The frustrating inability to convert offensively combined with bizarre decision making in their own end led the Kraken to extend their winless streak to eight games with a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Climate Pledge Arena.
1st Period
After six minutes of “low event” hockey, the Kraken once again gave up the first goal in a game. Seattle D-men Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn seemed to get crossed up in coverage as Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov stickhandled into the offensive zone. He had open options on both wings, deciding to slide the puck to his left to Matty Boldy, who skated in unobstructed and scored on a deke past goalie Joey Daccord at 7:14.
At 8:25 the Kraken picked up the game’s first power play against the NHL’s worst penalty killing team. The Wild came in with an overall PK percentage of 70.8%. The Kraken didn’t click.
Seattle thought they’d tied the game at 15:52 at even strength, but they had a goal waved off. The referee blew his whistle prior to the puck being poked across the goal line by winger Tye Kartye in a scramble.
Shortly thereafter, the Kraken would get another power play opportunity. They came close but once again failed to score.
Minnesota 1-0.
2nd Period
No Grade-A chances at either end early in the period. At 4:34 the Wild earned their first power play of the game after Kraken D-man Jamie Oleksiak dumped Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild failed to score; Seattle now a perfect 10-for-10 on the penalty kill through their last four+ home games.
Although the game opened up a bit nearing the end of the period, there weren’t many chances other than one random, off-balance Wild shot that caromed off the goal post after sneaking past Daccord.
Filip Gustavsson in net at the other end had an easy time of it.
Through two periods the Wild had won almost 66% of the face-offs.
3rd Period
The Kraken earned a power play :26-seconds into the period. They had plenty of chances, many of them in tight, and they simply couldn’t finish. At one point, Jordan Eberle redirected a puck through the crease past an empty net with Gustavsson out of position.
It’s a collective drought.
Five minutes in, Daccord made a glove save on Kaprizov as he flew in on a breakaway, keeping it a one-goal deficit.
The Kraken took a high-sticking penalty not long after. They’d kill it off with Daccord making a sprawling save just after Dunn came out of the penalty box with 12-minutes remaining in the period.
At 12:35, the in explicable. A Kraken break-out following a full line change from behind their own net failed to reach the neutral zone. Not long after turning the puck over and getting it back, Oliver Bjorkstrand decided to stickhandle out of the left wing corner into traffic in front of his own net. Naturally he lost the puck, looked like a pee wee trying to recover it, and with the gift the Wild made it two-nothing. They had looks of surprised, happy, disbelief on their faces as they celebrated.
Marco Rossi at 12:34.
2-0 Wild.
Eriksson Ek added an empty netter.
Boo birds.
Shots finished 26-24 in favor of the Wild. Power plays: Minnesota 0-for-2, Seattle 0-for-3
Kraken 3 Stars:
1) Joey Daccord – Big saves in the 3rd period, made 22 total in the game.
2) Jordan Eberle – Team leading four shots and was around the net all night.
3) Matty Beniers – Three shots on goal and won more than 70% of his face-offs.
