The Kraken were badly out-shot and badly out-chanced on Monday, losing to the host New Jersey Devils 3-1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Seattle is mired in a three-game losing streak with another game coming Tuesday night against the New York Islanders, one that should feature the return of Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer.
1st Period
A quiet start for goaltenders Joey Daccord of Seattle and Nico Daws of New Jersey until alternating power plays kicked in at the 3:24 mark. That’s when the Kraken earned theirs; the Devils picked one up at 6:33. Neither team produced a goal, but they did create chances.
The best one came when Devils D-man Simon Nemec was robbed by Daccord after the Slovakian juked his way around Kraken blueliner Adam Larsson, toe-dragged, and almost scored with 11:42 remaining.
Shortly after, Seattle lost D-man Brian Dumoulin when he crashed into the end-boards hard. He went down the tunnel to the dressing room and did not return to action.
Not long after that, the Kraken were caught with a too-many-men-on-the-ice infraction. Rare this season, the club was guilty of the offense at an epidemic rate in 2022-’23.
They’d pay the price. Veteran winger Tyler Toffoli ripped a shot from the high slot off the right post and in to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 13:36.
2nd Period
The Devils quickly earned the first six shots of the period and scored on two of them.
Jack Hughes added to the lead just 48-seconds into the period with a wrist shot from the left goal line that caromed in off Daccord’s mask, with Dawson Mercer adding another at 4:54 when he pounded home a rebound.
New Jersey made it 4-0 at 9:52, but Nemec’s goal was taken off the board when Erik Haula was guilty of goalie interference.
Despite that break for Seattle, one gets the idea. When we reached the next TV time-out with 7:51 remaining, the Kraken had been outshot 15-0 in the 2nd period. Not a typo.
Seattle failed on a late power play opportunity.
3rd Period
Seattle tried to get a little something started but any momentum was squashed when Alex Wennberg went off for tripping at 1:22.
The penalty kill was successful with the Kraken then earning a power play at the 6:00 mark.
They wouldn’t do anything with it, but they would get on the board exactly halfway through the period when D-man Will Borgen scored his second goal of the season. He fired a snapshot, blocker side from the right wing circle.
The Devils shut things down the rest of the way, including Seattle’s extra attacker situation.
Shots-on-goal finished 37-28 in favor of the Devils. Power plays: Seattle 0-for-3, Philadelphia 1-for-5.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Game Day 52 – Dealing With The Devils
— Simmer’s Sunday 9; Kraken Crunch, Canucks Reality, USA Crushed
