Oilers Overpower Kraken Early, Coast To 4-1 Victory

If you're a down-and-out NHL club from Alberta, a weekend trip to Seattle is the cure for what ails you.

One week ago, a Calgary Flames team suffering through a six game losing streak doubled up the Kraken, 6-3.

Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle hosted an Edmonton Oilers team which inexplicably had earned only five standings points over its first 12 games. The Kraken allowed four 1st period goals, and were never competitive in a 4-1 defeat.

"It just kind of snowballed," Jaden Schwartz, who scored the lone Seattle goal, said in a Sportsnet interview. 

"At home right now, we're not playing well enough. I don't know if we're waiting and watching too much. When we're sitting back waiting for something to happen, it's not a good recipe."

Before the game, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman discussed the 2-9-1 Oilers' psyche. "I think they're in shock. They're not defending. They're not scoring. Everything they thought they'd do well, they aren't doing well."

Until tonight.

Edmonton's Zach Hyman needs less than 19 minutes of playing time to record a natural hat trick, his 20th career multi-goal game. His first one breaks the ice at 9:56.

Playing with fire: Seattle's fourth-from-worst in the NHL penalty kill must defend when Will Borgen is called for roughing at 10:29. Seattle has barely exhaled from surviving that, when Jaden Schwartz is called for tripping at 13:46.

It's Hyman again, a power play goal for a 2-0 Edmonton lead at 14:09.

Hyman completes the hat trick at 18:20.

The Oilers have three. Do we hear four? Dylan Holloway does, increasing Edmonton's lead to 4-0 at 19:42. (Don't be mad at Holloway - at Edmonton's morning practice, he traded his stick to a young Kraken fan for the fan's candy-striped youth stick.)

A rare sound at period's end: cascading boos from the crowd at Climate Pledge Arena. Who can blame them, when the Kraken are outshot 17-5 and outscored 4-0.

Over his last combined 50 minutes and 25 seconds against Edmonton, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer has allowed 10 goals on 27 shots. Not all his fault, of course - tonight has been a team (lack of?) effort.

Partly in an attempt to wake up his players, Seattle coach Dave Hakstol inserted backup Joey Daccord between the pipes to start the 2nd period.

If the Kraken weren't down four goals, we'd be raving about Daccord's amazing, desperation, down on the ice, tip-of-his-glove save, followed by Jamie Oleksiak knocking the puck off the goal line, to prevent another Edmonton score.

Also praise-worthy: two crunching hits by Jared McCann, one on Brett Kulak and a second on Derek Ryan.

Less praise-worthy: while Edmonton didn't do any more scoring, Seattle didn't do any, either. The Kraken were outshot 9-4 in the period, 26-9 for the game.

Now you can be mad at Holloway. He pushes Kraken defenseman Brian Dumoulin from behind into the boards, causing a cut above Dumoulin's right eye. He heads down the tunnel for repairs.

Holloway is originally assessed a major. After a video review, the call is reduced to a minor boarding penalty.

Eeli Tolvanen's slap pass redirects off Schwartz's skate and in at 2:25. The power play goal extends a pair of positive Kraken streaks, and cuts the Oilers' lead to 4-1.

The Kraken have now scored a power play goal in six consecutive games. Schwartz increases his personal point streak to nine games. Schwartz leads the team in goals with eight, five of those coming on the PP.

Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn decides Holloway's hit on Dumoulin requires a more personal form of retribution. For starters, a clean Dunn check sends Holloway reeling into the boards. A couple of Dunn cross-checks leads to harsh words, and then harsh punches. Both get five for fighting.

In the final three minutes, Edmonton's Ryan pings the right post. That doesn't count as a shot on goal - and the Oilers don't get one for the entire period.

That's correct: for the first time in franchise history, the Kraken achieve one of the sport's true rarities - limiting an opponent to zero shots for an entire period. The Kraken outshoot Edmonton 9-0 in the third; the Oilers still finish the game with a 26-18 SOG edge.

Also, neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl registered a point. But they didn't need to, as Seattle loses, 4-1.

You know it's been a rough night when a club's social media department - usually all unicorns and rainbows - sends out a post like this.

The Kraken won't have to wait long for a rematch with the Oilers - although, come to think of it, not sure that's a good thing. No matter; the teams reconvene in Edmonton on Wednesday.

On the subject of seeking revenge, the Colorado Avalanche are next up for the Kraken at home Monday, with the Avs looking to pay back a 4-3 Seattle victory in Denver last Thursday.