During the 2021-’22 season the Seattle Kraken defeated the Buffalo Sabres both times they met them, including a 5-2 victory at the Climate Pledge Arena on November 4th that included Jordan Eberle notching the franchise’s first ever hat trick. On the road, the Kraken beat the Sabres 25 nights later 7-to-4.
It was a history Sabres Head Coach Don Granato mentioned following the morning skate that he hoped wouldn’t repeat itself.
Bad news coach: Final score, Seattle Kraken 5, Buffalo Sabres 1.
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The happy Kraken trend continued Tuesday night in Seattle and it only took two minutes and twenty seconds. That’s when Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak stepped into the slot and snapped a shot top-shelf, glove-side on Sabres goalie Eric Comrie. A little more than three minutes later Morgan Geekie made it 2-nil on a breakaway off a nice stretch pass from Brandon Tanev.
2-0 Kraken after one.
In the second period the Sabres mustered one sustained forecheck shift and it paid off with Dylan Cozens scoring his second goal of the season at 12:25. Otherwise, it was more of the same; home team dominance. The Kraken sandwiched that goal with two of their own, one from Dutch forward Daniel Sprong with a juke alone in front that faked Comrie out of his jock at 4:46, then Jared McCann with a power play marker at 16:07.
4-1 Kraken after two with a shot advantage of 19-10.
Other than the goal with Cozens alone on the doorstep, Seattle goalie Martin Jones hadn’t been tested much. Comrie on the other had his hands full. And his pads. He made at least five saves point blank with Kraken skaters in alone.
Near the midway point of the period the Sabres had a goal called back due to an offside review. They had scored during a delayed penalty call.
Matty Beniers added some beautiful but unlikely insurance midway through the period with a head fake power play goal. Working in the right wing corner he looked to the point, but instead fired a shot from a very difficult angle and it caromed in off a leg.
Oddly, despite all of the offense and Jordan Eberle getting some good looks, particularly early in the game, the Kraken forward failed to pick up a point, one that would have been the 600th of his NHL career. His next chance comes Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.
Otherwise, party over. For three NHL games thus far, Seattle has owned Buffalo, outscoring them 17 to 7.
