“Lars made a good play to get it there [net front],” said Eberle post-game about the goal, which he acknowledged was a scramble. “I don’t know, the puck hit the post, off my foot and a bunch of things. Jared made a good play to get behind him [goalie Hill].”
But the Kraken couldn’t get the puck across the goal line in the final 20 minutes despite two power play opportunities (both of which started with offensive chances for shorthanded Vegas; in fact, VGK had three good looks on the second power play before Seattle logged a shot. Joey Daccord kept the suspense by padding down three high-danger in the third period and making 23 saves on the night. The Kraken pulled Daccord for an extra attacker and nearly scored on net-front scrum, but Brandon Montour couldn’t quite get a stick on a loose puck at the right goal post.
“It was a bounce-back game from the whole team, but Joey in particular gave us a bounce-back game tonight,” said Kraken coach Dan Bylsma. “He was really good, really solid. It was an effort the needed the entire game.”
The Kraken pulled Daccord for an extra attacker and nearly scored on net-front scrum, but Brandon Montour couldn’t quite get his stick on a loose puck at the right goal post.
Eberle said he and teammates most definitely discussed the mess of a night in Tuesday’s Utah loss (not helped by 3 a.m. arrival after Monday’s big win over LA) and, as both he and alternate captain Adam Larsson commented post-game, get back to the solid hockey the Kraken have played since the early March trade deadline.
“I thought they took it to us pretty good in the second period, but we found a way to start playing. I think our third period was a good effort. That’s a good defensive team. We had looks ... you could tell we were a step behind everywhere, and that translated to we took too many penalties.”
Solid Start Marred By Wrong Kind of Puck Luck
Bylsma was positive about the Kraken’s early going: “We played more like we've seen our team play here as of late, especially in the first period. It was a really good start to the game. We had a bunch of good shifts from all lines.”
The Kraken controlled the puck and racked up offensive zone time during those early shifts, but Vegas put up a number on the scoreboard seven minutes into the contest when a Kraken scoring attempt quickly transitioned to a Vegas rush up ice. Tomas Hertl, acquired in a blockbuster trade at the 2024 trade deadline, carried the puck into the Kraken end right side, with Vince Dunn steering Hertl to the outside.
As Hertl veered to the goal line, he backhanded the puck to the slot, where Adam Larsson inadvertently redirected the puck right to the stick tape of VGK forward Ivan Barbashev. The veteran winger wristed a shot into a wide gap of the open net as Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord was a tick later sliding right, mostly because the puck getting Barbashev in an ideal shooting position was a worse bounce than any sort of a set play. But we all recognize the value of putting pucks on net.
“It happens to everyone throughout the season,” said Larsson in the visitors locker room before heading home for Saturday’s matchup with St. Louis. “But I thought this was way better effort from us. They're a good team, dangerous off the rush. We were just more engaged today.
Larsson said the final two home games (Los Angeles in town Tuesday) can generate hope and good vibes for next season.
“A lot of guys here, that's going to be back next year,” said Larsson. I mean, the last month we have been looking pretty good. We want to finish strong, not only for ourselves but for the fans. Now we have two home games to do that, so Saturday is definitely a big game for us.”
Paying Respects to Stanley Cup-winning GM Ray Shero
After Thursday’s morning skate here in Vegas, Dan Bylsma spoke about the sudden passing of former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero, who died Tuesday night at age 62 after a brief undisclosed illness. A couple of seasons after Bylsma’s NHL playing career ended, Bylsma was interviewed by Shero, who came away so impressed and decided to hire Bylsma as an assistant coach at the Penguins’ AHL affiliate Wilkes Barre-Scranton. Two seasons later, Bylsma was named head coach and famously took over the Penguins' top coaching position mid-season in 2008-09, leading Pittsburgh to an 18-3-4 record to finish the regular season before the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in a thrilling Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Red Wings.
“Sad day for the hockey world, in particular for the Pittsburgh Penguins family,” said Bylsma. “Condolences to the Ray Shero family. He was a great GM, a great hockey man, a great person. He was a big part of my coaching career. As a player, as a person, you need someone to believe in you. You need someone to take a chance on you.
“And as a coach, that was Ray for me. It turned into six years of him demonstrating just what kind of GM he is and what kind of team the Pittsburgh Penguins are. A big part of my hockey life is with Ray Shero.
“Just a unique and great communicator, I'll say that. And one you were in the trenches with, one you were on the same page with, and one that he let you be who you are as a person, as a player and as a coach.”
