EDMONTON, Alberta – It was clear one period into this affair that the Kraken were not going to have any chance unless they fired more pucks toward the opposing net.
They’d taken a mere half dozen shots, few of the dangerous variety, which helped put them in a two-goal hole on Tuesday night and forced a middle period change in strategy. They shifted Jared McCann up to Berkly Catton’s top line wing and began firing shots every chance they got but could not overcome the early deficit in a 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers that ends a six-game road trip at 1-3-2.
With the loss, the Kraken remained two points behind Nashville in the battle for the final Western Conference wild card spot but also gave up one of the two games in-hand they enjoyed on the Predators. They also now have two teams between them and the Preds after Winnipeg won in overtime and jumped the Kraken by a point to sit tied with the Los Angeles Kings.
Connor Ingram made 27 saves, 21 of them after the opening period, to record his second shutout this season and ninth of his career.
Edmonton got all the goals needed in the opening period as a Jake Walman point shot went in off a ducking Max Jones about five minutes in. Then, seven minutes later, the Kraken yielded a 2-on-1 rush and Kasperi Kapanen put a shot past Philipp Grubauer from the right faceoff circle.
The Kraken pulled Grubauer for an extra attacker with just under three minutes to go in regulation, but McDavid scored his 43rd of the season on the empty net to seal it.
The Oilers, playing without star forward Leon Draisaitl the remainder of the regular season, have been getting by with Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and a defense that’s tightened up of late. They’ve now allowed just seven goals in winning their past four contests and have amassed four consecutive victories for the first time all season.
The Oilers also wound up beating the Kraken three straight times after dropping the opener of this season series. They improved to 1-7-1 lifetime when facing the Kraken at Rogers Place.
The Kraken, meanwhile, looked more formidable with McCann back alongside Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle on the top line, outshooting the Oilers 13-9 in the second period. Eberle enjoyed a good deal of Kraken scoring chances, missing from the slot in the middle frame and then snapping one off the outside of the right post from 21 feet out early in the third.
A struggling Kraken power play went 0-for-3 on the night. Beniers then had a good chance from deep in the left circle during a man advantage with six minutes to go in regulation. But he shot the puck directly into an unimpeded Ingram for an easy stop.
