The Seattle Kraken took care of business on Sunday evening against the last place team from the Metropolitan Division, beating the Blue Jackets from Columbus 4-2.
Kraken forward Jordan Eberle factored in on three of the goals, lighting the lamp twice.
1st Period
The starting netminders: Daniil Tarasov for Columbus vs. Joey Daccord for Seattle.
The Kraken had two glorious chances and hit the post in the first five minutes. Red hot Jared McCann was the main threat.
The clubs settled down into an uneventful flow until Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov went off for holding at 11:42. The Kraken took advantage of a fortuitous bounce on the power play when a partially blocked shot deflected in off Eberle’s stick.
McCann kept working it. He’d add to the lead at 16:04 when a 3-on-1 turned into a breakaway. He’d bury a wrister past Tarasov.
Jordan Eberle would add a power play goal before the period was over, converting the rebound of a McCann shot with a backhander from the left side of the crease. The Bue Jackets looked completely discombobulated, particularly after Saturday night’s overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Columbus blew a three-goal, 3rd period lead in that game.
3-0 Seattle
2nd Period
The Kraken added chances early in the 2nd. Columbus looked somewhat lifeless. At one point Seattle had the Blue Jackets pinned in their own end at 5-on-5 for more than a minute.
Ensuing shifts were similar: Puck on a string for the Kraken in the offensive zone.
Shots-on-goal were 18-14 in favor of the Kraken after two periods, although it’s hard to remember any of the Columbus shots or Joey Daccord ever being under duress.
3rd Period
A snoozer start to the final stanza until Seattle center Matty Beniers went off for hooking at 3:18.
Hypothetically, it was the Blue Jackets chance to get back in the game, but their power play operates with just a 12.7% success rate on the road this season. Daccord was forced to make one decent glove save.
Columbus’s best chance actually came right after the Beniers penalty ended. Voronkov had a chance near the doorstep.
The Blue Jackets surprisingly jumped on the board at the 7:12 mark off the rush. Seemingly harmless, Yegor Chinakhov skated in and fired a shot past Daccord blocker side from the edge of the left circle, his 13th tally of the season. If it didn’t change direction off a defenseman’s stick, Daccord should have had it.
Columbus picked up a bit of an energy boost that didn’t last, but they weren’t down and out.
Remarkably, Chinakhov made it a game with 4:02 remaining. He beat two Kraken off a puck along the right wing boards at the Seattle blueline, skated in alone, and ripped a shot from the slot top shelf on Daccord.
Suddenly it was the Kraken who looked listless.
The Blue Jackets pulled their goalie for the extra attacker with 2-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Brandon Tanev added an empty netter.
Shots-on-goal finished 32-28 in favor of the Blue Jackets. Power plays: Columbus 0-for-2, Seattle 2-for-3.
Seattle heads into a ten-day break after Tuesday night’s game in San Jose against the Sharks.
Kraken 3 Stars:
1) Jordan Eberle – Two goals, both on the power play, and an assist. Three shots-on-goal.
2) Jared McCann – Goal and an assist. Two shots. Won 80% of the draws he had to take.
3) Vince Dunn – The D-man back in the groove with an assist and four shots-on-goal.
Earlier Kraken:
— Seattle Kraken; Buying Into Coach Hakstol, Turbo Style
