Let’s see how the Kraken’s rookie sniper Jani Nyman (pronounced ‘New-min’) does in his 3rd NHL game. Here’s a shift diary as he and his mates take the Western Conference leading Winnipeg Jets at Climate Pledge Arena.
Final score: In overtime, Jets 3, Kraken 2
1st Period:
:32 – 1:11 – Offensive zone draw in the left wing circle with Jani lined up against the wall. Put a little pressure on with the forecheck along the end boards. Backed up and took up defensive responsibilities through the neutral zone. Kraken regained possession. Moved through center ice, although a break-out pass was behind him. Chipped in; quick recovery by Jets. To bench with Seattle’s next dump in.
4:10 – 4:45 – Exact same start to the shift with an O-zone draw on the left side. Jared McCann lost the draw. Jets move into zone. Puck out of play. Short shift. Change after the stoppage.
9:51 – 9:58 – On the power play, Nyman hovers in the high slot, the Kraken work the puck free and Jordan Eberle finds Nyman for a one-timer and a 1-0 lead for Seattle. Almost identical to his first NHL goal in his debut two games ago.
14:15 – 15:15 – Started in a defensive posture in his own end, but quickly turned into offense. The first rush opportunity didn’t amount to much, but the second one did. On what became an elongated give-and-go through the neutral zone into the O-zone, Nyman dished off to Andre Burakovsky on the right wing. Burkie’s return pass was a rocket along the ice as Nyman went to the net and he barely missed it. Went in or over his stick.
18:35 – 19:30 – Hopped on the ice for a D-zone sequence that saw Seattle turn the puck over and Winnipeg get a scoring chance. McCann dinged up while blocking the Jets shot. Group, minus McCann, stayed out for a D-zone draw. After control, Nyman flipped the puck high in the air out to center ice. Coasted up and back as Jets gained possession. Left the ice and was replaced before Cole Perfetti scored with 17-seconds remaining in the period to put Winnipeg on the board.
Nyman in the 1st: 1 goal, 1 shot, 3:11 in ice time
2nd Period:
2:25 – 3:22 – On the second power play unit, had a glorious chance going to the net, but had a bouncing pass skip past the net with him. Tried to chip it inside the right post. Set up in the right wing circle. Handled the puck three times, but never had a chance to get off a one-time. Late cross-ice pass hopped over his stick to the boards. He left the ice as the Jets cleared and just after the Winnipeg penalty ended.
6:06 – 7:22 – Started the shift in his D-zone keeping an eye on the left point man, as is his responsibility. High in the zone, helped move the puck out. Nothing developed for the Kraken on the forecheck. Puck was chipped past him in the right wing corner. He backtracked. More D-zone hanging. Joined a late shift break-out with Burakovsky leading the way on a 2-on-2. Puck ended up along the end boards, Burakovsky couldn’t hold, and Nyman changed as Jets started up ice.
9:20 – 9:46 – Out for a D-zone draw. Kraken lost it. This time on the other side keeping an eye on the point. Came around and drilled Jets D-man Josh Morrissey along the boards. Winnipeg generated three good shot opportunities. Joey Daccord made the saves and covered. Change at the whistle.
12:10 – 12:33 – O-zone draw. Jets won it and cleared the zone along the far boards after a scramble. Nyman and mates backed up. Shot on goal. Daccord holds. Short shift. Line change with the D-zone face-off.
15:45 – 16:24 Offensive zone draw in the left wing circle. Nyman lined up in the slot. McCann wins the draw. Puck to the point. Moves to the right boards. Burakovsky fumbles it, recovers it, and then misses the point with a pass. Group scrambles back only to regain possession. Kraken back up ice, Nyman to the slot, but not screening as Brandon Montour unloads a slapper that Jets goalie Eric Comrie catches.
Nyman through the 2nd period: 1 goal, 1 shot, 7:19 in ice time (6:04 at even strength)
3rd Period:
Seattle’s Vince Dunn picked up a hooking penalty early, so with the club on the penalty kill, we didn’t see Nyman for a bit.
3:35 – 4:04 D-zone draw on the right wing dot. Won and cleared by Seattle. Jets regain the zone, but a pass down low deflects out of play along the end boards. Line change with the next draw coming up. Call it a quickie.
Another PK, this time a high sticking call to Adam Larsson, meant limited ice for Nyman early.
9:20 – 10:30 Great shift. Stole a puck in the neutral zone from Jets D-man Haydn Fleury, broke in and fired a shot high and a bit wide. The carom came to the Kraken and the club kept the puck in the zone. Nyman saw a number of touches, swinging a puck around the end boards to relieve pressure at one point, and trying to get shots off from the left wing circle twice in traffic. Both were knocked down, but he knows his strength; he’s has a shoot-first mentality. Winnipeg finally relieved the pressure by clearing and both teams made changes.
12:19 – 12:44 Neutral zone, center ice draw, ultimately controlled by the Jets. A rush up ice by the visitors resulted in a shot from Adam Lowry with Daccord gloving the puck and holding on. Line change.
With a tie late, not only did the bottom-6 forwards see less ice time, but Nyman was replaced on his line by Shane Wright because Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma wanted to have two centers on the ice for face-offs in case one got waved out. It meant a Nyman sighting might be rare to say the least.
In fact, that was it for the 3rd period. The game went to overtime tied 2-2.
Nyman through the 3rd period and overtime: 1 goal, 1 shot, 9:19 in ice time (8:04 at even strength)
