The Seattle Kraken didn’t just get one answer in Detroit on Friday night - they kept finding them.
Seattle beat the Red Wings 6-3 at Little Caesars Arena in the teams’ first meeting of the 2026-27 NHL season, turning an early deficit into a comfortable road win. Detroit struck first on a power play, then added another lead in the second period, but the Kraken took over from there.
By the time 40 minutes had passed, Seattle was in front 5-2. The Kraken tacked on one more late in the third before the Red Wings got a final goal, too little, too late.
Berkly Catton continued to set the tone early. For the second time this season, he scored Seattle’s first goal of the game, taking a pass from Kaapo Kakko and finishing with a backhanded shot to get the Kraken on the board.
Catton also opened Seattle’s scoring in the home opener against the Calgary Flames. Through the first stretch of the season, he has two goals and two assists for four points, and he’s already looking settled into a key role on Seattle’s third line with Shane Wright and Kakko on his wings.
Frederick Gaudreau was the big finisher. After Detroit briefly moved back in front, Gaudreau answered 39 seconds later to tie the game again.
Mackie Samoskevich then put Seattle ahead for the first time two minutes after that, and Gaudreau struck again less than a minute later. It was Gaudreau’s first multi-goal game with the Kraken.
After scoring seven times in 68 games last season, he already has three goals in five games this year and is off to a sharp start on the fourth line.
The night also gave Philipp Grubauer his first win of the season. It was only his second start, but he came through with 37 saves on 40 shots for a .925 save percentage. With Grubauer and Daccord giving Seattle steady work in goal and the offense piling up chances, the Kraken are getting production in all the right places early on.
In Other News...
Kraken Prospects Are Giving Seattle Fans A Reason To Dream Big
The early buzz around the Krakens pipeline has started in the desert, where the Coachella Valley Firebirds have opened the 2026-27 season with a jolt of offense from several of Seattles most intriguing prospects. Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus and defenseman Tyson Jugnauth have each put themselves on the radar right away, giving the organization a reminder that the next wave may be closer than it looks.
Nyman has been especially noticeable, piling up points fast and flashing the kind of scoring touch that can change the mood of a night in a hurry. Firkus has been right there with him, contributing in multiple ways, while Jugnauth has been turning heads from the back end by helping drive the puck up ice and setting up chances. It is still very early, but for a Kraken fan base always looking for the next homegrown breakthrough, the first two games have offered plenty to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Turned A Tight Night Into The Road Win Fans Needed
The Kraken got what they needed on the road in Detroit, and they did it by taking a game that was tight early and tilting it hard in the middle. Seattle beat the Red Wings 6-3 behind a big night from Philipp Grubauer, who stopped 38 shots, while Freddy Gaudreau scored twice and Ben Meyers added a three-point effort as the offense found another gear.
The turning point came in the second period, when Seattle piled up four goals and finally put some space between itself and a Red Wings team that had kept the pressure on. Grubauers workload never really let up, but the Kraken backed him with timely finishing and enough depth scoring to make sure the result never slipped away once they seized control. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Lose Jacob Melanson Indefinitely After Alarming Opener Injury
The Kraken are already facing a sobering early-season development with Jacob Melanson, who has been ruled out indefinitely after an injury sustained in the season opener against Calgary. The forward exited the game and was later diagnosed with an anterior mediastinum hematoma with vascular pseudo aneurysm, a condition that immediately shifted the focus from the ice to his recovery.
Melanson has split his time between Seattle and the Coachella Valley Firebirds over parts of two NHL seasons, and the next stretch will be about patience more than production. He is expected to be monitored closely by the Kraken medical staff in Seattle as he works through a gradual return to hockey, leaving the team to navigate his absence while waiting on the recovery process to run its course. [Read more 🡒]