Dumoulin, Yamamato, Bellemare Key 4-3 Win Monday At Tampa Bay
To borrow a convenience store slogan, the Seattle Kraken's 4-3 overtime win Monday over the Tampa Bay Lightning had "Too much good stuff."
We couldn't fit all of it in our game story, and the win that capped a 2-1-1 Kraken road trip is deserving of a day-after review. So, enjoy these bonus observations.
Three Free-Agent Signings Made Major Contributions
Brian Dumoulin scored his first goal as a Kraken. It also marked the seventh time in eight games Seattle has scored the game's first goal.
Another off-season acquisition, Kailer Yamamoto, potted his second goal. Coach Dave Hakstol said after the game, "I thought it was his best game. He had a ton of energy. He was good defensively. He's not a big guy, but he was good on the wall."
"Those guys are bigger," Yamamoto agreed. "I have to use my speed, try to beat them to the puck."
A third new Kraken, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, didn't get on the scoresheet, but his strong two-way game in his return to Tampa Bay was recognized by teammates with the Davy Jones hat.
"So defensively sound," said Yamamoto of his linemate. "Never odd-man rushes (against) with him on the ice. He's got some really good skill in the offensive zone, too."
Puck Luck & Special Teams
Over time, puck luck evens out. A crazy bounce led to the game-losing goal Saturday against the Panthers, and a seeing-eye carom tied the game for the Lightning. But from the start of the third period through overtime, four - count 'em, four - Tampa Bay shots hit the post.
The Kraken penalty kill has come back to Earth. After being nearly impenetrable, the PK surrendered five goals in 10 shorthanded situations during the road trip.
The Kraken power play, on the other hand, had surprising success against a Lightning PK operating at 95% efficiency, allowing just a single PP goal against all season. Seattle got two, including a puck movement masterclass on Jared McCann's overtime game-winner.
Take A Number
Seattle's 20 1st period shots on goal (including three that went in) matched a club high for SOG in a period. The Kraken outshot the Lightning for the game 43-37, and advanced metrics indicated their quality of shots was superior as well.
Also in all four games, the Kraken built that dreaded two goal lead, which we explored in depth here. Like the previous three, Seattle gave up that early cushion against Tampa, a 3-1 lead evaporating into a 3-3 tie.
"When you're playing with a lead," McCann said after the game, "sometimes you think about just sitting back on your heels, letting them skate into you and skate by you. I think we need to play more offense when we're up."
All four games on the road trip were decided by one goal, three of them requiring overtime. "We battled through 60 minutes in all those games," said Yanni Gourde, who scored in the first period against his former team. "It's never going to come easy in this league. Winning is really hard."
Despite just three wins in their first 10 games (3-5-2), Seattle is two points behind the 3rd-place L.A. Kings in the Pacific Division. They're off until Thursday, hosting the Nashville Predators at Climate Pledge Arena.
