-5. Only a whistle for a hand pass rescues the Sens.

Matty Beniers loses an edge, and the puck, to the left of the Kraken goal. Ottawa's Mattheiu Joseph, standing just outside the crease, is the happy recipient. 1-0 Senators at 17:21.

Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz, playing his 700th NHL game, gets called for, I guess, occupying physical space? Since that's not in the rulebook, the official call is interference when Tim Stützle climbs over Schultz's back. 

Not only don't the Senators score, they're held without a SOG for the first eight minutes of the period. The Kraken also kill a Bjorkstrand trip, thanks to McCann tying up the stick of Vladimir Tarasenko, so he can't convert a cross-crease pass. Seattle's #25 PK is now 3-for-3.

Daccord stops the puck back of his own net, but doesn't know what to do with it. The Senators do - with the goalie still scrambling back into position, Batherson doubles the Ottawa lead to 2-0 at 13:37.

Why should the Kraken put up with Daccord's sometimes wandering ways? Because he challenges shooters and makes saves he's not supposed to make. 

Exhibit A: Ottawa's Stützle, on a breakaway, goes forehand, backhand, then denied.

Shots after 40 are 25-24 Ottawa. For the second consecutive game, Seattle will need to rally from a two goal deficit in the 3rd period.

If there's a subreddit for "Hockey Players Being Bros," Daccord deserves a mention. Ottawa's Thomas Chabot, just back from injury, gets banged up again. When Daccord sees he's having trouble skating to the bench, the goalie gives him a helpul push to aid his momentum.

More Daccord: the Senators break in on a shortanded 2-on-1. Claude Giroux's centering pass is deflected from behind by the stick of Eeli Tolvanen - on goal. Daccord was moving left-to-right across his crease, but reaches out his coaching glove to snare the puck in the nick of time.

Ottawa's Dominik Kubalik takes a holding penalty at 11:49. Seattle, currently 0-for-3 against the NHL's #30 penalty kill, must have one here on try number four.

They don't get it. The Kraken power play has one goal in its last 18 chances.

The Kraken pull Daccord for a sixth attacker with 2:45 left, but can't pierce the Ottawa net. If you had Anton Forsberg being the second opposing goalie to shut out the Kraken this season - well, you'd be lying. But those are the facts, as Forsberg authors a 39-save whitewash.