Kraken Battle Back from Two-Goal Deficit in Gritty Second-Period Rally Against Utah
The Kraken’s road trip finale looked like it might slip away early in the second period. Down 3-1 less than five minutes into the middle frame, they were staring at some tough odds-Utah had been nearly automatic in games where they led after two periods.
But Seattle didn’t blink. Instead, they dug in, shuffled some lines, and mounted the kind of comeback that playoff-bound teams are built on.
And it all started with a rookie making a veteran-level play.
With under five minutes left in the second, Berkly Catton showed the kind of poise that doesn’t usually come with a first-year label. He zipped a cross-ice pass to Vince Dunn at the left point-tape to tape.
Dunn didn’t hesitate, firing a shot on net. The rebound kicked out to Matty Beniers, who was right in the thick of things at the top of the crease.
His first attempt rang off the post, but he stuck with it, and his second shot found the back of the net. Just like that, the Kraken were back within one.
Barely two and a half minutes later, Seattle’s transition game went to work. Freddy Gaudreau, now skating with his usual second-line partners, sparked the rush with a heads-up feed to Chandler Stephenson.
Stephenson had to fight the puck a bit, but once he settled it, he had just enough space to slide it past Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. Tie game.
That equalizer came right after the Kraken had killed off a Utah power play-a key moment that kept the game from slipping out of reach. It was a textbook momentum swing: kill a penalty, then cash in at even strength.
Strong Start, But One Costly Mistake
Seattle actually opened the game with a lot of jump. The top line-Matty Beniers centering Jordan Eberle and Kaapo Kakko-got the Kraken on the board first thanks to some slick offensive-zone work.
It started with a rebound off a Brandon Montour shot that Eberle corralled along the boards. He worked it down low to Kakko, who’s looked increasingly comfortable behind the net lately.
Kakko found Beniers out front for a quick shot, and after a scramble, the puck popped back to Kakko. He circled behind the cage and spotted Eberle again, this time right at the doorstep.
Eberle’s first shot was blocked, but he stuck with it and flipped a backhander home. Seattle led 1-0.
It was the kind of start head coach Lane Lambert had been hoping for. He’d called Thursday’s loss in Boston one of his favorite games of the year-not because of the score, but because of how his team played from puck drop to final horn.
They were fast, aggressive, and engaged. That wasn’t the case the night before in New Jersey, where Lambert admitted he “didn’t like very much” of what he saw, especially after giving up a goal in the first minute.
Unfortunately, Saturday’s early energy was undercut by a costly miscue on the Kraken’s first power play. Utah won the faceoff and immediately countered with a 3-on-2 rush.
Veteran defenseman Ian Cole pushed the puck up ice, and Logan Crouse danced around Jared McCann before sliding a perfect pass to Kevin Stenlund. The Utah center, known more for his penalty killing than scoring touch, had his stick on the ice and buried it.
That’s two shorthanded goals allowed by Seattle in as many games-an area that’s quickly becoming a concern.
Still, the Kraken controlled much of the early action. Midway through the first period, they were outshooting Utah 10-2.
But Utah found its legs late in the frame, and by the end of the first, shots were even at 12 apiece. Utah also held a 13-7 edge in scoring chances.
Goalie Philipp Grubauer, who had no chance on the shorthanded goal, came up big with several key stops-especially on high-danger looks. According to Natural Stat Trick, he faced seven high-danger chances in the opening 20 minutes.
He’s headed to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina as Germany’s top netminder, and performances like this show why.
Second Period Slips, Then Snaps Back
The second period didn’t start the way Seattle wanted. Just 28 seconds in, Nate Schmidt let a long shot fly from the left point, threading it through traffic and past Grubauer.
Four minutes later, Nick Schmaltz stayed hot, netting his fourth goal in five games and seventh point over that same stretch. Suddenly, it was 3-1 Utah, and the Kraken were on the ropes.
But that’s when the game turned.
Seattle didn’t panic. Lambert shuffled the lines, the team tightened up defensively, and the forwards started pushing the pace again.
Catton’s pass to Dunn set the tone. Beniers’ finish brought belief.
Stephenson’s equalizer blew the doors open.
By the time the second period ended, the Kraken had clawed their way back into a game that looked like it might be slipping away. It wasn’t a perfect performance-far from it-but it was gritty, resilient, and full of the kind of moments that matter in a playoff race.
This team still has things to clean up-especially on the power play-but if they keep showing this kind of fight, they’ll be a tough out down the stretch.