When the Seattle Kraken defeated the Minnesota Wild last month, forward Rem Pitlick wasn’t in the lineup due to COVID protocols. Unfortunately for the Kraken, Pitlick was in the lineup for last night’s game at Climate Pledge Arena.
A former standout for the University of Minnesota, Pitlick scored the first three goals of the game and then the Wild hung on for a 4-2 victory. Those were also the first three goals of Pitlick’s career in his 16th NHL game. Pitlick’s the 91st player in NHL history to record a hat trick in the same game where he scored his first NHL goal.
Minnesota won its fifth game in six outings to improve its record to 10-4. The Kraken (4-10-1) dropped their fourth consecutive game and have now lost six of seven since a 4-1 win over the Wild on Oct. 28.
Seattle coach Dave Hakstol, who was disappointed in his team’s performance in Thursday night’s 7-4 loss to Anaheim tried to stay positive (which is more the norm for Hakstol) after the game.
“There’s a ton of emotion for our players. They’re working hard,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “A couple of spots tonight we pressed a little bit too hard and it cost us. I won’t fault our guys’ effort in any way, shape or form tonight.”
The Kraken came out hitting, delivering 16 hits in the first period. Brandon `Turbo’ Tanev led the way and he finished the game with six hits. Jared McCann, not thought of as a physical player had five and Colin Blackwell and Jamie Oleksiak had four body checks.
However, it was the Wild who scored first. Ryan Hartman, Minnesota’s leading scorer, tracked down a stretch pass from defenseman Alex Goligoski and centered a pass to Pitlick, for his first NHL goal at 12:33.
Pitlick and Hartman combined for two more goals in the second period. Hartman bumped Seattle defenseman Mark Giordano off the puck at the blue line, and Pitlick went in for a score at 7:44. Pitlick made it 3-0, three minutes later when Hartman stole the puck in the Wild end and made a pass up ice to Pitlick.
Trailing 3-0 in the third, Seattle played with a sense of urgency. No longer looking to make the `perfect pass’ the Kraken peppered Cam Talbot with shots (11 in the third period). The Kraken looked like they had their first goal three minutes in. McCann hit linemate Ryan Donato with a drop pass. Donato (five shots on goal in the game) fired but Talbot made a right pad save.
The Kraken did score on the power play at 9:19. Alex Wennberg slid a pass ahead to Marcus Johansson, a former Wild, who tipped the shot home. With assists on the goal, Wennberg and Jordan Eberle now have points in the last five Kraken games.
With the Kraken still needing two goals and pressing in the Minnesota end, Hakstol surprisingly pulled goaltender Philipp Grubauer with over five minutes remaining in the game. Approximately 20 seconds later, Minnesota’s Nico Sturm tallied an empty-net goal.
“We weren’t scoring at 5-on-5,” said Hakstol. “We generated good opportunities early in the third, but those opportunities slowed a bit. We were still working hard to draw a couple power plays. The power play [unit] produced. My belief is when a team is fighting that hard we’re going to take every opportunity to tie it up and get this game to overtime.”
Seattle eventually pulled the goalie again and Wennberg scored on a wrist shot over Talbot’s right shoulder with just over a minute left in the game. But any chance of a further Kraken comeback was thwarted when McCann picked up the only Kraken penalty of the game moments later.
“They’re a very structured team,” said Giordano of the Wild. “They don’t give you the middle of the ice. You can’t make a turnover. It’s like a chess match.”
When asked what the Kraken need to do to turn things around, Giordano said, “just get a win to start feeling good about yourself. Just find a way to win.”
GAME NOTES
* According to NHL stats, Pitlick’s the 31st NHL player to score a hat trick in the game where he scored his first NHL goal. He’s the first visiting player to record a hat trick at Climate Pledge Arena (a few fans threw hats on the ice) Jordan Eberle recorded a hat trick on Nov. 4 against the Buffalo Sabres at home, the last Kraken victory.
*Colin Blackwell, the Kraken’s expansion draft pick from the New York Rangers, made his Kraken debut last night. Blackwell, who had 12 goals and 10 assists in 47 games a year ago, missed all of the pre-season and 14 regular-season games with a lower-body injury. Playing on a line with Morgan Geekie and Brandon Tanev, Blackwell almost scored on his first shift. He was parked in front of the net, but a pass from the corner was too high and he couldn’t get good wood on it.
* With the addition of Blackwell, the Kraken placed forward Riley Sheahan on waivers. If no other teams claim Sheahan, he could join the Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte.
* The Kraken’s top pick (second overall) in last summer’s entry draft, Matty Beniers, has a Blackwell connection. “(Blackwell) mentored me at the World tournament,” said Beniers, who’s currently playing at the University of Michigan. Blackwell and Beniers played for Team USA in the tournament. Blackwell calls the 18-year-old Beniers, “a solid player and even better person.”
Beniers is on scoring hot streak, notching seven goals in the last four games, including three straight two-goal games against Big 10 foes last weekend and Thursday. On Friday, he scored another goal and added three assists in a 6-2 win over Penn State.
* Marcus Johansson’s power-play goal was the first scored by the Kraken this season on 39 man-advantage attempts. The Kraken, who ranked last in the league in power-play scoring percentage, have four power-play goals on the road.
* Defenseman Hayden Fleury scored two goals in the Kraken’s win over Minnesota last month but wasn’t in the lineup last night. Fleury and Carson Soucy have alternated as the Kraken’s sixth defenseman for much of the season. Soucy, who played for Minnesota last season, got the call last night. He delivered somebody checks and unceremoniously dumped Pitlick right at the end of the second period.
- The Kraken continue their six-game homestand Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks.
GAME SUMMARY
1ST Period
M – Rem Pitlick (Ryan Hartman, Alex Goligoski) 12:50
2nd Period
M – Pitlick (Hartman) 8:44.
M – Pitlick (Hartman) 12:20.
3rd Period
S – Marcus Johansson ((Alex Wennberg, Jordan Eberle) power play, 9:19.
M – Nico Sturm (Marcus Foligno) empty net, 14:54.
S – Wennberg (Jaden Schwartz, Johansson) 18:58.
Goals/Saves – M: Cam Talbot 2-27. S: Philipp Grubauer 3-22.
Penalties – Minnesota 3-6, Seattle 1-2.
Referees – Marc Joannette, Graham Skilliter. Linesmen – Brad Kovichik, Bevan Mills.
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