Seattle Has Season's First Win Streak; Second Straight For Grubauer
The last time the Seattle Kraken played at Climate Pledge Arena, they turned in their worst performance of the season - a listless, lifeless, 4-1 loss to the Rangers.
Thursday at CPA, the Kraken not only played perhaps their most complete game of the season, they avenged an earlier shutout loss to Nashville by doubling up the Predators, 4-2.
1st Period
How not to start a hockey game: Eeli Tolvanen takes a tripping penalty 67 seconds in; Adam Larsson gets whistled for a high-sticking double minor at 2:36. Nashville's Gustav Nyquist appears to actually be picking his teeth up off the ice.
On the 5-on-4, then 5-on-3, then 5-on-4 again, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer makes eight saves to keep the game scoreless. Seattle is granted a two minute reprieve when Nashville's Colton Sissons is called for tripping.
But after Sissons exits the box, and with two seconds left on Larsson's double minor, the Predators break through. On a precision passing play, Tommy Novak gives the visitors a 1-0 lead at 6:35.
On the Kraken's first power play, Tolvanen takes two shots against his former club, but Preds goalie Juuse Saros, who shut out Seattle in the teams' first meeting Oct. 12, saves both.
Dante Fabbro, who interfered with Matty Beniers on the prior Nashville penalty, slashes Beniers to reclaim his seat in the penalty box. This time, the Kraken even the score. The key is traffic in front, preventing Saros from seeing what Oliver Bjorkstrand shoots at him, creating a 1-1 tie at 15:21.
Jared McCann, who's been hotter than a Lubbock sidewalk in August, gives the Kraken their first lead at 17:41.
Yanni Gourde, recording his 100th point with Seattle, feathers a cross-ice pass on a 2-on-1 onto McCann's tape.
In the photo at left, Jason Tang captures the moment McCann hit the twine with his one-timer before Saros can move across his crease.
(The puck is the dark object just to the right of the near post, behind the netting.)
With his assist on the earlier Bjorkstrand goal, McCann now has five goals and three assists in his last 6+ games. Shots in the period were 11-9 Nashville.
2nd Period
The Kraken scored four power play goals during their just-completed road trip, and gave up five PPGs - trends which continued tonight. It would behoove both clubs to avoid further penalties.
Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn took a wallop from a Predator at the Nashville blue line. While play continued, Dunn checked to make sure it was still Thursday, and skated off the ice.
All period, the Kraken have bent, bent, bent, but haven't broken under sustained Nashville pressure. That is, until Will Borgen ignores the take-no-penalties directive. With 20 seconds left on his holding minor, the Predators' Roman Josi blasts the tying goal at 16:34.
The Kraken quick-response squad restores the lead 24 seconds later. Again, the way to beat a great goalie like Saros is to (metaphorically) take his eyes away. That's what Tye Kartye does, as Brian Dumoulin scores for the second consecutive game. 3-2 Seattle at 16:58.
With 2:10 left in the period, Grubauer suffers insult and injury. With Nashville's Liam Foudy and Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak bearing down, the Kraken goalie pushes out his right leg.
Foudy falls over Grubauer and then into the end boards. Shaken up, Grubauer skates to the bench for repairs. He returns to the cage to defend the tripping minor called against him.
If this isn't Grubauer's best period of netminding, it'll do until someone thinks of a better one. His 20 minutes of outstanding saves includes a remarkable shorthanded pad stop to keep the Seattle lead 3-2 as the horn sounds.
Shots in the period are 14-11 Predators, 25-20 through 40 minutes.
3rd Period
Early in the frame, Jared McCann staples Alexandre Carrier into the boards; Vince Dunn stutter-steps in his own zone, making Phillip Forsberg lose his balance; Oliver Bjorkstrand sends a bullet into Saros.
It appears the Kraken, who have lost multiple 3rd period leads of late, are determined to take the play to Nashville.
At 8:38, it pays off on the scoreboard. Vince Dunn - without a screen - blows the puck past Saros, with assists to Schwartz and Alex Wennberg.
Postgame
With 32 saves on 34 Nashville shots, Grubauer was named the game's number one star.
The Kraken have their first winning streak, and go for three in a row Saturday night at home against the Calgary Flames.
