The Seattle Kraken flashed a little life early, then got swallowed up by the Minnesota Wild in a 5-1 loss that turned ugly fast.
It started badly enough, with Kirill Kaprizov - the NHL’s leading goal-scorer - slipping free for a breakaway finish. Seattle did answer, though, and for a brief stretch the game tilted in the Kraken’s favor. Berkly Catton buried a power-play goal after crisp puck movement, and by the end of the first period Seattle looked faster, cleaner and sharper than the visitors.
Then the second period came crashing in.
Seattle spent too much time killing penalties, and while the Wild did not convert on the power play, they still found ways to punish the Kraken. Blake Coleman came out of the penalty box and scored on a breakaway to make it 2-1, and from there Minnesota kept piling on. Seattle was outshot 16-1 in the period and gave up two more goals: one from Olli Matta from distance, and another after Joey Daccord could not handle a rebound, allowing Joel Eriksson Ek to finish.
Down three goals with less than 5:30 left, Seattle pulled Daccord for the extra skater and went into full desperation mode. That only led to one more Minnesota goal, as Blake Coleman added the empty-netter with 3:36 to play.
It was a rough night all around for Seattle, but the homestand rolls on, and the Kraken get another chance to reset Wednesday, November 28th, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In Other News...
Kraken Face A Brutal Test Without Their Most Important Scorer
Seattles scoring depth is about to be tested in a serious way after Jared McCann was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. McCann had already missed the Krakens recent game, and his absence now leaves a bigger hole than a simple lineup shuffle, especially with the team already dealing with other injuries.
The setback lands at a bad time for a player who has been central to the franchise from the start, leading Seattle in goals, assists and points. He had produced eight points in 11 games before the injury, and the Kraken now have to keep moving without the most reliable offensive threat in their lineup for the foreseeable future. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Suddenly Looked Dangerous Again After Flames Sent Them Reeling
After a rough stretch that had the Wild looking vulnerable, they answered with a strong two-game set against the Kraken and the Canucks, beating both teams in back-to-back nights. Jesper Wallstedt and Calvin Pickard handled the goaltending duties in the two wins, and Minnesota got enough offense from the top and the supporting cast to steady itself after the earlier stumble.
The bigger concern for Seattle was how many different Wild players found ways to chip in, with depth scoring helping tilt both games in Minnesotas favor. Quinn Hughes also reached a major career milestone while playing a key role in the win over Vancouver, and the Wilds recent turnaround suddenly made them look a lot more dangerous than they did just days earlier. [Read more 🡒]