Another slow start, another furious comeback, but in the end another loss for the Seattle Kraken. There was even what’s becoming a requisite empty-net goal by the opposition, taking the energy out of Climate Pledge Arena like someone stuck a needle into a balloon.
The Kraken (4-11-1) dropped their fifth game in a row last night, a 4-2 decision to the suddenly resurgent Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago improves it’s record to 5-9-2, but won its fourth consecutive game. The Hawks are also 4-0 under new coach Derek King, who took over for the fired Jeremy Colliton.
“For some reason we play better when we fall behind,” said Seattle forward Jared McCann, who scored the Kraken’s first of two third period goals. “It’s definitely frustrating. There are things we need to clean up. We shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Last night’s contest marked the first game since Kraken general manager Ron Francis admitted in a Seattle Times interview that the Kraken have “found a way to lose too often in a disappointing start to the season. Francis added that he expected the team to be more “competitive in the standings” one month into the season.
The Blackhawks had single goals in each of the first two periods and appeared to wrap things up when perennial All-Star Patrick Kane scored at 5:36 of the third period. But the Kraken, who outshot the visitors 30-11 over the final two periods had other ideas.
McCann scored at 14:15 on a nice pass from Jaden Schwartz after Morgan Geekie had sent the puck up ice. The goal was the third power play marker for the Kraken in four games after man-advantage opportunities had been a weakness for Seattle much of the year. From that point on, the Kraken dominated the game to the delight of a loud Seattle crowd.
Marc-Andre Fleury, who won the Vezina Trophy a year ago given to the league’s top goaltender got off to a slow start after coming to Chicago from Las Vegas. But in the final minutes he earned `number-one star’ honors with some big saves.
Seattle should have made it 3-2 with a little over four minutes remaining, when Fleury sprawled to make a kick save on Calle Jarnkrok’s shot. Schwartz was at the doorstep but couldn’t lift the puck over the Chicago netminder.
The Kraken did cut the lead to one, when Yanni Gourde took a stretch pass from Vince Dunn and wristed a shot home from the right circle at 18:11. Seattle had a man-advantage as goaltender Philipp Grubauer had been pulled for an extra attacker.
With the scoreboard encouraging the fans to make noise after every play stoppage (whether they really need the encouragement was debatable) the Kraken appeared to have the momentum. But once again, the night would end in frustration for the first-year Kraken.
With 26 seconds remaining, Jordan Eberle came down the left wing and tried to force a pass into the center. But Blackhawks’ defenseman Jake McCabe intercepted the pass and fired three-quarters of the ice into the empty net. While empty-net goals have been another bugaboo for the Kraken this season, before McCabe’s shot Chicago hadn’t come close to a scoring attempt as the ice was titled in Seattle’s direction.
Seth Jones, the Blackhawks’ big off-season acquisition from the Columbus Blue Jackets, opened the scoring for Chicago. Alex DeBrincat made it 2-0 on a breakaway in the second period (“we gave up one there when we really needed a save,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol admitted). DeBrincat finished the night with what hockey followers lovingly call “a Gordie Howe hat trick” – a goal, an assist, and a fighting penalty from a third-period scrap with Gourde.
Before last night’s game Hakstol remarked, “in our building with the type of atmosphere we have, it’s a huge benefit to get out to a good start and have our crowd involved to give that energy to flow right along with us.”
Alas, the Kraken had only three shots on goal in the first period. “It wasn’t a poor period four us, but the results were down. (Chicago) skated better than we did in the first period,” said Hakstol.
“The second and third period were tremendous,” said Hakstol. “We made a push in the third period but came up short. We had more volume on our shots. We had eight, nine, ten, good looks. This team is resilient, I love the resiliency of the second and third period. So, we’ve got to add that push to the drop of the puck in the first period.”
“We have to have one good shift, followed by another good shift, get some rhythm and momentum,” said a frustrated Gourde. “Just take one shift at a time and keep grinding.”
GAME NOTES
* Heading into last night’s contest, among goaltenders who have played at least six games this season, Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer and Chicago’s Marc-Andre Fleury ranked near the bottom of every statistical category at 5-on-5. Grubauer ranked 34th in goals allowed, save percentage (SV%), and goals-against average with Fleury just below him. If nothing else, that shows how streaky goalkeepers can be; Fleury and Grubauer were both finalists for the Vezina Trophy a year ago.
* The Kraken face Grubauer’s two former teams in their next two games – Colorado on Friday night and the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Grubauer, who made his 200th NHL start last night, was backup goalie for the Caps when they won the Stanley Cup in 2018.
* With last night’s game, the Kraken have now played an equal amount of road and home games this season. They’re 1-6-1 on the road and 3-5 at home and are currently 0-3 on a six-game homestand.
* Seth Jones picked up his 300th NHL point on his opening goal. Last night also marked the first time that Jones and his brother Caleb played together in an NHL game. Caleb played 9:53 in his Chicago debut after missing the first 15 games with a wrist injury.
* For anyone looking forward to the 2022 NHL entry draft, scouts have tabbed Shane Wright, a center for Kingston (Ontario Hockey League) as the consensus number-one pick. Conor Geekie, the younger and bigger (6-4) brother of the Kraken’s Morgan Geekie is projected as a top-ten pick. The younger Geekie plays for Winnipeg of the Western Hockey League.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
C – Seth Jones (Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat) 15:03.
2nd Period
C – DeBrincat (Kirby Dach) 2:01.
3rd Period
C – Patrick Kane (Coner Murphy, Philipp Kurashev) 5:36.
S – Jared McCann (Morgan Geekie, Jaden Schwartz) power play, 14:15
S – -Yanni Gourde (Jordan Eberle, Vince Dunn) 18”11
C – Jake McCabe (unassisted) empty net, 19:34.
Saves/Goals: Chicago – Marc-Andre Fleury 2/31. Seattle -Philipp Grubauer 3/15.
Penalties – Chicago 3-9, Seattle 2-7.
Referees – Kendrick Nicholson, Reid Anderson. Linesmen – Derek Nansen, Julian Johnson.
