FINAL: Edmonton Oilers 5, Seattle Kraken 2, ending the Kraken’s seven-game road winning streak.
Starting netminders were Martin Jones for Seattle and Jack Campbell for Edmonton.
That “stay out of the box” recommendation in our game preview went ignored in the early going of the Kraken at Oilers contest.
The Kraken’s one-goal-in-every-five-chances power play clicked early on, taking advantage of a Cody Ceci tripping penalty that came just 1:35 into the game. It took 1:36 of the power play for the Kraken to turn the trick.
The Kraken would get another opportunity about five minutes later and not click, and then the Oilers would get a man advantage a little bit after that. Seattle managed to hold off the NHL’s top power play while living dangerously.
Kraken Goal Scorers
1st Period
1-0 Kraken – Power Play – Daniel Sprong (15), from Justin Schultz and Andre Burakovsky, 3:11
Sprong’s shot through traffic caromed in off Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.
— Another one of our preview items involved Connor McDavid getting his speed up in open ice. It paid off for him with the tying goal in the 1st period when he flew into the Kraken zone and scored, although this time he had a bit of unusual help. Backing up, Seattle defenseman Schultz tripped over the foot of Oilers forward Zach Hyman at the blueline. With Schultz down and out, McDavid had a clear lane to zip in and score. No call.
2nd Period
— Both goals went to the Oilers, with Derek Ryan finding a leaky puck in behind Jones for a tap in, and Warren Foegele scoring from the seat of his pants off a scramble in front of the crease. Seattle sent plenty of pucks to the net, but didn’t establish the same level of traffic.
— Leon Draisaitl, our other pregame “warning”, had two assists through two periods.
3rd Period
3-2 Oilers – Even Strength – Vince Dunn (9) from Alexander Wennberg, :22
Crossing into the Oilers zone, Dunn wristed an easy shot that Campbell whiffed at with his glove.
— Seattle seemed worn out playing their third game in four nights and their twelfth over the last twenty-one. Two home games are coming up Thursday and Saturday before the team finally gets three days off from game action.
— Good news on special teams; the improving Kraken penalty kill took care of business on all three of the Oilers power plays. The Seattle power play went 1-for-3. Shots: Edmonton 33, Seattle 30.
