Johansson late goal helps Kraken edge Hurricanes

SEATTLE -- Marcus Johansson scored the tiebreaking goal late in the third period, and the Seattle Kraken won 2-1 against the Carolina Hurricanes at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday.

"That's playing against a good hockey team," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "We believe we're a good hockey team and that was a hard-fought game. We went down by one but it didn't shake or rattle us. Just went right back to work … there's a lot of good little things that are mixed in there."
Philipp Grubauer made 35 saves, including 16 in the second period, in his second consecutive win for the Kraken (6-12-1), who won the last two games of a six-game homestand (2-4-0).
Brendan Smith scored, and Frederik Andersen made 20 saves for the Hurricanes (14-3-1).
"Normally this year we're getting a lot of bounces going our was and now we're not," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "We play a game like that, every game we're gonna have good results. You just can't get frustrated but that's just human nature as we're finding out a little bit right now."
Johansson made it 2-1 with 3:08 left in the third period with a wrist shot after skating around the Carolina net and into the faceoff circle.
Carolina made it 1-0 at 18:32 of the first period when Smith received a behind-the-back pass from Tony DeAngelo at the blue line and got the puck past Grubauer with a slap shot through traffic.
Jared McCann tied it 1-1 at 4:16 of the second period with a quick shot from the circle on the power play. McCann leads the Kraken with five power-play goals.
"That's guys wanting to win," McCann said. "Like I said, we got the guys in here to do it. And we just got to bring it every single game."

Grubauer had his second-highest save total of the season after the 37 he made Sunday in a 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals.
"He's finding the puck through traffic," Hakstol said. "He's seeing the puck and looks very calm and settled. He's guy that reads the play very well. We've seen that, you know, for sure tonight, he had a lot of traffic around him tonight. I believe we had good help from the guys around him."
Seattle blocked 20 shots Wednesday.
"I think the first [few] games we blocked three shots," Grubauer said. "In the last three games, what a difference it makes, and if everybody's committed to play defense, your chances aren't as [dangerous]."
The Hurricanes lost for the first time in regulation (3-1-1) on their six-game road trip that ends Friday at the Philadelphia Flyers.
"We get everybody's best game," Brind'Amour said. "There's no doubt. We haven't played one game this year where the other team was bad. Not one game where they were a little off. We're getting their best. That's a change from years gone by, I can tell you that. We know that's part of it."
NOTES: Seattle forward Calle Jarnkrok left the game with an undisclosed injury in the second period. There was no update after the game. … The Kraken won their first game in which they trailed after one period (1-9-0). … The Hurricanes lost for the first time when leading after one period (7-1-0). … Johansson has scored five points (four goals, one assist) in his last five games against the Hurricanes. … Seattle has scored a power-play goal in five straight games.