Kraken NHL All-Star
Seattle Kraken NHL All-Star Oliver Bjorkstrand played in Game-1 of the 3-on-3, mini-round robin in Toronto on Team Nathan MacKinnon. The winner of the match against Team Connor McDavid would go to play the winner of the Team Auston Matthews vs. Team Hughes Brothers (Jack and Quinn) match-up in the final. The losing team in each game is eliminated.
Here’s how it went for Kraken Ollie, playing on a line with captain MacKinnon and new Canucks center Elias Lindholm.
The teams played two 10-minute halves.
First Half
1:50-2:00 – In a scoreless game early, the line actually created the game’s first scoring chance for Lindholm. Ollie got two touches, including at the end of the shift when he made a good defensive play to control the puck. He held it for the line change.
— MacKinnon gave his team a 1-0 lead on a breakaway on a stretch pass from his Avalanche teammate Cale Makar. Bjorkstrand wasn’t on the ice yet.
4:30-5:15 – Bjorkstrand helped create a chance for Travis Konecny as the lines got mixed up early. Ollie actually back-checked well and broke up a Team McDavid rush. Back up ice he had a scoring chance cutting into the left wing circle, but he fired wide.
7:40-7:58 – A short shift because after a failed rush, Bjorkstrand was the lone man back when Boone Jenner successfully finished a 2-on-1 for Team McDavid. A different line came out for the center ice face-off.
1-1 score.
2nd Half
1:20-2:25 – A back and forth shift led to a great scoring chance for Bjorkstrand on a 2-on-0 with Konecny. Unfortunately Konecny’s return pass down low bounced on Ollie and he chipped it wide. Earlier, while in a defensive posture, Bjorkstrand watched Jenner almost score his second goal of the game. Other than that, it was end-to-end with turnovers.
4:55-5:51 – Bjorkstrand was sprung for two breakaways on the shift. He hit the post on his first chance and buried the 2nd one, giving Team MacKinnon a 2-1 lead with 4:09 remaining in the 2nd half.
— MacKinnon skated into the zone and lifted a dirty backhander off the cross bar and in behind Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers at 6:45. 3-1 Team MacKinnon.
7:40-8:45 – A shift that saw a little bit of everything. Ollie broke up two chances while in the defensive zone and was stopped on another scoring chance. He also sprung Lindholm on a breakaway, but the Flame-turned-Canuck didn’t finish. Bjorkstrand also had a long look at an empty net from center ice but elected to pass. It was an excellent shift at both ends.
— With the net empty and the extra attacker on, David Pastrnak of the Bruins picked the top corner over his Boston teammate Jeremy Swayman to cut the lead to 3-2. (Ollie wasn’t on the ice)
— With just six seconds remaining, extra attacker again, McDavid tied the game 3-3. (Ollie wasn’t on the ice)
— The game went to a shoot-out. McDavid scored for his team, as did Pastrnak to win it.
A come from behind win for Team McDavid to eliminate Bjorkstrand and Team MacKinnon. Kraken Ollie was probably the best, or 2nd best Team MacKinnon player on the ice, the other being the captain.
Team McDavid 4, Team MacKinnon 3.
Earlier Kraken
— Kraken And The ‘Four Nations Face-off; Yes Or No Seattle?
