Kraken Just Short Against NHL Leaders

Certainly, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer deserved better, and you could argue the same for the entire Seattle squad. Taking a 2-1 and 3-2 leads, Colorado rallied with a pair of third-period goals plus a late empty-net goal to edge past the Kraken in a 5-3 final.

Grubauer made 33 saves on the night while facing 14 high-danger scoring chances. Problem was, Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood won the goalie duel with 34 saves, including 18 high-danger attempts for the Kraken. Colorado is now 23-2-4 on the season, tops in the NHL. The Kraken move to 12-13-6 with a four-game Pacific Division road trip starting Thursday night in Calgary before facing San Jose, Anaheim, and Los Angeles before the winter holiday break.

With less than two minutes gone in the third period, Mason Marchment was driving toward the net, a must-do declared by Lambert. Colorado defenseman Josh Manson kept pushing Marchment. A scrap resulted in punches exchanged, gloves on, before they wrestled a bit more with gloves off. Marchment was annoying Colorado all game. Both players were whistled on double-minors for roughing. Fans were delighted at the energy of both Marchment and D-man Brandon Montour, who took on 40-year-old mountain man Brent Burns in a heavyweight bout that sent the two defenders off the penalty box for four minutes each. Montour left the game and did not return.

The Kraken had a chance to take a 4-3 lead about eight minutes into the third period when Colorado defenseman Josh Manson hand-covered a loose puck in the crease. A penalty shot was awarded to Seattle, and captain Jordan Eberle got the nod. He just missed a goal after beating Avs goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, clanging the post instead.

“I miss the penalty shot, that is the difference right there,” said a dejected Eberle at his locker post-game. “They score a power play right after. These games are tight. I think most of the games [during the 2-8-1 streak over the last 11 games], there has been a mistake, and [opponents] capitalize. I mean, for us right now. It's coming down to just one play here, one play there.”

Following the penalty shot, on the next shift, Philipp Grubauer made a pair of in-close saves, highlighted by a stop on former New York Islander Brock Nelson. But Vince Dunn was sent off for tripping on the sequence. Just nine seconds later, Nelson put Colorado ahead 4-3 instead, cashing in a puck that caromed off the back board on a shot (or possibly an intended pinballing puck?) from Nathan MacKinnon. The Avs superstar center totaled two goals (he scored the empty-netter) and an assist to spark the Colorado comebacks.

Both teams were one for four on the power play. The Kraken were facing the league’s top penalty kill unit, while everyone in the Kraken locker room and coaches' room would concur that giving Colorado four power plays is a dangerous proposition.

“We played hard as we have been,” said Lambert. “We just can't find a way to get over the finish line.”

When asked about the special teams play, Lambert was concise: “I thought we killed fine. Made a big mistake at the end of the last kill. Can't make that. The power play scored for us. Aside from the goal we gave up, which was a critical situation, a critical error, they [penalty killers] were fine. But again, not good enough.

Change of Puck Luck

After an active first period for the Kraken, outshooting and out-chancing Colorado, the home squad still trailed by a goal. That’s an all too-familiar feeling lately. But the middle 20 minutes profoundly reversed Seattle’s recent and prolonged unfortunate puck luck. Shane Wright scored three minutes into the period to tie matters. Just 2:45 later, Jordan Eberle, notching his team-high 10^th goal, provided his team with the lead and prompted high-decibel cheers from a raucous Seattle crowd.

Colorado evened the score in the 14^th minute of the frame before Chandler Stephenson put the Kraken in front, 3-2, on a power play strike just 36 seconds before the period ended. It’s only the 13^th time in 33 games this season that the Avalanche didn’t have the lead going into the second intermission. Stephenson extended his point streak with goals in this last game to stoke the momentum.

Eye-Popping Second Period for Seattle

On this night, the Kraken’s second-intermission analytics were downright gaudy with 14 high-danger chances (eight in the second period) compared to nine for Colorado, an expected number for a team featuring Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar (yes, he was booed every time he touched the puck).

While all three goals were welcome and impressive, the Wright goal had to please head coach Lane Lambert and his assistant coaches Chris Taylor and Jessica Campbell. The coaches have been exhorting the Kraken 2022 first-rounder to use his speed and elite shot to create more offense for a squad that needs every push and rush, especially over the last 10 games going into Tuesday. Wright entered the zone flying and released a hard shot against Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who made but couldn’t control the rebound. Both Jani Nyman and Eeli Tolvanen were netfront, and so was defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

The two Finnish linemates connected on swatting the puck, which found its way to the left side of the crease while Blackwood was still sliding from the right post. Wright fought through Avalanche bodies and arms and legs to jam the puck into the back of the net. Wright deservedly celebrated with a hard lunge and fist pump. It marks his sixth goal of the year.

Lambert said after Monday’s practice that Wright has been playing with building confidence in recent games, specifying Sunday as the latest example. The 21-year-old made his head coach look good early second period.

Kraken Start on Time

The Kraken coaching staff and players knew Tuesday presented a steep challenge. The visiting Colorado Avalanche lead the NHL in every standing category imaginable, highlighted by just two regulation losses in 32 games. They boast the best penalty kill in the league as well. Colorado goalies Scott Wedgewood (14-1-4) and Mackenzie Blackwood (9-1-1) couldn’t be playing much better. The foe’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon centering Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas has scored 31 even-strength goals, tops in the league, and padded by Lehkonen deflecting a Necas long-range shot to beat Philipp Grubauer high glove-side to register the first goal of this night’s matchup.

But Seattle was ready at the start, notching the first four shots on goal in the first four minutes, with Mason Marchment getting the best look with less than two minutes gone. The aforementioned Blackwood stopped Marchment from scoring his fifth goal of the season and later made Grade-A stops on Ryan Winterton, Matty Beniers, and Eeli Tolvanen in the first period alone. Blackwood turned away five Kraken high-danger scoring chances in the first period while former Avalanche goalie (and Vezina Trophy finalist for them) Philipp Grubauer faced four high-danger chances.

Colorado to Seattle and Seattle to Colorado Ties

Grubauer, of course, was a major reason why Seattle ousted defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Fans certainly remember and haven’t forgotten a questionable hit on Kraken forward Jared McCann by Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar, still booing him every time he possesses the puck.

Former Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol, now an assistant with Colorado, received a warm welcome from the Climate Pledge Arena fans after a tribute on the twin boards during a first-period TV timeout. New Kraken assistant Aaron Schneekloth faced his former NHL organization for the first time after decades as a player, assistant coach, and head coach with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL and ECHL.