Kakko Scores Twice, But Oilers Double Up

EDMONTON – The Kraken’s newly formed “kids” line of Matty Beniers, 22, centering 2022 second-rounder Jani Nyman, 20, and elder-statesman-of-sorts Kaapo Kakko, 24, paid dividends here in Alberta with Kakko scoring a pair of goals. But after Kakko tied the game at 2-2 in the middle period, Edmonton scored twice to nab a 4-2 advantage at second intermission that held up in a 5-4 final.

But let’s get back to Beniers and his Finnish linemates. Granted, Kakko’s first goal of the night was on the power play rather than at even strength, but surely all Seattle fans were happy to get a glimpse of the future in the present. And the trio notched the score on a power play was promising in and of itself. Let’s agree fellow power play mates, the veterans Jordan Eberle and Brandon Montour liked what they were seeing.

The first Kakko goal started with lefty Jani Nyman unleashing his already-familiar heavy shot from the right faceoff circle. The puck caromed off Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner, who could do nothing about preventing a rebound and was likely just happy the shot hit him in a leg pad. Beniers was net-front rapping a shot in close, resulting in a loose puck at the left post and Skinner otherwise occupied. Kakko calmly and swiftly bladed it over the goal line for the power play score, evening the game at 1-1 after an early power play goal by Oilers veteran Adam Henrique opened the goal scoring. It should be noted just seconds before the Kakko goal that Finnish countryman Nyman was stationed at the right point making a skilled backhanded move to prevent an Edmonton zone-clearing attempt, maintaining offensive-zone puck possession.

After exchanging power play goals in the first period, the Kraken and Oilers matched breakaway goals to tie the game at two goals apiece less than eight minutes into the middle frame. And the Finnish sector of the kids' line (nickname suggestions welcome) was in high gear again, this time during 5-on-5 play. The aforementioned Kakko took a stretch-pass feed from Nyman to gather the puck at center ice, turning on the after-jets to create space, then calmly stickhandling close-on until Skinner made a move that allowed the midseason trade acquisition to tuck it past the Oilers goaltender.

“I think everyone in this room knows we’ve got to be better and play harder,” said Kaapo, emphasizing team play, not his goals and whom Bylsma said has been hard on himself lately for his performances. “There were good times out there tonight when we played pretty good. We got good chances and it was a pretty tight game in the end. We’ve just got to find a way in these games.”

Kakko has scored nine goals and added 16 assists for 25 points in 38 games since joining Seattle. The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft now has a pair of two-goal games for the Kraken (the first one in a Jan. 11 win at Buffalo). For his part, Nyman picked up his first two NHL assists.

Hanging Tight in Final 20 Minutes

The Oilers outscored the Kraken, 3-1 in the middle 20 minutes, fueled by two Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goals (one deflected high far-side off Brandon Montour’s stick and the other via a full screen on Joey Daccord by Oiler nemesis Zach Hyman. Daccord made some big stops to keep the game close, as Brandon Montour said in his post-game remarks.

“We had trouble getting out of the corners [in the defensive zone],” said Brandon Montour post-game. “They did a good job cycling. Bringing it up the half wall, creating their own space. Joe did this thing, helped us try to get a get a win.”

Nonetheless, there was no quit in the Kraken, who added four more Grade-A scoring chances for a game total of 13. Six minutes into the third period, Jared McCann flipped a short pass to linemate Andre Burakovsky, who used time and space, circling and wheeling in the right faceoff before whistling a wrist shot past Skinner, seemingly confusing the Oilers goalie just enough to miss the save.

The Kraken thought they had a third goal earlier in the final period when the fourth line scrummed net-front with Mikey Eyssimont started the mad scramble with a wraparound attempt and all sorts of bodies were jamming at the puck. It was ruled a Kraken goal on the ice but Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch successfully challenged. Neither D-man Brandon Montour (‘those types of plays are 50-50”) nor coach Dan Bylsma (“there were a lot of bodies in there”) indicated dismay about the reversal.

The Kraken had a late power play opportunity but came up without the tying goal. Instead, Nugent-Hopkins scored a shorthanded goal with an empty net score to round out his hat trick and certainly fill the gap of both EDM superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out with injuries. Still not giving up, the Kraken scored in the remaining power play time when Jared McCann sent a puck to the net that Jaden Schwartz tipped past Skinner with two minutes remaining. With 55 seconds left, Seattle coach Dan Bylsma called timeout to strategize a potential tying score, but McCann was soon whistled off for tripping. The Kraken fell short with Beniers and defenseman Brandon Montour threatening in the final seconds.

Special Teams are the Difference

In his post-game talk with the media, Dan Bylsma identified the two Oilers' power play goals and a goal scored right after a Kraken power play ended spelled the difference on the night.

“Too much penalty killing, that's the story of the game,” said Bylsma. “In those situations, need a shot block. And in both cases, Joey wasn't able and capable of seeing the shot.”

Handing Out Kudos

The first period ended at one goal apiece, with five Grade-A scoring chances for the Kraken per Natural Stat Trick and three for the home squad. Seattle had upped it to nine Grade-A chances by the second intermission, so give some kudos to the Oilers’ Skinner in goal.

The Kraken fourth line of John Hayden between Mikey Eyssimont and Tye Kartye generated some high-energy and effective shifts in the first period, most especially following the Edmonton power play score to open scoring 14-and-a-half minutes into the game. In the middle period, following Kakko’s second goal on the night, fourth-line wing Tye Kartye generated a pair of quality shots that challenged Skinner to make big saves. Kartye clearly has received and acted on the Kraken coaches’ edict for the young forward to deploy his above-average shot more often as part of the overall physical, scrappy game he plays.