Four-Pointer: Kraken Sweep Weekend

NHL fans can debate if it’s too early for scoreboard watching, but as the Kraken earned the full allotment of standings points this weekend while division rival San Jose lost in Ottawa Sunday, let’s review the Western Conference wild-card race, shall we? With a rollicking, high-energy 6-2 win over Florida here at Climate Pledge Arena Sunday evening, Seattle now moves back into the second wild-card spot with 71 points, just three points off Utah for the first wild-card position.  The Eastern Conference leader, Tampa Bay, is next on the home docket Tuesday. 

That tough match-up was even more reason to seek victory against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida, which started at 5 p.m. Nonetheless, the Kraken arrived on time with three goals on 13 shots during the first period, while starting goalie Joey Daccord stopped nine of 10 Panthers shots. Daccord continued the stellar night in the final 40 minutes for his 19^th win of the season. He was especially effective on Florida’s four power plays, including a successful penalty kill of a lengthy 5-on-3 stretch mid-second period when the game outcome was arguably still in doubt.  

“They're doing well,” said head coach Lane Lambert about penalty-kill units. “The plan and the execution of the plan have gotten better and better here over the last little while. The guys are getting more in tune with each other, reading off each other. Then, when we need our goalies to make saves, they've made saves for us. The 5-on-3 kill was huge for us tonight. It was the turning point in the game for me.”

When Ryan Lindgren was signed as a free agent last July, his steady play all season as a penalty-killer and a solid, consistent defensive defenseman was at the core of the roster addition. Kraken fans should not underestimate his contributions as a defender and being a rock beside high-gear defenseman partner Brandon Montour. 

Lindgren also brings a mindset aligned with Lambert’s recent credo of not letting teams climb back into games when Seattle jumps to a lead, especially those of the two- and three-goal variety.

“The message is keep playing the same way,” said Lindgren about not allowing teams to chip away at the Kraken's leads. “We started out the game well. A couple of games ago, against Nashville, we did let them back into the game. We stopped doing what was working. That's something we've been focusing on when we do get off to a good start and get a lead. We’ve just got to keep that rolling.”

McMann’s Weekend Bounty: Three Goals, Two Assists

The third and fourth lines did the heavy lifting with goals from Ben Meyers, Berkly Catton, Ryan Winterton and Kaapo Kakko to build a 4-1 lead at second intermission. But to the delight of the crowd, trade acquisition Bobby McMann scored his third goal of the weekend on a power play in the final 20 minutes. He now has 22 goals on the year.  

McMann picked up his second assist of the weekend on a Jamie Oleksiak goal to make it a 6-2 final. That’s five points on the weekend with his new team. Nice touch by the game-presentation crew with public address announcer Chet Buchanan citing McMann as the final player in the starting lineup with Seattle’s renown mega-decibels raining down on the new guy.  

“Exceptional tonight,” said McMann to Kraken Hockey Network’s Piper Shaw in-arena when she asked about playing in front of the Climate Pledge fans for the first time. “You guys all kept us going, right from the first period ... Our group plays with a lot of energy, four lines rolling, and the back end moves the puck really well.”

Going Fourth and Third is Charm Too 

The Kraken’s fourth-liners were at it again in Sunday’s first period, providing high energy and, better yet, two goals to fuel a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes. Ben Meyers opened the scoring on a deflection, but the goal was a full-linemate experience. After young D-man Ryker Evans made a skilled play to keep the puck in the Florida zone, he moved it to Freddy Gaudreau.

The veteran center moved the puck to the net, but the blocked shot came right back to him. Gaudreau took a side stride and returned the puck to the crease, this time making the rookie winger Ryan Winterson stick blade near the right post. Winterton directed it cross-crease to Meyers for deflection over the goal line. It marked Meyers’ seventh of the season, the last half dozen scored after he was recalled from AHL affiliate Coachella Valley.  

Winterton got his chance to up his goals total late first period. Defenseman Brandon Montour started the scoring play with his usual high-speed rush up ice through the neutral and offensive zone, turning just short of the goal line to find Meyers in the high slot. Meyers fired a laser but clanged the right post. Winterton was at the left post ready to shovel the puck past Panthers goalie Danil Tarasov for his fourth goal of the year.   

When the Kraken sputtered a bit coming out of the Olympic break, coach Lane Lambert flat-out said the top three forward lines needed to start playing and scoring like their fourth-line teammates. First-liners Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, with welcome newcomer Bobby McMann, responded by all collecting three points in Saturday’s road 5-2 win in B.C. 

The third line of Shane Wright, centering Kaapo Kakko and Berkly Catton, made sure not to be left out of the upgraded offensive results while still playing responsibly with intense forechecking. Kakko flashed some highlight-reel stickhandling on the Kraken’s second goal of the game mid-first period. But Tarasov, just up from AHL Abbotsford, made a strong save with the puck caroming behind the net and right back to Kakko. The Finnish winger sent the puck net front to rookie Berkly Catton. The Kraken rookie and 2024 first-rounder lifted the puck over Tarasov (another skill play) to make it 3-1 on Catton’s sixth goal of the season.

During the second period, the shot totals were tighter for each side. But heeding a Saturday morning talk by Lane Lambert, the Seattle skaters kept looking to create chances rather than lapse into protect-the-lead conservatism. Kappo re-enacted another play behind the goal line, this time receiving a pass from D-man Vince Dunn, crossing in front of Tarasov without shooting but instead wrapping around the goal to be the VAN goalie to the other goal post. Kakko now has 10 goals on the season and notched three points on the night. Linemate Catton earned an assist on Kakko’s for a two-point night.

“A good start is something we need, and we talked about it [pre-game],” said Kakko on KHN. “Freddy’s line got us going with the early. Our line has been playing together for a while now. We are feeling a lot more where each other are on the ice.”