The Seattle Kraken built a three-goal lead against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, but a pair of Detroit goals brought new pressure as Seattle looked to close out the game.
Mackie Samoskevich opened the scoring in the first period, recording his fourth goal of the season to give Seattle an early advantage. The Kraken had some disjointed stretches and moments of scrambling, but they limited Detroit’s shot volume and carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Despite the early advantage, Samoskevich pointed to an area that needed improvement during his first-intermission interview with Kraken Hockey Network’s Piper Shaw, saying Seattle needed to be better on the forecheck. It was an important detail in a game where the Kraken were looking to pair their defensive effort with more consistent pressure of their own.
Seattle found another goal in the second period on the power play. After Detroit cleared the puck twice during a five-on-three advantage, Ryker Evans scored an unassisted goal once the power play returned to five-on-four, extending the Kraken’s lead to 2-0.
The goal gave Seattle some breathing room, and the Kraken continued to build their offensive game as the period progressed. They generated more sustained pressure and created additional high-danger chances, including several promising opportunities for Berkly Catton.
Brandon Montour added another goal before the end of the second period, pushing Seattle’s lead to 3-0 and capping a productive stretch for the Kraken.
However, Seattle’s momentum completely disappeared in the third period as the Kraken struggled to maintain the structure they had shown earlier in the game. The Red Wings took advantage with Viktor Arvidsson scoring just under halfway through the third, followed by Lucas Raymond adding a power play goal for Detroit cutting Seattle’s lead to 3-2 in less than a minute.
The quick succession of goals put the pressure back on the Kraken after they had built a three-goal cushion. Their play became increasingly disjointed and the defensive lapses allowed Detroit to climb back into the game.
With Seattle holding onto a one-goal lead late in regulation, Alex DeBrincat scored with seventeen seconds left in the third period to complete Detroit’s comeback and force overtime. After building a 3-0 advantage, Seattle was left to regroup after allowing three unanswered goals in the final period, turning a promising first 40 minutes into a fight to win the game in overtime.
Neither team found a goal in overtime, sending the game to a shootout to decide the outcome. Seattle ultimately came away with the win, with McMann scoring the deciding goal in the shootout to secure the victory after the Kraken surrendered their three-goal lead in the third period.
