Seattle Shutout Of Bruins In Boston #1 Regular Season Victory
Much as Seattle Kraken fans may not want to, the magical 2022-23 campaign is about to fade from the rear-view. Before attention turns fully to training camp and the new season ahead, let's indulge in one last look back at the most memorable game from Seattle's 46-win, 100-point regular season.
Through a photo essay, we can rewind to key moments from TD Garden in Boston on the evening of January 12, 2023. Commentary alongside each photo will confirm why this was an easy choice for best of the season. As I don't need to remind you, the final score was Kraken 3, Bruins 0.
Matty Beniers may hail from the Boston suburb of Hingham, but he made sure this pregame puck went to a Kraken fan.
Boston came in riding a 4-game winning streak, an overall NHL-best record of 32-4-4, and hadn't lost all season in regulation at home (19-0-3).
Seattle was equally hot, riding a 6-game winning streak.
Admiring Bruins coach Jim Mongomery would say later he noted the Kraken playing "with swagger."
Brandon Tanev put Seattle in front at 7:14 of the first period. The Seattle Times' Kate Shefte provided this colorful description: "Part elite skill, part cockiness, part chemistry and part luck.
"The Bruins sent the puck around the boards and Daniel Sprong barreled into them, swiping a no-look shot on net. With both skates behind the goal line, Tanev redirected the puck past Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark."
Ullmark, who would go on the win the Vezina Trophy, stopped the other 13 first period Kraken shots. He entered the game with a gaudy 22-1-1 record.
Late in the first period, Justin Schultz (4) was whistled for the only Kraken penalty of the game. Seattle killed it off, and never gave the league's third-ranked power play unit at the time (28.2%) another chance.
In his previous start, Seattle goalie Martin Jones (30) authored a 4-0 shutout in Montreal. His second period saves against the Bruins included a David Pasternak breakaway.
Seattle had its own middle period breakaway. Bidding for his second goal of the night, Tanev (13) was stymied by Ullmark to keep the score 1-0.
Meanwhile, defenseman Adam Larsson (6) and mates were keeping Boston's Grade-A chances to a minimum.
With 39 seconds remaining in the period, Eeli Tolvanen (20) doubled the Kraken lead to 2-0 with a spinaround wrister.
Seattle had rescued Tolvanen (20) off waivers from Nashville exactly one month earlier.
Jones continued to frustrate the Bruins in the third period, shrugging the puck off his right shoulder. You can see the puck between the "3" and "0" on his sweater.
What appears to be a combined Rockettes-style performance in Jones' crease I have no explanation for.
Jones, here receiving encouragement from defenseman Vince Dunn, would say after the game, "I thought that was our most complete game of the season."
More Jones: "To come in and play how we did, and come up with a win in this building, that's a big step forward for us." (Pictured: Oliver Bjorkstrand, #22)
The Bruins pulled Ullmark with a whopping five minutes left, and applied consistent pressure for the next three. The Kraken didn't break, and iced the game on an empty-netter by Jaden Schwartz at 18:10.
Martin Jones stopped 27 shots to earn his third shutout of the season, and raise his personal record to 20-5-3.
The Boston Globe recap began, "Dominant on home ice all season, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, the Bruins lost their Superman mojo on Causeway Street, falling to the Seattle Kraken, 3-0."
"It's a tough place to win," said Seattle coach Dave Hakstol. "You don't come in here with any passengers and win a hockey game." Two nights later, the Kraken would win again, 8-5 in Chicago, completing a remarkable - and NHL record - 7-0 road trip.