One point is better than none for the Seattle Kraken, but based on the overall chances in the game, they deserved two points for a win.
That’s hockey; the fancy numbers don’t always align with the results on the scoreboard. The bounces and intangibles went the way of Arizona in the Coyotes 4-3 shoot-out victory.
Joey Daccord was solid in the Seattle net, beaten on a twisted wrister by the Coyotes hottest player Matias Maccelli, a shot that actually changed direction off D-man Adam Larsson’s foot, and on two one-time rockets by Clayton Keller from the right wing circle, the first of which deflected off Barrett Hayton.
Meanwhile, Daccord is 0-and-3 this autumn in shoot-outs if you include a preseason loss to the Calgary Flames. Philipp Grubauer has not yet been involved in a shoot-out this season.
I predicted Matty Beniers would score his first goal of the season for Seattle, being back in that college hockey environment at the little rink in Tempe. He didn’t, with his best chance coming in the final minute of regulation when he was stopped on a breakaway. Talk about what would have been a storybook ending.
Instead, he actually did one better than that by picking up two assists, the second one a particularly delightful feed down low to Jaden Schwartz on the doorstep, who deflected the puck off the post before banging home the rebound.
It extended Schwartz’s point streak to seven games, matching his longest since 2016 with the St. Louis Blues.
It also gave the Kraken a 3-2 lead in the third period, one they were only able to hold for 32-seconds. Oddly enough, both Schwartz’s and the subsequent tying goal from Keller came via the power play.
After Arizona’s Troy Stecher went to the box for tripping Alex Wennberg at :44-seconds of the period, Seattle cashed in. Then Seattle’s D-man Vince Dunn went off for cross-checking Keller eleven seconds after the Kraken tallied. Arizona answered 31-seconds later.
Not the ideal series of events after taking a 3rd period lead, but these types of quirks have been happening all season.
Kraken Moving On
The next stop will be more difficult. The Kraken head to Denver to take on the Avalanche.
The last time Colorado sought revenge for being bounced out of the playoffs in the spring by the Kraken, they were successful. They beat Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena 4-1 on October 17th in the Kraken’s home opener.
They’ll be poised to do it again starting a little after 6 pm pacific on Thursday evening.
The Avalanche took care of a very good New Jersey Devils team 6-3 on Tuesday night in the Mile High City.
— Colorado might be without forward Ross Colton, a one-man wrecking crew at 10:44 of the 2nd period against the Devils. While being penalized for boarding Luke Hughes, Colton cross checked Timo Meier in the neck and got tossed from the game. Supplementary discipline from the NHL is a distinct possibility.
— The Av’s received a wake-up call on Saturday when they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 7-0. The impact of that painful lesson will likely be lingering when they face the Kraken.
The Kraken stand at 4-6-and-3 on the young season, in 5th place in the Pacific Division, and after the Denver stop will return home to face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
By the way, the Oilers, considered division favorites before the season started, are 2-8-and-1 on the season, just two points ahead of the pathetic last place San Jose Sharks.
Recent Kraken:
— Kraken Game Day 13; Daccord Homecoming, Streaks
— Kraken: No On-Ice Retribution For Flames Mangiapane
— Simmer’s Sunday 9: Scoring Slump, Goalie Secrets, Bobble John
