Kokko Earns First NHL Win in Matinee

The Kraken’s final homestand of the season featured a second straight win behind poised rookie goaltender Nikke Kokko and fierce forechecking and high-danger playmaking by the home squad’s forward group. All four lines contributed quality scoring chances, with goals coming from three different lines. Kokko finished with 26 saves and big smiles with teammates in the congratulations line at game end. There were big hugs from veterans and AHL teammates alike, along with at least one “first” not recorded by other NHL rookie goaltenders.

“He was awesome,” said Freddy Gaudreau when asked about Kokko’s first NHL start and win. “I don't think I've ever seen a goalie that almost scored on his first shot in his first game. But that would have been awesome. He played an unbelievable game. He gave us confidence, just by his energy. He was solid, he was poised. It was awesome to see that.”

In the post-game locker room, Kokko was asked if he was looking to score a goal late in the game, with Seattle up 3-1 and Calgary playing 6-on-5 with an extra attacker and no goalie. When asked if he was looking to score, he replied with a perhaps coy “maybe.” In the traditional on-the-bench interview with Kraken Hockey Network’s Piper Shaw, Kokko was more affirmative about looking to score a goalie goal and, with a smile, while referencing that he ‘tried to score before Joey” [Daccord] to record the first goalie-goal in franchise history.

In his post-game remarks, Kraken coach Lane Lambert was queried about the late-game scoring attempt by his rookie goaltender. His reply with lightness in his remarks: “If there's a time and a place for it, OK, it just better not go bad.”

One plan that went quite well was Lambert’s approach to the first period, in which Calgary fired a dozen shots on goal without changing the scoreboard. 

“I thought we defended,” said Lambert.  With Nikke coming in and being his initial start, I thought our guys did a really good job and made a concerted effort to give him as much help as possible. And when we needed [Kokko], he made some good saves for us.”

One of Better Second Periods Since Olympics Break

After the Kraken and rookie goaltender Nikke Kokko surrendered the game’s first goal early in the second period, veteran forward Freddy Gaudreau evened the score just 54 seconds later. Gaudreau hit paydirt when he zipped a mid-range wrist shot past Calgary goaltender Devin Cooley after taking a pass from linemate Kaapo Kakko, then using Kakko as a decoy pass recipient to leave Cooley undecided on who was about to shoot. Gaudreau’s scoring touch is just another of the many small details of his game that the trade acquisition has displayed with the Kraken this season.

On top of Gaudreau’s steady play in all zones and most especially on the penalty kill, Gaudreau has moved down the lineup. He’s by far had the highest variety of linemates this year, per Kraken Hockey Network analyst Alison Lukan, who, naturally, logs such an item.  

Because KHN colleagues Lukan, Piper Shaw and this reporter talk about this sort of thing on the regular, Lukan went home from a Friday conversation to answer the question of just how many line combinations Gaudreau has played on this year.

Here’s what Lukan delivered by Saturday afternoon: “Okay, so because I am a nerd [we love nerds, people], Freddy has been part of 25 different line combinations this season. But there’s only been 30 games this season when the same lineup as the previous game has been available to play the next game. Of those games, there are only 19 where the forward combinations have stayed intact. On the flip side, Freddy has also been part of the line that played the second-most minutes together this season, alongside Chandler Stephenson and Eeli Tolvanen.”

It’s paragraphs like this one above, plus Piper Shaw’s Saturday in-arena chat with Kokko, that lead me to love this job and love my colleagues.

Seattle kept the fire stoked during the rest of the middle period. After prompting Kokko to make 12 first-period saves in a scoreless first period, the Flames managed just four shots on goal in the second stanza. In the final seven minutes of the. Period, the Kraken scored twice. First on a graceful and unexpected spinning backhand pass by winger Jaden Schwartz, Chandler Stephenson whacked in a far-post back-door goal with D-man Vince Dunn deflecting the puck between Schwartz and Stephenson.

Then, with just five seconds left in the period, Matty Beniers had the puck on his stick blade standing on the sideboards about even with the faceoff dot. He embraced a shoot-first mentality with no time to pass. His deep-angle shot beat the Flames’ Cooley in about the only place it would have succeeded, past the goalie’s right shoulder, upper far corner. Someone slip that into the goals-of-the-year highlight reel, please.

“Chandler [Stephenson] was yelling on the bench, five seconds! Five seconds! Five seconds!” said Beniers. “So I knew a little bit more time than I might have thought when I first got the puck, thus allowing me to take an extra second or two in preparing to shoot. So it's good ‘assist’ by Chandler.”

Kokko’s Poise Gives Kraken a Boost 

When Nikke Kokko was announced as Saturday’s starting goalie for the Kraken, the 22-year-old Finn skated to the blue line to join his teammates, stopping next to another welcome newcomer this spring, Bobby McMann.  Kokko removed his mask for the national anthem, looking perfect at ease.

He then proceeded calmly and stopped all 12 Calgary shots on goal, making several impressive leg-pad kick saves, holding his position and angles, and handling the puck well outside his crease. His first kick save was swiftly deemed the WaFed Save of the Game, and it was hard to argue.

Kokko was poised, freezing the puck when needed, limiting rebounds and shutting down three high-danger chances from visiting Calgary. Both defenseman Ryker Evans and the aforementioned McMann went out of their way to stick tap Kokko as the teams exited for the first intermission. Seattle needed all of those stops from the Finnish rookie, with Calgary journeyman goaltender Devin Cooley making several spectacular saves on his end. The Kraken with just six shots on goal and a half dozen high-danger

No one in the Kraken organization was surprised by Kokko’s steady demeanor and clear confidence. He was a 2022 second-draft choice who has improved and proved more valuable in his two seasons in Finland’s top pro league and two more with AHL Coachella Valley. He was on the injured list for five weeks earlier this calendar year, but had won six of his last starts for the Firebirds before his recall, with Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer out with injuries, and Matt Murray away from the team attending to a family matter.

Kokko, who is known as a friendly and outgoing off the ice, has also benefitted from Kraken goalie coach Colin Zulianello as his mentor this weeked, reviving a partnership that resulted in Kokko being named to the American Hockey League’s All-Rookie first team last season when Zulianello was goalie coach down in the southern California desert for three seasons.  Kokko turned in some eye-popping stats for a goaltender who didn’t turn 21 until March last season: a 20-9-2, record with a 2.23 goals against average, .914 save percentage in the regular season, then posted a .921 save percentage plus a shutout over two rounds of the AHL 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.

“He’s a calm guy,” said most recent CVF teammate Oscar Fisker Molgaard about Kokoo when talking with Kraken Hockey Network personality Piper Shaw at first intermission. “He made some good saves. He doesn’t bother with these opportunities.

Along with Kokko working hard on the ice and in the gym, his one-on-one time with Zulianello early last season has paid handsome dividends, with Saturday’s performance another positive payout. Kokko's clutch play in the AHL second half of the regular season, plus the playoffs, started with Zulianello's game-planning, with lots of practice time and fewer games in the first two months of the Firebirds' regular season. The slow-play concept was intended to sharpen Kokko’s game while getting the Finn standout (Kokko led his top-tier Liiga team to the championship round as a 19-year-old) accustomed to the increased traffic net-front, which is a staple of play in the AHL and NHL.