Kraken reach midway point of 2025-26 in style beating Bruins 7-4

Kraken rookie Berkly Catton scores the first two goals of his NHL career in a win which extends the team’s points streak to nine games.

Following a 4-2 road loss to the Calgary Flames on Dec. 18 the Seattle Kraken were in disarray, with just one win in 11 games. A promising start to the 2025-26 campaign had turned into a nightmare, with the team sitting second-bottom in the Pacific Division and seven points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.

Team morale was arguably at an all-time low for the Kraken, with naysayers pointing out how the franchise had failed to build on a promising playoff run in just their second season back in 2022-23. Ownership seemed to be receiving the majority of the criticism, but in reality there was plenty of blame to go around for everyone connected to the organization.

However, as per the saying that the only way is up once you’ve hit rock bottom, the Kraken have since embarked on an impressive nine-game run of positive results which has seen them fly up the standings. They are on their best points streak since a 13-game stretch between mid-December and mid-January during the 2023-24 campaign and as a result they now sit third in the Pacific Division, just one point behind both the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers.

A season-high seven goals for the now potent Kraken

The latest game of this streak came on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena, as the Kraken scored a season-high seven goals to defeat the Boston Bruins in style 7-4. A team which at one point had the fewest goals in the NHL has now scored 36 during this nine-game stretch, helping result in 17 out of a possible 18 points.

This is not to suggest the Kraken had it all their own way versus the Bruins, with the two teams tied at 2-2 as time wound down in the second period. However, the home side then scored twice in the final two minutes through Ben Myers and Jared McCann respectively, to take a 4-2 advantage into the final frame.

The Kraken would score two more to increase the advantage 6-2 with 5:40 remaining in the contest, before the Bruins made it slightly more tense with two goals of their own to pull to within 6-4 at the 17:38 mark of the third period. However, any concern was finally removed when Kaapo Kakko slotted home an empty-netter to make the final scoreline of 7-4.

• Mariners complete strong road trip but Matt Brash causes concern
• Key Takeaways from Seattle Storm’s Thrilling Preseason Match
• FIFA Empowers Afghan Women Footballers with Historic Regulation Change
• Seahawks 2026 Draft: Analysis of Key Picks and Strategies
• Key Stats from Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries Preseason Clash

A night Berkly Catton will never forget

The biggest individual headlines of the night deservedly went to Kraken rookie Berkly Catton, who scored the first two goals of his NHL career and was awarded the First Star of the Game. Plenty is expected of a player who was selected eighth overall in the 2024 entry draft and it will be interesting to see if his brace on Tuesday night can now open the floodgates.

At the very least Catton will have gained more confidence in himself, which in turn can only benefit the Kraken as a whole. Speaking postgame to the media including Geoff Baker of NHL.com, he said:

“Yeah, 100 percent it’s a lot of weight off the shoulders for sure. But I’ve dreamed of that for a long time and so, it’s awesome.”

It was entirely understandable that Catton would figuratively feel as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, given it took him 28 games to score. McCann, who had the primary assist on the 19-year-old’s first NHL goal, said:

“He was working really hard. And we were due. Just keep plugging away. I’m really happy for him.”

The biggest goal of the game goes to Jared McCann

As much as Catton took the majority of the plaudits on the night, the most important moment of the game went to McCann, with his goal being scored with just one second left in the second period. In fact, there was a moment when the Kraken wondered if his goal would even be allowed, as he said:

“As soon as I looked up, I saw the (green) light on so I didn’t know if I got it off on time. So, I looked at the bench and everybody’s kind of looking at me dumbfounded. So, I didn’t know. And I don’t think they really did either.”

After what seemed like an eternity to the players and fans, the officials finally made the right call and the Kraken had their precious 4-2 advantage through 40 minutes. Although with the way this team has been playing recently, even if McCann’s goal had been called off you wouldn’t have bet against them still going on to win the game.

The game was also notable for marking the official midway point of the 2025-26 campaign for the Kraken, with them sitting in a playoff spot with a 20-14-7 record through 41 games. They will now have a day off before hosting the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night, who are 25-11-8 on the season including an impressive 12-7-3 on their travels.

One thing which will be interesting to see is who the Kraken start in net versus the Wild, after Joey Daccord allowed four goals on 32 shots versus the Bruins. Yes he was strong when the game was close and is still the number one, but overall it cannot be denied that Philipp Gubauer has been the better goalie this season, particularly of late.

With us now 41 games into the 2025-26 regular season, how do you perceive the Kraken? All but certain to make the playoffs, a genuine contender or a peripheral threat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.