Kraken Survive Blown Lead, Top Red Wings In Wild OT Finish, 5-4

Seattle Surrenders Three Power Play Goals, Scores Two Of Its Own

Against the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena, the crossbar saved the Seattle Kraken in the first minute, and the post saved them in the last minute of overtime.

Those bits of iron allowed Seattle's Jordan Eberle to bury Jared McCann's pass with five seconds left in OT. 

The Kraken survived three Detroit power play goals in the 3rd period for a much-needed 5-4 win, in the first contest of a four game road trip.

A fragile Kraken squad received an enormous break in the game's first minute. With a gaping net, former Kraken Daniel Sprong fired the puck into goalie Joey Daccord from a severe angle. Detroit's David Perron shoveled a second shot into a prone Daccord - then the gift. 

The puck squirted to Joe Velano at the top of the crease. With almost the entire 4x6 cage to shoot at, and Wings teammates already raising their sticks in celebration, Velano clanged the crossbar.

Trying to keep the puck in at the blue line, Yanni Gourde instead gets stripped by Dylan Larkin. There's nothing but ice for Larkin between the red line and Daccord. Larkin shoots for the near post, but can't elevate the puck and the goalie makes a marvelous kick save. 

A minute later, Moritz Seider elbows the back of Matty Beniers' head into the corner boards. That's no way to treat a former University of Michigan hero. 

A Seattle team which seemed to accept too much opposition rough treatment during its homestand responded quickly this time. Out of the pushing and shoving, Seider and Beniers receive matching minors.

Seattle runs its penalty-killing success to 16-for-17 on the season, erasing Jordan Eberle's hold at 17:07. No mean feat against a Detroit power play operating at 39% efficiency over the first six games.

With the aid of the crossbar, the Daccord breakaway save, and the penalty kill, Seattle earns a 0-0 draw after 20. Shots were 11-11.

A full period after missing a golden opportunity, Velano deflects Ollie Maatta's left point drive at 1:07 for a 1-0 Detroit lead.

The Kraken kill off a second Wings power play, then Eberle's strong board work earns Seattle its first extra-man chance. Power play savant Jaden Schwartz - he has three of the four Kraken PPGs on the season - ties the game 1-1 at 5:15, with assists to Beniers and Vince Dunn.

Happy wanderer: Joey Daccord comes out beyond the top of the left wing circle to collect the puck and pass it out of the zone. Not consequential in the game, but shows Daccord's confidence in his stickhandling ability, and how he can serve as a third defenseman.

Schwartz proved he can score 5-on-5, too, ripping a drive from the right wing circle past Detroit goalie Ville Husso at 17:54. Alex Wennberg and Oliver Bjorkstrand earned assists; Bjorkstrand's net drive allowed Schwartz room to shoot.

Detroit responded with suffocating pressure, which threatened to re-tie the game. One reason they didn't is that Schwartz appeared to throw his stick, which intercepted a pass headed for a breaking and open Ollie Mattaa. Accidental? On purpose? If called, Detroit would have been awarded a penalty shot. It wasn't, and they weren't.

With 55 seconds remaining in the period, Kraken defenseman Brian Dumoulin sprung Tye Kartye on a breakaway. The man who has gone from AHL fourth-liner to top-line NHL minutes converted, to give Seattle a 3-1 lead after two.

Losing teams do losing team things.

No matter how good your penalty kill, giving a power play operating at 39% efficiency multiple opportunities is a recipe for failure. On the Red Wings third PP of the night, Shayne Gostisbehere narrows the Kraken lead to 3-2 at 2:10.

Devin Shore, who earned a Kraken sweater for the first time after Andre Burakovsky was injured Saturday night, took a double high-sticking minor at 4:16. Detroit's Dylan Larkin needed just 22 seconds to tie the game, 3-3.

Alex Wennberg held Jake Walman at 9:09, the Kraken's fourth minor penalty before the period is half over. Detroit makes them pay again, with Alex DeBrincat scoring his league-leading 9th goal of the season at 10:26 to give Detroit the lead, 4-3.

Now it's the home team's turn to be undisciplined. Larkin gets whistled for hooking at 18:12, and with Daccord off for a 6-on-4 advantage, Seattle's Jared McCann ties it 4-4 at 18:38.

Shots were 37-27 Seattle after regulation, and there wouldn't be another SOG until the one which clinched the game.

Seconds after Detroit's Lucas Raymond rang a potential game-winner flush off the near left post, the Kraken skated up ice one final time.

After scoring the game-winning goal at 4:55 of overtime, Jordan Eberle was so spent, he stayed on his knees between the hash marks. Jared McCann, who fed Eberle the pass, skated over and planted a kiss on his teammate's helmet.

Kraken win 5-4, and will have a feel-good flight to Raleigh for their next game, Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.