Kraken Extend Unbeaten Streak To Eight, Heading Into Winter Classic
For the 13th time this season, the Seattle Kraken were forced to work overtime to decide a winner. Friday at Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken outlasted the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 to win for the 4th time after regulation.
Justin Schultz's bad-angle redirection at 2:35 of overtime secured the victory. As the victorious Kraken celebrated in the corner, winning goalie Joey Daccord - again outstanding with 27 saves - leaped onto the pile.
Seattle's unbeaten streak grows to eight games (6-0-2), a most unlikely way to end a calendar year for a team which had endured an eight game losing streak.
Storylines
For a mid-season game against a non-conference opponent, Friday's contest was packed with storylines. And not just because the Kraken's next game will be the Winter Classic against Vegas at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle's Oliver Bjorkstrand,played in his 500th NHL game; Philly's John Tortorella coached his 1,500th NHL game; two surging clubs were meeting, with the Kraken unbeaten in seven (5-0-2) and the Flyers 7-1-2 in their last 10.
1st Period
Kraken goalie Joey Daccord wasted no time showing off the acrobatics which fans have come to love. He slides post-to-post to rob Sean Couturier.
Andre Burakovsky, back in the lineup after a second lengthy injury, is stripped of the puck at Philly's blueline. Joel Farabee has 2/3 of the rink to skate unobstructed.
The problem is that Daccord is sporting a .944 save percentage and 1.70 GAA over his last seven games - and more to the point here, has been virtually impenetrable on breakaways, as Farabee is the latest to find out.
A bad bounce puts Seattle in a 1-0 hole. This is extra bad for the Kraken for two reasons; the first is that Travis Konecny's 17th at 16:21 came shorthanded. Konecny's centering pass on a 2-on-1 deflected off defenseman Vince Dunn's right skate and into the net.
The second reason the goal was bad news for the home team is because the Flyers are a remarkable 16-2-0 this season when scoring first. 1st period shots were 11-5 Philly.
2nd Period
Tomas Tatar becomes a nominee for Kraken brain-freeze play of the year. Remember, this is a guy who has played 800+ NHL contests.
Tatar is sitting on the dasher boards in front of his bench, legs dangling. He's waiting for a line change so he can jump on the ice. Friends, that means he isn't yet legally on the ice.
Yet when the puck slides close enough, the winger reaches down and touches it with his stick. This entitles Tatar to two more minutes of sitting, in the Seattle penalty box.
Ironically, the Kraken's best chance to tie the game comes while shorthanded. Smooth-skating Alex Wennberg weaves down the right wing, but can't solve Flyers goalie Carter Hart from in close.
Seattle dominated possession in the period - Matty Beniers' first line had the puck on a string and the Kraken outshot the Flyers 9-4 - but the visitors maintain their 1-0 lead through 40 minutes.
3rd Period
How's this for a heaping helping of poetic justice? Philadelphia's Tyson Foerster goes off for hooking - Tomas Tatar, of course - at 5:26.
On the Seattle power play, who should be loading up his heavy shot from the blueline but Vince Dunn. He scores for the second time, this one into the Flyers net, to tie the score 1-1 at 5:45.
For an extra dash of you-can't-make-this-stuff-up, the goal appears to deflect in off of a Flyer, the glove of Nick Seeler.
Dunn's 6th goal, his team-leading 30th point, is assisted by 500th-game-man Bjorkstrand, as well as Wennberg.
Overtime
Seattle's sixth consecutive one-goal game goes their way, thanks to Justin Schultz's redirection. 2-1 Kraken is the final.
