The Kraken took a 2-0 lead in the 1st period, but couldn’t hold it. The Oilers ended up scoring four unanswered goals to win in Edmonton 4-2. Power plays were a big factor.
Seattle was without its top defenseman Vince Dunn and center Matty Beniers. Winger Andre Burakovsky returned to the line-up after missing two games.
1st Period
The Kraken picked up an early power play following a Zach Hyman delay-of-game penalty at 1:27. Seattle didn’t muster a shot-on-goal.
A set of staggered penalties, one aside, led to some four-on-four hockey for 1:41 as a wide open game opened up even more. No goals, but at the end of this stretch, the shots were 8-5 in favor of Edmonton.
The opportunities mounted and the Kraken would cash in first. After a threat at the other end, Seattle’s Oliver Bjorkstrand found fellow winger Eeli Tolvanen for a breakaway and he made no mistake for his 12th goal of the season. The Finn roofed a shot glove-side on Stuart Skinner at the 9:49 mark.
Moments later Seattle D-man Adam Larsson went to the penalty box for boarding but the Oilers failed to click.
Shortly after, the Kraken did. Jordan Eberle found Jared McCann cutting through the slot and he absolutely ripped one past Skinner, even strength at 13:32.
Brandon Tanev picked up a breakaway with four minutes remaining but his backhand deke went wide.
Joey Daccord made 12 saves for Seattle in the 1st period.
2-0 Kraken
2nd Period
The Oilers wasted little time getting back into it. Warren Foegele was in the right spot in the left wing circle to take a rebound from a Leon Draisaitl shot from the other side of the ice and bury it under Daccord’s right armpit at the 37-second mark.
Draisaitl would do the damage next at 4:38 on the power play. From below the left wing circle, he fired a rebound chance off of Daccord and into the net as the goalie scrambled back into position.
Exactly three minutes later Foegele would strike again for his 9th goal of the season. This time he snuck in behind the Kraken D on a breakaway and fired a shot blocker-side on Daccord.
With what seemed like a snap of the fingers, Edmonton had the lead.
Both teams had chances as the period continued and Seattle would tie it when Daccord fired a stretch pass to Alexander Wennberg all the way to the far blueline. Wennberg waltzed in and fired a shot under the bar.
Not so fast. Former Oiler Kailer Yamamoto was offside while trying to leave the ice on a line change and the goal was waved off.
Shots were 25-19 for Edmonton through two periods and the Oilers won 69% of the face-offs.
3-2 Oilers
3rd Period
Things got a bit chippy about five minutes into the period but it didn’t last. The Oilers then proceeded to clog the neutral zone as much as possible and slow the game down.
They were successful through the first fifteen minutes and the clock kept ticking. The teams went long stretches without a whistle and the Edmonton fans were happy to watch it wind down.
Tempers exploded with three-and-a-half minutes remaining. Yanni Gourde got tied up with Connor McDavid in a faceoff and the two got the sticks up. They hacked and whacked each other as they skated up ice. By the time the play ended up in the Kraken crease, gloves went flying, faces were washed, and players were tossed to the ice.
Initially, after it was over, Gourde was given a five minute major charging penalty for hitting Mattias Ekholm. It was reviewed.
In the end, Gourde’s call was upheld. Ekholm was given two minutes and the Oilers were given a three minute power play. Zach Hyman put the game away on the power play.
Shots on goal finished 36-27 in favor of Oilers. Power plays: Seattle 0-for-5, Edmonton 2-for-5.
Kraken 3 Stars:
1) Eeli Tolvanen. Goal, five hits, four shots-on-goal.
2) Jared McCann – Goal, three shots-on-goal and won 60% of his face-offs.
3) Yanni Gourde – Despite the major penalty, the pest was busy. An assist, four hits, two shots on goal.
Earlier Kraken:
— The Anchor That Is The Kraken’s Philipp Grubauer Deal
— Did A Bug Hit The Kraken; We’ll Know In Short Order
