With the final score of Seattle Kraken 4, Buffalo Sabres 3, the Kraken won their fifth straight game to start a seven-game road trip and their sixth straight game overall.
Starting netminders: Philipp Grubauer visiting Eric Comrie.
Was it a bad sign when the Sabres scored the opening goal of the game on their very shot almost ten minutes into the match?
Not necessarily. Odd, but not the end of the world.
The Kraken would get a late 1st period power play goal, their fifth with the man advantage already in 2023, to tie the game before the intermission.
Kraken Goal Scorers
1st Period
1-1 Tie – Power Play – Jordan Eberle (10) – from Andre Burakovsky, 18:52
Simple redirection in the right wing circle of a point shot along the ice from Burakovsky.
2nd Period
2-2 Tie – Even Strength – Yanni Gourde (6) from Justin Schultz and Oliver Bjorkstrand, 8:59
Gourde went hard to the front of the net and redirected a hard pass from Schultz on the rush.
3rd Period
3-2 Kraken – Even Strength – Matty Beniers (16) from Vince Dunn and Andre Burakovsky, 1:06
After a shot from Dunn caromed off the left goal post, Beniers dove and whacked it in behind Comrie.
— Beniers has a five-game goal scoring streak. Dunn’s hot streak continued as well, with 13 points in his last eleven games for the D-man.
4-2 Kraken – Even Strength – Justin Schultz (5) from Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle, 5:17
Schultz snuck into the right side of the slot and one-timed a shot inside the far post along the ice.
— Alex Tuch opened the scoring in this game and would get his second goal of the night with just :22-seconds remaining. It wasn’t enough as the Kraken finished the game off.
— The Sabres ended up with 35 shots on goal, Seattle 22. Seattle went 1-for-1 on the power play, Buffalo 1-for-3.
Kraken 3 Stars:
1) Philipp Grubauer – Made huge saves throughout the game, 32 in total. It allowed the Kraken the chance to stay in it, and win it.
2) Matty Beniers – A goal and an assist for the leading scorer among NHL rookies.
3) Justin Schultz – A goal and an assist for the veteran blueliner.
