Kraken Push West Leader, Fall Late

WINNIPEG – Two nights ago, the Western Conference leader Winnipeg Jets sent Vancouver back to B.C. after a 6-1 rout that was effectively over after the first period. Thursday night the Kraken represented the Pacific Division in much more competitive fashion with another strong night from the Matty Beniers line and final 2-1 result goaltender Joey Daccord didn’t deserve.

Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo scored the game-winning on a longer-range shot that threaded through bodies with 27 seconds remaining in regulation to make it a gut-wrenching 2-1 final. The play was made possible by a bad bounce off a stanchion during a Kraken clearing attempt.

The Beniers line continues to produce and build chemistry that, well, helps fuel a prosperous homestand as the Kraken looks for upward mobility in the Westen Conference wild-card race. The trio combined to score the only goal of the first period when veteran winger Jaden Schwartz hustled the puck up ice into a left lane in the neutral zone. He fired a diagonal cross-ice pass to a streaking Kaapo Kakko heading up the right side of the Winnipeg zone. The lefty put two quick touches on the puck and handed it to the crease just a stride this side of the goal line. Beniers was arriving out front with perfect timing to redirect it past all-world goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Beniers was pumped, exhorting and looking for his new linemate, Kakko (OK, dream for a beat, maybe long-time Kraken linemates?). Schwartz was first to the celebratory huddle and looked just as pumped as Beniers, and soon after, Kakko joined the scrum for Beniers to give the trade acquisition a proper way-to-go tap on the helmet.

“It was a good team effort,’ said alternate captain Beniers, growing steadily in his leadership role. “I felt like we played a full 60 minutes. We’ve to build off of that. Even when they got their chances in the second period [19 shots on goal] and had their chances with good pressure, I thought we did a good job getting the [defensive zone].

Winnipeg’s power play, one of the best in the NHL, converted on the first two man-advantages to tie the game at 1-1. But Daccord and the penalty kills snuffed the other power play to keep anybody's game deep into the contest.

For his part, coach Dan Bylsma liked the “aggressive and physical” play from his squad. He praised Daccord, too.

“Joey was outstanding,” said Bylsma post-game. “He probably doesn't have a chance the last one [game-winning goal] because he can't see it. Pretty much everything else he was turning aside and was really strong in there. And great puck play for him as part of our success in breaking the puck out. It's a disappointing result with the effort and the battle we put in for 60 minutes.”

Numbers Continue for Beniers Line

Kakko now has points in the last four games and six of the last seven. The five points in those last four games of this road trip is a career-high four-game stretch for the former No. 2 overall pick. Has totaled four goals and seven assists in 13 games wearing Kraken blue. Beniers has notched two goals in the last three games and also scored a trio of goals in the games in late December into early January.

“They are fun guys to play with,” said Schwartz when queried about line chemistry after the morning skate. “They both see the ice well. They are both working really hard right now, doing the little things right and moving the puck and getting open.

Schwartz added how much he admires Kakko “making subtle little plays with the puck” and “he takes pride being in the right spot and using his stick defensively.”

“It’s not to be understated, the rest of the game from them,” said Bylsma. “They obviously got us the goal and got us the lead in the game. But it was against another top line, going head to head; having those positive results from that line is great.”

Second Period Jets Turbines Kick In

Eleven minutes into the middle period, the hometown squad looked more like the elite team to the top of the West standings and on the heels of Washington for the best record in the league. The Capitals will be visiting next Thursday on the approaching homestand, so Kraken fans will have to contrast and compare, plus get a look at future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin on his quest to break the all-time goals record set by Wayne Gretzky.

As for the Jets, they outshot Seattle 14 to 3 in those aforementioined11 minutes, tying the game at 9:35 with a power play goal with Jamie Oleksiak whistled off for interference. WPG forward Mark Scheifele scored his team-leading 27^th on a rebound after Joey Daccord stopped Kyle Connor, who notched a first-period natural hat trick in a 6-1 home rout of Vancouver. Connor picked his 34^th, and all-star defensemen joined in logging gaudy numbers with his 35^th assist of the season.

Campbell Family Time

While the first period went the Kraken’s way, pre-game turned out to be fun for assistant coach Jessica Campbell. She worked in a few smiles and photo ops with “about 50 family and friends, cousins, everybody.”

Campbell, in a brief elevator ride at the team hotel, explained her hometown of Rocanville, Saskatchewan, is about a four-hour drive and “the closest NHL franchise” by mileage. The Jets home broadcast called attention to her family’s travels, showing a collage of selfies and hugs. Nice moment.

A local reporter asked Dan Bylsma about Campbell’s work to date: The Kraken coach started by reminding this is the third season for coach and assistant coach. He didn’t brag about it, but the duo teamed up with current American Hockey League Coachella Valley assistant coach Stu Bickel and goalie coach Colin Zulianello to lead the Firebirds to two straight Western Conference titles in the franchise’s first two seasons.

“What I like is her ability to work with the guys, to develop their personal game and on their team game too. It’s a strength of hers. You were repeatedly in the American Hockey League with Tye Kartye and Shane Wright and all of the young players down there. It’s continuing here in the National Hockey League, with all of the veteran players too, plus young guys coming up. That’s part of our growth as a franchise, and Jess is a big part of it ... The care factor is huge. When you're trying to work with players, they need to know how much you care. And her being able to demonstrate that they give it back. They know how much she cares.”