Seattle pushed Tampa Bay all the way to overtime and still walked away with a 4-3 loss, but this one never felt like a blowout hanging around in disguise. The Kraken matched the Lightning’s pace for long stretches, got a power-play goal, killed all three Tampa Bay power plays, and forced the game to the edge before Victor Hedman finished it off.
If there was one sequence Seattle would love to erase, it came with Ville Ottavainen trying to move the puck through the middle of the ice right in front of Philipp Grubauer while Ilya Mikheyev was closing hard. It was the kind of risky play that turns a live puck into a problem in a hurry, and it opened the door for Tampa Bay at the worst possible time.
Ottavainen has been fine overall, and this was the sort of rookie mistake that can happen to a player still settling in as a full-time NHLer. But in a game that tight, one bad decision can swing everything.
Even with that moment hanging over the finish, Seattle had plenty to feel good about. Jared McCann buried a power-play goal after a sharp passing sequence, Ryan Winterton kept driving play and scored, and Matty Beniers once again carried a big load and tied the game. The special teams did its job, and that mattered against a team like Tampa Bay.
The goaltending battle was close too. Grubauer finished with an .886 save percentage on 35 shots, while Andrei Vasilevskiy ended the night just .003 apart from him.
The difference was that Tampa Bay had Hedman to tilt the final moment. Seattle didn’t.
Vince Dunn led the Kraken in ice time at 28:24.
Seattle now stays in Florida to close out the road trip against the Panthers in Sunrise at 3 p.m. PT on Saturday.
In Other News...
Philipp Grubauer Is Giving The Kraken Exactly What They Needed
Philipp Grubauer has been giving the Kraken exactly the kind of stability they were looking for in goal, carrying over the strong play that made him such an important part of last seasons push. On a recent road trip, his work helped Seattle keep collecting results, with the goaltender again looking like the steady presence the team needs when games tighten up late.
Off the ice, Grubauer has also become a familiar part of Seattle in a different way through his partnership in a local brewery, where he sometimes even works behind the scenes. It is a reminder that his connection to the city runs beyond the rink, but the bigger concern for the Kraken right now is how long he can keep this level going as the road trip continues and the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Josh Anderson Decision That Could Shape Their Next Move
The Krakens season could soon force an uncomfortable accounting of where the roster stands and where it is headed. As the standings tighten, Seattle is among the teams to watch for possible deadline decisions, and the names coming up are not fringe pieces. Vince Dunn and Jared McCann have both been central to the clubs recent identity, which is why any talk about moving on from them would say as much about the bigger picture as it does about the present chase.
If Seattle slips further from the playoff race, the conversation around those veterans gets even louder because it is tied to the teams long-term timeline. Both players would be 31 in the first season of their next contracts, a detail that makes any new commitment a tougher call for a front office trying to balance immediate competitiveness with what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Prospects Face An Early Test Despite An Encouraging Start
The Coachella Valley Firebirds opened their 2026-27 AHL season the right way with a win over the San Diego Gulls, and there were encouraging signs for the Seattle Krakens prospects right away. The clubs early offense has been lively, and the start also featured a milestone for Nikke Kokko in goal, giving the organization a few reasons to feel good about how the group came out of camp.
Since then, though, the first stretch of the season has turned a little less comfortable, with three straight losses and a first regulation defeat against the Henderson Silver Knights. Tyson Jugnauth has still been a bright spot from the blue line, leading the Firebirds in points with eight assists before his streak was snapped in the shutout loss, but the recent skid is a reminder that the prospects are already facing an early test in the AHL grind. [Read more 🡒]