After taking three of a possible four points in their first two games of the season at Anaheim and Los Angeles you couldn’t blame the Seattle Kraken fans who attended last night’s game at Climate Pledge Arena for expecting to see the Kraken win their home opener.
However, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, who’ve played better than expected in their first three games, had other ideas. The Knights scored two goals in the first three minutes of the game (or two goals before the Mariners and Houston Astros finished their marathon playoff game which started six hours earlier) en route to a 5-2 victory..
Keegan Kolesar, who played junior hockey with the Seattle Thunderbirds, opened the scoring 12 seconds into the game. Seattle’s Yanni Gourde tried to center one . from the left wing side but fanned on the pass. The Knights’ Will Carrier pounced on the puck and sent a lead pass to Kolesar.
“On the first shift, I gotta do better,” said Gourde. “I’m supposed to be on the ice to bring energy to this team and make the right play,”
With Alex Wenneberg in the penalty box for a high stick on Braydon McNabb, the Knights added a power play goal. Nicolas Roy got Kraken goaltender Martin Jones to commit and then slid a pass across to Jonathan Marchessault who fired into an open net. Marchessault, Vegas’ all-time leading scorer has scored in every game (five) that he’s played against the Kraken.
The contest was pretty even after that, at least until the final seven minutes of the second period. Adin Hill making his Vegas debut, he played 21 games with San Jose last season, kept the Kraken off the scoreboard and then the Knights rattled off three straight goals off the sticks of Reilly Smith, Marchessault’s second, and defenseman Shea Theodore. Smith’s tally came on the power play. The Kraken have now given up five PPG’s in their first three games.
Vegas took a 5-0 lead to the dressing room after two periods but the Kraken won the third period with two unanswered goals. Plus, Philipp Grubauer relieved Jones in the net for the final 20 minutes and stopped six shots without allowing a goal. Grubauer had a good pre-season but surrendered five goals on opening night in Anaheim. The Kraken’s have a tough week upcoming with games against Carolina, St. Louis and Stanley Cup champion Colorado. Grubauer will probably start at least two of those game
The Knights (3-0) shutout Chicago on Friday night, 1-0, but their bid for a second consecutive whitewash of an opponent ended with 6:50 remaining. Matty Beniers brought the puck down the left wing and found defensemen Justin Schultz heading to the net uncovered. Schultz sent it home for his first goal of the season and Beniers kept up his average of a point a game since joining the Kraken with 10 games left last season.
Jaden Schwartz completed the scoring with the Kraken’s sixth power play goal of the young season. Schwartz tipped in a shot by Andre Burakovsky. Schwartz, who was slowed down by various injuries a year ago has been the Kraken’s best forward, along with Beniers, in Seattle’s first three games.
“We dug ourselves a hole right from the start,” said Jordan Eberle after the game. “I think that’s from not being ready. We’re not really helping our goalie by giving them odd man rushes.”
Coach Dave Hakstol added “”There are specific things we have to clean up. It’s not that we were slow or sluggish [in the game’s first 10 minutes]. We’ll address that. It’s the execution and the mentality of our play with the puck that we have to fix. We can do that right away, It’s not all done by video. Guys know what we did.”
Game notes
This season, fans in the arena can listen live to our radiocast via headphones/earbuds in real-time with no time lag using the Kraken app. Fans will hear the KJR 950 call of the game with play-by-play man Everett Fitzhugh and analyst Dave Tomlinson. Along with their new mascot Buoy, a long-haired sea creature, the Kraken also unveiled the Seattle Kraken marching band which entertained fans before the game and between periods.
First-round draft choice Shane Wright was once again a healthy scratch as Morgan Geekie centered a line with Ryan Donato and Karson Kuhlman for the second consecutive game. The Kraken can still send Wright back to junior hockey if he plays nine or fewer NHL games.
Jared McCann, the Kraken’s leading scorer a year ago was sporting a helmet last night with a full glass shield protecting his face. Against Los Angeles, McCann caught an errant stick in the face and looked like he may have lost a tooth or two as he headed to the bench. McCann went for a root canal procedure on Friday.
The Kraken’s face Carolina on Monday, one of the pre-season favorites and the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Seattle then takes to the road and faces the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
Seattle’s currently in third place in the eight team Pacific Division with a 1-0-1 record
Scoring
First period
V- Keegan Kolesar (Will Carrier) :12. V- Jonathan Marchessault (Nicolas Roy, Frank Pietrangelo) PPG, 3:07.
Second Period
V- Reilly Smith (Mark Stone, Jack Eichel) PPG, 13:55. V- Marchessault (Chandler Stephenson, Shea Theodore) 17:11. V- Theodore (Phil Kessell, Eichel) 19:43.
Third Period
S- Justin Schultz (Andre Burakovsky, Matty Beniers) 13:57. S- Jaden Schwartz (Burakovsky, Vince Dunn) 16:17.
Shots on goal- Vegas 30, Seattle 33.
Penalty minutes- Vegas 4, Seattle 8
Referees- Brian Pochmara, Graham Skilliter. Lineseman- Devin Berg, Tyson Baker
