Kraken Surge Late to Sink Devils in Seattle
The Devils’ West Coast swing hit a rough patch Saturday night as they fell 4-2 to the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. It was a game that started with promise for New Jersey, but a third-period surge by the Kraken proved too much to overcome.
Let’s break it down.
First Period: Hamilton Opens the Scoring
New Jersey came out strong, controlling the early pace and capitalizing on their first power play opportunity. Dougie Hamilton, back in the lineup and wasting no time making an impact, stepped into a shot from the right circle and wired it home to give the Devils a 1-0 lead. It was vintage Hamilton-calm, calculated, and clinical.
Markstrom, meanwhile, was sharp between the pipes in the opening frame, turning away several quality Kraken chances to preserve the lead heading into the first intermission.
Second Period: Seattle Finds Their Footing
The momentum started to shift in the second. Seattle pressed harder, and their persistence paid off when Ryker Evans knotted things up 7:37 into the period. The Kraken defenseman jumped into the play and found a soft spot, finishing with confidence to even the score.
Markstrom continued to stand tall, making a handful of key stops to keep things tied, but the Devils' offense struggled to generate much pushback during the middle frame. Seattle began to tilt the ice in their favor, and it felt like the game was teetering.
Third Period: Kraken Strike Fast, Devils Can’t Recover
The game broke wide open in the third-and not in New Jersey’s favor.
Matty Beniers gave Seattle their first lead of the night with a slick backhander under the bar. Just 18 seconds later, the Kraken doubled their advantage as rookie Berkly Catton found the back of the net, stunning the Devils with a two-goal swing in under half a minute.
To their credit, New Jersey didn’t fold. They clawed back on the power play when Jack Hughes fired a shot that deflected off Adam Larsson’s knee and past Joey Daccord, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
But any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Jordan Eberle sealed it with an empty-netter, giving the Kraken a 4-2 win and sending the Devils home empty-handed.
Lineup Notes
The Devils rolled with a top line of Meier-Hughes-Bratt, and it was that group that created the most offensive spark, particularly on the man advantage. Hamilton paired with Dillon on the blue line, while Markstrom got the start in net and kept the game within reach for most of the night.
Seattle countered with a top trio of McCann-Beniers-Eberle, and that line delivered in the clutch. The Kraken’s depth also showed up, with contributions from across the lineup, including Catton and Evans.
What’s Next for New Jersey?
This one will sting, especially considering how well the Devils started. But there were still positives to take away-Hamilton’s impact on the power play, Markstrom’s early saves, and the fight shown late in the third.
Still, the Devils will need to tighten up defensively and find more consistency across all three periods if they want to bounce back on this road trip.
The West isn’t forgiving, and neither are the standings.