A Winning Campaign

WASHINGTON D.C.- Take Capital One Arena off the list of places where the Kraken haven’t won a game. Seattle came into the nation’s capital and beat Washington 4-1 to extend their win streak to eight games (tying a franchise record) and their point streak to twelve games.

The team’s depth came through again as four different players scored and nine made it to the scoresheet. The group found a way to create shooting lanes against a Capitals team that blocked eight of 21 attempts in the opening frame and doubled down defensively to limit chances for the home team.

“Our game got better, we were cleaner with the puck, the pace of our game and the way we checked, improved throughout the game,” Dave Hakstol said. “We got a great save at the right time, and we had a number of guys contributing on the offensive side of the sheet. So that's, that's been the formula.”

Let’s dig in.

He McCann Play Anywhere

Dave Hakstol had cautioned that as the roster returned to fuller health it may take some time to find the best line combinations among his forwards and to expect changes. Going into this game, the coaching staff chose to flip Tye Kartye and Jared McCann with the veteran playing center and the rookie on the wing. That paid off.

“I’m going to try to stay in the middle,” McCann joked in the morning, and that’s exactly what he did to help create the first goal of the game. Adam Larsson got the puck moving north with another one of his solid exit passes – this time to McCann. As a scoring threat with speed, McCann moved through the neutral zone and as he crossed into the attack zone, passed the puck to Kartye on the left flank.

But McCann wasn’t done. He stayed on his route and ever so briefly but effectively held John Carlson’s stick for a split second delaying his ability to defend Kartye who beat Darcy Kuemper from just above the left circle with the Kraken’s second shot of the game.

Alex Knows Wenn to Score

The Kraken got another goal in the opening period thanks to the Alexander Wennberg line. The Capitals were attacking but Brandon Tanev with his trademark tenaciousness got the puck away from Beck Malenstyn at the top of the defensive zone. A quick poke pass gave possession to Wennberg who skated into the top of the attack zone unchallenged and beat Kuemper from the high slot for his second goal – and second game-winner! - in as many games.

“There’s a little bit of chemistry there, and the line has worked,’ Hakstol said. “It's been a couple of games, but they've been effective. And the pair of Wenny and Turbo has been pretty good for us on a consistent basis. That's been a quiet thing that's really helped us as we've gone along, They check well, and when they're providing offense that's a big plus for us.”

Patching things Up

Max Pacioretty, who was playing in just his fourth NHL game after a second massive Achilles injury, halved the Kraken’s lead when he scored his first goal of the season 5:47 into the second period. Two long passes connected, first from Trevor Van Riemsdyk up to Alex Ovechkin in the offensive zone, and then a quick cross-zone pass to Pacioretty who fired a quick wrister past Joey Daccord. But that would be the only time Washington would get a puck past the Kraken goaltender.

Justin Time

Even with the Washington goal, Seattle controlled a lot of play in the middle 20 minutes. They had extended time in the offensive zone and out-attempted the Capitals 24-19, but the score didn’t change until 100 seconds were left in the period.

Yanni Gourde – supported by Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand – got the Kraken the puck off a faceoff. Bjorkstrand then passed to Justin Schultz who used a give-and-go pass to Tolvanen to gain space around Ovechkin. He continued to drive to the net and followed his own shot-pass to the crease to push the rebound into the net behind a screened Kuemper (yep, from Gourde!) and restore the two-goal lead for Seattle.

Big Cat on the Prowl

The Kraken didn’t let up in the third period and Adam Larsson – who already had an assist on Kartye’s goal – went on the rush with just about eight minutes remaining in regulation. He tracked all the way into the offensive zone and, after a little give-and-go with Tanev, took it upon himself to score the fourth goal of the game for Seattle.

Joe Knows

Night after night Joey Daccord has been playing in a way that demands attention. His presence was perhaps no more felt than in the first half of the opening period, when, among the 11 shots he faced, he denied Connor McMichael at the mouth of the goal twice in rapid succession after the forward got to the blue paint uncontested. The first stop was impressive, the second even more so as a sprawling Daccord turned away the second attempt with his lifted right skate – an impressive scorpion save.

“It erases a mistake and erases a great opportunity (for them),” Hakstol said. ”Again, it's about the timing of the save. And that timing was about as good as it gets and allowed us to get that period going and have a successful period and come out feeling good.”

Did Joey plan it that way? Not really – he was just doing what he thought was his “only option” to stop the puck.

“It’s kind of tough when you're kind of lying face down to see what's going on,” Daccord said. “I assumed that he had the rebound and I could just kind of see his body. I couldn't see the puck so I just stuck my leg up and hoped to hit it and I felt it hit my pad and I was like, that was probably pretty cool.”

By The Numbers

Check out our Post Game Instant Analysis scorecard HERE