One thing the Seattle Kraken has been able to fall back on in their initial National Hockey League season is that save for a 6-1 loss to Philadelphia, they’ve been in every game. That can also be frustrating to players and fans as they look back at losses that could have been victories.
Last night at Climate Pledge Arena, there was no analyzing one or two plays that could have changed the outcome. Nor were the any teases of a comeback Kraken victory. The Colorado Avalanche scored five times in the second period, taking a 7-0 lead en-route to a 7-3 victory.
The Kraken have now lost six in a row, dropping to 4-12-1. Only the Arizona Coyotes have fewer points than Seattle. Ironically, the Kraken’s losing streak started in Arizona, a 5-4 loss and the Coyotes first of two wins on the season. Colorado won its fourth game in a row, improving to 8-5-1. The Avalanche are 7-0 in games where they’ve led after the first period. The Kraken are 0-9 when they’ve trailed after one period.
Coach Dave Hakstol has preached that his team needs to get off to better starts, but Colorado took a 2-0 lead in the first period. After the Kraken’s Ryan Donato took a high-sticking penalty in the offensive zone, Colorado’s Andre Burakovsky scored an unassisted goal. Nazim Kadri lofted a pass that pinballed off both Kraken defensemen and Burakovsky fired home.
The Avalanche followed up the power-play goal with a shorthanded tally. A couple of Seattle forwards got tangled up in the offensive zone and Colorado defenseman Ryan Murray sent a lead pass to Valerie Nichushin who scored on a breakaway giving the visitors a 2-0 lead at 6:39 of the first period.
“I thought we were competitively engaged in the first period,” said Hakstol. “But a short-handed goal can take the wind out of your sails. Then things got away from us in the second period.”
The Avalanche outshot the Kraken by a narrow 9-8 margin in the first period and Jaden Schwartz had a chance to cut the lead in half when he hit the post on a breakaway with about four minutes remaining.
Colorado got two quick goals to chase Kraken starting goaltender Chris Driedger in the second period. The Avalanche’s all-star defenseman Cale Maker (the game’s number-one star) scored on a wrist shot from the point and then two minutes later, set up Burakovsky on a power-play goal.
“The first goal was really off our guy’s stick,” said Hakstol. “Then the two, three, four goals, Chris had trouble with his angles and seeing the puck in traffic. You just have to block the puck with your body.”
Philipp Grubauer, who played for Colorado last season, entered the game at 5:33 of the second period and allowed the final three goals, including Maker’s second of the game.
After Nicolas Aube-Kubel made it 7-0 at 4:47 of the third period, the Kraken scored the final three goals of the contest. Eberle and Brandon Tanev chalked up power play goals and Colin Blackwell recorded his first Seattle goal after missing all of the pre-season and the first 14 regular-season games with an injury. While the second stanza was the worst period of the season for the Kraken, this marked the third straight game they’ve had a strong final period.
“It’s hard to gauge,” said Eberle, of the final 20 minutes when the Kraken had 18 shots on goal. “They’re up 7-0 and back on their heels. They just want to get out of the building with a win. When you’re always behind, it’s tough to catch up against a team like Colorado.”
“Our identity is to forecheck,” said Blackwell. “We need to do that earlier in the game. Get some turnovers. And you’ve got to keep things simple. That makes it easier for the guy next to you.”
The Kraken return to action tomorrow, facing the Washington Capitals in a 6:00 contest. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin scored his 742nd career goal last week passing Brett Hull for fourth place on the all-time goal scoring list.
GAME NOTES
* Before last night’s game the Avalanche announced that current head coach Jared Bednar signed a two-year contract to remain coach of the team. The contract runs through the 2023-24 season. The Avalanche are 8-5-1 under the 49-year-old this season after he guided them to the Presidents’ Trophy as the top regular-season team in the NHL last season, when they went 39-13-4 before losing in six games to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Second Round. Bednar is 192-154-40 in six seasons with Colorado and 24-19 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Avalanche have lost in the second round in each of the past three seasons. Bednar was hired to replace Patrick Roy on Aug. 25, 2016.
* The Avalanche were missing one of their top forwards – Nathan McKinnon – who’s been out of the lineup since Nov. 10 with a lower-body injury. McKinnon also missed the first two games of the regular season due to COVID Protocols. The Avalanche have gone 4-0 in McKinnon’s absence.
* Philipp Grubauer and Joonas Donskoi of the Kraken were both members of the Avalanche last season. Donskoi was the Kraken’s selection in the expansion draft while the Kraken outbid Colorado for Grubauer’s services. To replace Grubauer, Colorado traded young defenseman Conor Timmins, a 2022 first-round draft pick, and a conditional 2024 third-round choice to the Arizona Coyotes for Darcy Kuemper. Grubauer also played for Washington, the Kraken’s next opponent.
* There’s a possibility that Seattle fans will have the opportunity to see the NHL’s eventual all-time leading goal scorer tomorrow night. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin currently sits 152 goals behind Wayne Gretzky. Right now, Gretzky has played in 275 more games than Ovechkin. Gretzky averaged 0.60 goals-per-game over the course of his career, while Ovechkin currently owns an average of 0.61 goals-per-game. However, Ovechkin’s 36-years old and would probably need a few 30 goals-plus seasons to catch the great one.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
C – Andre Burakovsky (unassisted) power play, 4:06.
C – Valeri Nichushin (Tyson Jost, Ryan Murray) shorthanded 6:39.
2nd Period
C – Caleb Maker (Nazem Kadrii) 3:01.
C – Burakovsky (Maker, Kadri) power play, 5:33.
C – Maker (Darren Helm) 12:48.
C – Erik Johnson (Kiefer Sherwood, Mikko Rantenen) 17:17.
3rd Period
C- Nicolas Aube-Kubel (Alex Newkirk, Tyler Jost) 4:47
S- Jordan Eberle (Vince Dunn, Marcus Johansson) power play 5:57.
S- Brandon Tanev (Adam Larsson, Carson Soucy) power play 8:30
S- Colin Blackwell (Joonas Donskoi, Mark Giordano) 15:12.
Goals/Saves– C: Darcy Kuemper 2-28. S: Chris Driedger 4-13, Philipp Grubauer
Penalties – Colorado 5-10. Seattle 4-16.
Referees – Trevor Hanson, Kendrick Nicholson. Linesmen – Derek Nanson, Vaughn Rody.
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