Final Buzzer: Win Streak at 5

Returning home from a four-game road trip sweep, the Kraken did exactly what a playoffs-hungry team needs to do for securing a postseason bid: Win the games down the stretch against opponents with losing records, a take-care-of-business mentality.
Business was good in the first period with goals from Jamie Oleksiak (his ninth) and Jared McCann (team-leading 31), both Kraken originals looking to continue smashing their previous career highs for goals in a season. The two goals proved the ideal starter kit for an eventual 5-2 win, two more points in the standings, and a five-game winning streak.
A sellout crowd on Women in Hockey Night roared with approval when the opening frame ended, then Washington Wild U10 and U8 girls skaters kept the decibels with some nifty shootout moves and saves during the first intermission.

"You're gonna have workman-like games," said a satisfied Dave Hakstol during the post-game media scrum. "This is one you might have predicted, coming off the road and a couple of late nights. You might predict that we're gonna have to grind this one out a little bit and we did that ... We scored some timely goals. The penalty kill did a real good job. Our power play got one at the right time, and our goaltender was good all night long."

Closing the Deal

With a brief interlude for a highlight-reel between-the-legs move and score by 21-year-old Ducks center Trevor Zegras 35 seconds into the middle period, the Kraken made another entry in the scoring ledger late in the middle 20 minutes to get back to an efficient two-goal lead. Daniel Sprong, back on the fourth line, scored on a wrist shot that Ducks goalie John Gibson couldn't completely handle.

Eeli Tolvanen added a power-play goal in the third period on a one-timer from the right faceoff circle to make it 4-1. The waiver pick-up from Nashville now has 11 goals with the Kraken, plus 10 assists, for 21 points in 30 games since entering the lineup on Jan. 1. Tolvanen apparently likes his surroundings at Climate Pledge Arena. It was his fifth goal in the last eight home games.

After Anaheim solved Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer for only the second time all game with a late goal, Jaden Schwartz scored an empty-net goal for Seattle to complete the expected-win transition. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for a matchup with Ottawa, those visitors' gear is already stacked at event level in the arena.
With the win, Seattle now has amassed 80 standings points, good for third place in the Pacific Division, just two points behind leaders Vegas and Los Angeles, and two points ahead of fourth-place Edmonton. The Kraken have one game each on LA and Edmonton. For fans familiar with NHL standings tiebreakers (we'll go deeper in coming weeks), the Kraken have 30 regulation wins, while Edmonton has notched 33 with Vegas (28), LA (27) and Calgary (23).

McCann Nets No. 31 on 'Anniversary'

Last March 8, GM Ron Francis and the Kraken hockey operations group announced the re-signing of forward Jared McCann to a new five-year contract, a first for the franchise. Exactly one year later, McCann is the team's leading goal scorer on a squad intent on making the playoffs. His 31st goal of the season provided the Kraken with a 2-0 lead at first intermission against Tuesday foe Anaheim.
"We're thrilled that Jared has made this long-term commitment to the Kraken and the city of Seattle," said Francis last March. "Jared has proven this year that he can be a difference maker offensively."
Make that two years in a row. McCann and Jordan Eberle (he's in double-digits assisting on McCann goals in 2022-23) developed formidable chemistry as linemates last season and have renewed pass-and-shoot synchronicity with rookie Matty Beniers as a perfect puck-moving, two-way, high-motor center for the pair of veterans. McCann's shot is elite, which he proved again with a quick-release goal when taking a feed from Adam Larsson (who set a career-high for points in a season on the play that Beniers started).
McCann half-joked, half-meant-it during the recent road trip, saying he and Eberle "play a lot of cards and it helps."
"I'm very lucky to be able to play with two great linemates," said McCann, no doubt each linemate would return the compliment. "Matty is obviously a very special player. 'Ebs' has been dishing me a lot since I've been here. So I'm just trying to capitalize on those things upfront."

Ready and Rigged

Jamie Oleksiak opened the scoring here Tuesday, taking yet another primo behind-the-net pass from veteran forward Jordan Eberle. It's the 6-foot-7, 256-pound defenseman's ninth goal of the season. On the cusp of appearing in his 500th NHL game, Oleksiak has now scored more than a quarter of his career 34 goals this season. One more will make him the 14th Kraken skater to score at least 10 goals this hockey year, top in the NHL and besting last year's top team, Florida with 13.
The Oleksiak goal was textbook with a Kraken steal from the Ducks in the defensive zone, then Matty Beniers leading the puck up ice. Beniers entered the offensive zone right side and dropped a pass to linemate Jared McCann playing the off wing on this rush. Beniers drove the net, took a return pass, and hooked a shot just wide of the Anaheim goal manned by John Gibson.
That Beniers shot rimmed around the left wall, where Oleksiak pinched up to send the puck back around the net. Beniers gathered it and dropped a pass to linemate Eberle, who found Oleksiak net-front. The top-four D-man went far side, hitting the goal post and in.

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Grubi in the Gruuuuuve

Philipp Grubauer was sharp in the opening period. All five of the Ducks' first six shots on goal were Grade-A scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick. Grubauer handled them all without any rebound chances. The 2022 free-agent signee is continuing to look confident and comfortable with solid positioning, athleticism, and actively challenging shooters. He's now 8-3-1 in his last 12 appearances, finishing Tuesday night with 20 saves and throwing the Third Star of the Game salmon to one more round of "Gruuuuuuuuu!"

Multiples Math

Before going to the penalty box late-game for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for apparent comments aimed at the referees, defenseman Vince Dunn earned an assist on Eeli Tolvanen's power play to make it points in seven straight games.
Tuesday marked the fourth time this season the Kraken have put together a five-game or more winning streak. In a similarly positive note toward the playoff push, the Seattle squad has not let any of five three-game losing streaks reach four straight 'L's' in this second season.