Kraken Jump to 2-0 Lead, Can’t Hold On

Thursday's Western Conference wild-card showdown started in storybook fashion. Adam Larsson, just minutes after his 1,000th NHL game ceremony, earned the primary assist on fellow 1,000-gamer Jordan Eberle’s goal just 41 seconds into the game. The decibels from Kraken fans cranked up even louder than the cheers for Larsson during a pre-game ceremony.

But the Kraken's fast start and uplifting narrative, which included a record-setting goal by trade acquisition Bobby McMann to build a 2-0 lead, took a dark turn when the visiting Utah scored the next four goals to take a lead the Mammoth did not relinquish, ending in a 6-2 final.

In his morning skate remarks, Larsson said Thursday’s matchup was “not do-or-die but close to it.” He and his teammates know every game is an opportunity to get back to the second wild-card position. No one will argue that Saturday’s home game versus Chicago is brushing must-win territory.

Here’s why. With Thursday’s results across the Western Conference, Utah is now in first wild-card position with 84 standings points. With a win over Toronto, San Jose moves up to 79 points in the second wild-card spot, tied with both Nashville and Los Angeles. Nashville beat LA in a nine-round shootout to prompt the three-way tie. Winnipeg, losers in Dallas, remains at 76 points. The Kraken, with 75 points, are four points back but have dipped to sixth place in the race for the second wild-card placement. Seattle does have a game in hand compared to LA, Nashville and Winnipeg.

Both head coach Lane Lambert and captain Jordan Eberle were straightforward and unvarnished in post-game remarks about the Kraken needing to play better, with just eight games remaining until the end of the season.

“For whatever reason, lately, we do things that let other teams back into the game. [Tonight] it was an ill-advised pass into the middle. We take a penalty [Vince Dunn, tripping]. All of a sudden, they score on the power play, so they're back in the game.

“We certainly do find ways to beat ourselves at times. The power play wasn't good. The penalty kill gave up three goals for the first time in how long? We take two four-minute minor penalties for high-sticking. You can't come through with those types of careless plays with your stick.”

Eberle was clearly unhappy with a 2-2 game collapsing into a rout.

“We had an opportunity on the power play to get one, and we didn’t,” said Eberle, discussing a Kraken power play late in the second period with the score 3-2 Utah. “Then in the third period, we're still in the game. We give up two, and we're out of it. It’s just disappointing at this point in the season where we're at. It's frustrating. You're trying to fight for your lives, you're getting beaten, and you get and run out of your own rink.”

Lambert said the players called a meeting post-game to no doubt hear from Eberle and other veterans, noting the coaches will have their say at Sunday’s practice as the Kraken regroup for a Saturday home game against Chicago.

The third period tilted Utah’s way in the first seven minutes via a pair of goals from two of the visitors' most potent scorers. J.J. Peterka scored his 23rd goal of the year to make it 4-2, followed by Dylan Guenther’s 37th goal this season.

Lambert noted failing on the late-second power play proved a repeat of the same fate in Edmonton at the end of the second period in a 2-0 loss. As for the two early Utah goals in the third period, Lambert said: “You can say what you want to say, I think there's some saves that we needed tonight, and we didn't get them.”

Utah center Logan Cooley scored a pair of goals to even the score at 2-2, the first one on a power play in the first period. The visitors notched a second man-advantage goal, this one by veteran Nick Schmaltz (his 28th this year), to make it 3-2 with five minutes left in the middle frame. Utah took advantage of a four-minute minor for high-sticking called on rookie Berkly Catton.

When Utah tied the game, the Kraken responded with bursts of energy and scoring chances. But Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmalka, second in the NHL with now 34 wins, proved spectacular during that torrid stretch. Late second period, Seattle was awarded a two-minute power play to effectively end the period. The Kraken power-play units did not generate any significant scoring chances, leaving them to play from behind in the final 20 minutes.

A few shifts before Utah scored the equalizer in the second period, the Kraken thought they had padded the lead with young forward Jacob Melanson tipping in a shot from the point by defenseman Ryan Lindgren. Not so fast, apparently. Utah challenged for goaltender interference, and it was ruled that Melanson caught the aforementioned Vejmelka’s skate and tripped him just enough to reverse the goal call.

First Things First Minute

The first-minute scoring play started with an elite pass from all-time Kraken scoring leader Jared McCann, who spotted teammate “Big Cat” zooming to the net front and threaded a perfect pass that Larsson rocketed off his stick blade upon arrival. Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka made the save but left a juicy rebound that Eberle quickly and efficiently deposited in the back of the Mammoth net. It marks Eberle’s 24^th goal of the season and, fittingly, shows how Larsson's offensive instincts and stellar defensive delivery have held up over the 401 games he has logged with Seattle, while missing just one game (to be on hand for his daughter’s birth).

While Eberle leads the home squad with 24 goals scored for Seattle, trade acquisition Bobby McMann scored his 27th goal on the season, with the last eight coming in the 10 games he has played for the Kraken. Overall, he has 12 points in the ten-spot of games and, not surprisingly, drew some monumental cheers when he was announced in the starting lineup.

Record-Setter for Newcomer McMann

McMann’s goal was a thing of both beauty and perseverance. Linemate Kaapo Kakko started the scoring sequence, sending the puck up ice to be pursued by center Chandler Stephenson and McMann. As that entered the Utah zone, somehow the puck stayed in their drive to the net. McMann regained puck control near the crease, spun and scored on a backhand move that adds to his early repertoire of scoring moves.

McMann set a record for most goals, eight, in his first 10 games with the Kraken, breaking Brandon Tanev’s mark of six during the inaugural season. McMann’s 12 points easily cleared the previous mark of nine points held by Jared McCann (early 2021-22 season), Matty Beniers (late 2021-22) and Brandon Montour (early 2024-25).

It should be noted that Kakko is enjoying his work alongside McMann. The Finnish forward now has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in his last nine games. For his part, Stephenson has been a standout player in all zones during that timeline.

It was heartening for the Kraken players and head coach Lane Lambert to see the top two lines register a two-goal lead in the first 14 minutes. Both lines had strong shifts and were playing fast. Just what this squad needed after scoring just two goals between losses in Buffalo and Edmonton, both solid games as described by Lambert pre-game.

Utah halved the lead on a power play with rookie Jacob Melanson in the penalty box for slashing. But Kraken goalie Joey Daccord did more than his part in keeping this game within reach of two standings points. The Mammoth outshot the Kraken, 12-9, in the opening period, most especially turning up the heat in the last six to seven minutes. Daccord made Grade-A saves throughout the period with both strong positioning and protecting against rebounds.

Per Natural Stat Trick, Daccord stopped four high-danger chances in the opening frame, but there were two or three more shots that prompted pivotal Daccord saves to keep the one-game margin at first intermission.

Lauding Larsson

Kraken original Adam Larsson played his 1,000^th game in Florida during the recent road trip, but Thursday was the first home-game opportunity to celebrate the ironman defenseman’s benchmark at the relatively tender age of 33. The Seattle stalwart is signed for three more seasons beyond this year.

After Thursday’s morning skate, the Swedish-born former No. 4 overall draft pick covered how much he has appreciated and enjoyed the Kraken faithful from Game 1 of the franchise, plus “a full house of family” in town and more.

“It’s probably the most fun I've had playing in this league over my five years here in Seattle,” said Larsson. “It's been a really good ride ... just the atmosphere [in the arena on any given night. They show up even through some tough stretches here ... we like the city as family. We like everything about it. I've enjoyed my time here for sure.”

Larsson’s wife, daughter, mother, sister, brother and a full handful of kids are in town for the festivities. This reporter can confirm their arrival, entering security with several little ones wearing kid-size Larsson jerseys, naturally bearing the number 1000.

The ceremony allowed the locals to shower the cheers on “Big Kat,” who was even louder when the D-man was announced in the starting lineup. Kraken owner Samantha Holloway presented Larsson with a commission painting of him raising his arms upon scoring a goal. Ron Francis presented the traditional silver stick, along with a mini-silver stick, to Larsson’s toddler daughter, Alta. In a tribute video, Hall of Famer Francis, who played the fifth-most NHL games all-time, noted the Kraken D-man is just the 160^th defenseman to reach that mark, praising Larsson’s “rugged style every shift every night.” For Eurocentric fans, Larsson is the 23^rd Swede to reach the milestone.

At morning skate, Lane Lambert commended his top-pair defenseman: “It's nice to see good things happen to good people. And he's a good person, a great teammate, a great leader, a quiet leader, but when he speaks, they listen.  He'll do anything for the team. Honoring him will probably make him uncomfortable. That's just the type of person he is. He's unselfish. He's been a tremendous player for this organization.”