Kraken Can’t Find Equalizer in Boston

BOSTON – The third period featured an old-school rollicking hockey fight between young forward Ryan Winterton and AHL/NHL forward Alex Steeves, but, ultimately, Seattle couldn’t punch through with a tying goal to push this game to overtime and the always-hunted standing point. The Kraken were generating chances and scraping for a score right to the final horn, including a near-miss with a minute left. But the scoreboard stayed at 4-2 in Boston’s favor with an empty net goal in the last 14 seconds, padding the final result.

The road trip dips to 1-2-1 with Western Conference wild-card rival Utah on the travelogue for an afternoon game in Salt Lake City on Saturday. Boston honors long-time, Cup-winning captain Zdeno Chara on the night the 6-foot-9 defenseman’s jersey is retired and lifted to the rafters.

Montour in the Middle (Period) of It

The middle period finished with seven shots apiece, lots of chippy play with the just-returned Brandon Montour in the thick of it, two special teams goals and the same one-goal edge for Boston at both the first and second intermissions.

The early second-period goal was marred by a shorthanded goal for the Bruins' fourth-liner, Mark Kastelic, who stole a puck from Matty Beniers at the Kraken blue line, then proceeded to beat Kraken starting goalie Joey Daccord five-hole between the leg pads. Beniers, who was turning up ice and using his hip to protect the puck, would certainly like that move back, and the same for Daccord on his attempted save. On a night when shots on goal were in relatively short supply through the first 40 minutes, Kraken fans could not be blamed for worrying if three goals might win this game.

But a third power play awarded to the Kraken helped tighten matters. After some noticeable and ongoing animosity between the aforementioned Montour and Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman, Seattle struck at the end of a power play. Kaapo Kakko, who showed his behind-the-goal-line skills in Monday’s victory over his former New York Rangers squad, was at it again. He had Swayman and Boston penalty killers unsure where his pass was going.

Kakko’s choice was countryman and fellow Team Finland Olympian Eeli Tolvanen, who played catch with Montour, who subsequently let go a hard shot that bounded off the back boards and ricocheted to Tolvanen. From there, Tolvanen placed a pinpoint shot over Swayman’s shoulder but under the crossbar to make it a 3-2 game. Swayman was still yapping at Montour after the score. The Kraken converted on two of four man-advantage situations on the night.

“[The power play units] were really good tonight,” said Kraken coach Lane Lambert. “I'll tell you that, there was opportunity on the other power. Both units were good tonight. We mixed it around well. You look for your power play to make a difference at big moments. They're not always going to do it, but to score that first goal after we had gone down two-nothing and to score it in the fashion that we did, within probably about five seconds of the faceoff. That was an outstanding job.”

‘Déjà vu All Over Again’

Fans of the vintage show, “The Twilight Zone,” might appreciate what was happening here in the first period. Or maybe we can agree on the newer classic movie, “Groundhog Day,” Or a Yogi Berra malapropism, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

If you don’t know who Yogi Berra might be, no matter. What’s relevant here is that Boston opened up the night’s scoring with a goal 54 seconds into the game. If that sounds familiar, that’s because New Jersey scored 54 seconds into Wednesday night’s road game. Weird, but it became worrisome when the hometown Bruins, apparently revved up by Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara’s jersey lifted to the rafters, went up 2-0 just three-and-a-half minutes into the contest with the home fans bringing the Big Noise.

Smartly, Kraken head coach Lane Lambert didn’t hesitate to use his one allotted time out to do something you might imagine as a blend of encouragement and wakeup-call language. It clearly worked, as the Kraken quickly became the better team on the ice, outshooting and outchancing the Bruins for the rest of the period.

“We made two mistakes, and they capitalized on them both,” said Lambert when asked about what was said during the early timeout. “But I thought we started the game fine. Twi mistakes are in the back of the net. It wasn't like I've said we've had slow starts in the past. I didn't think we started the game slowly. Don't let the score fool you into thinking we started slow ... I thought there were a couple of goals that I think we'd like back. There's your difference in the game.”

Back to ‘Twilight Zone,” “Groundhog Day” and Yogi: When Kaapo Kakko drew a holding penalty along the wall, the Kraken replied with a power play goal just seconds into the man-advantage. It was first announced as five seconds after the penalty counted, and later the five-point-something seconds were rounded up to six seconds. Close enough be spooky, as in spooky-metaphysical-good. The Kraken had cut the lead down to one goal in the eighth minute of the game.

On the power play goal, after winning the faceoff with help from Matty Beniers, moving the puck to Vince Dunn at the left point, center Chandler Stephenson made his way to the net front while Dunn slid a pass cross-ice to Jared McCann. Jordan Eberle was also at the crease with his stick down for a possible deflection.

McCann blistered a shot that Stephenson redirected past Jeremy Swayman, who will be vying for the Team USA net at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Swayman shut out Detroit on Tuesday, and tandem mate Joonas Korpisalo blanked Pittsburgh on Sunday. Stephenson’s goal was the first scored against Boston in more than seven periods, dating back to a 10-2 home drubbing of the New York Rangers last Saturday.

In the first period, Seattle outshot the home squad 11 to 6 and generated four high-danger chances to Boston's one, per Natural Stat Trick.

Montour Draws in, Evans Has Night Off

The numbers game made for a difficult move late Thursday afternoon as defenseman Brandon Montour was activated from the injured reserve list with his hand mended after surgery about a month ago. Only 23 players can be on the NHL roster, leading the Kraken to reassign forward Jacob Melanson to American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley. Melanson did everything asked of him and then some, bringing noticeable energy that was greatly appreciated by teammates and the coaching staff. He worked on three-game points and generated plenty of scoring chances across his 15-game stretch with the big club. He also racked up hits at an average rate of four to five per game.

While Melanson’s reassignment solved the 23-player limit, Montour’s return prompted another healthy scratch. The coaching staff decided to keep Cale Fleury on the second pairing with Ryan Lindgren. Montour was marked to play with Jamie Oleksiak, a frequent partner last season. As a result, young defenseman Ryker Evans did not dress.

For his part, Montour looked like he didn’t miss a stride all night. He was in the middle of all sorts of offensive rushes and seemed to be in midseason form in all zones. A skilled skater, he clearly kept his legs in good form while his hand healed after surgery.

Montour, who holds himself to a high standard, was complimentary about the team’s 10-game point streak and overall surge to get in playoff contention.

“I tried to get back to it as quick as I could,” said Montour. “It’s been a tough, tough season. Two surgeries, obviously, stuff is going on off the ice with family. But the guys got back into the race, which is exciting for me ... I'm not fully healed, but healed enough to get back and into the fight with the guys to keep this on the right track. Tonight wasn't a good result, tough early on. But for the most part, I thought we were pretty solid. We had chances to at least get a point.”

Chara Hears the Cheers, Chants and More

Hockey Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara was feted before Thursday’s game as his No. 33 Boston jersey number was raised to the rafters, with his young sons doing some of the rope pulling to get the circular banner way up high at TD Garden. Many Bruins dignitaries, highlighted by all-time great defenseman Bobby Orr, were on hand for the hour-long pre-game ceremony (explaining why puck drop with 8:08 Eastern time/5:08 Pacific). The emotions rippled through the Bruins faithful, no doubt in part because Chara captained Boston to a 2011 Stanley Cup title in an era when Western Conference teams Chicago and Los Angeles won the other five Cup titles from 2010 through 2015.

Among the highlights: A prolonged and properly singsong “Thank you, Cha-ra!” chant from fans after Chara’s speech and as the banner was starting its ascent; the crowd going wild with Chara noting when he was traded to this original city from Ottawa he was good with it because Boston “always supports its team”; and watching Bobby Orr walked out with a high-decibel standing ovation and later gazing upward as Chara’s number joined his and 11 others in the Garden rafters.

Firkus, Jugnauth Named to AHL All-Star Classic

Impressive news from the American Hockey League on Thursday as Kraken prospects and Coachella Valley teammates Jagger Firkus and Tyson Jugnauth were named to play in the league’s 2026 All-Star Classic Feb. 10 and 11in Rockford, IL. Firkus, a second-rounder selected 35th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, is scoring at a point-per-game average in his second AHL season to lead the Firebirds (with a current record of 19-12-4). His 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points rank sixth among the league’s scoring leaders.

In his rookie pro year, the 2022 fourth-rounder Jugnauth is building off his Western Hockey League defenseman of the year award last year with Portland. He is third among all AHL defenseman in scoring with four goals and 22 assists, which also places him third among Firebirds skaters. He is the third (there’s the number again) CVF rookie to be selected to an AHL All-Star, following in the skates of fellow defenseman Ryker Evans (2023) and Jani Nyman (last season). He comfortably leads AHL defenseman in scoring and is the assists co-leader among all AHL rookies.

It should be duly noted that both 2022 draft choices have been praised by the Kraken development group for improving in other areas of their game as this season unfolds. Jugnauth is gaining more confidence and acumen about protecting the high-danger areas in the defensive zone, while Firkus has upgraded his physicality in the body-traffic net front and during puck battles along the walls and corners of the rink.