Kraken Day the Kraken Way

After three different Kraken defensemen took second-period shots on net that teammates tipped and deflected to stake a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes, Seattle D-man extraordinaire Brandon Montour took another shot from the point (he was one of the previous three), this time finding the back of the net for an insurance goal in rousing 6-3 win over division rival Vancouver. Great way to celebrate Kraken Day on the sixth anniversary of Seattle faithful making 32,000 deposits in 24 hours.

The five Kraken goals matched the quintet Seattle scored in a memorable 5-4 overtime win here at Climate Pledge Arena on Dec. 28. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord delivered crucial saves late second period and then 10 more saves in the final 20 minutes, including two Grade-A chances. Eeli Tolvanen, who scored the game-winner later second period off a Ryker Evans shot and now has 18 on the season, added an empty-net goal to cinch the win and home sweep of the visiting Canucks.

“Just the evidence of how we got our goals is a good bounce-back message for the guys," said Kraken coach Dan Bylsma, "getting to the net, net-front, going to inside, fighting and battling.”

“That’s when at we’re at best, when we ‘re competing, winning pucks and hunting their ‘D,’ just being physical, being competitive and moving our feet,” said center Shane Wright, who notched assists on the first two Kraken goals to make it 13 points in his last 11 games.

Matching the Desperation, Part 1

At an optional morning skate populated by most of the roster, Dan Bylsma made a clear point about what he expected from his Kraken squad when asked about Vancouver’s level of urgency about earning two points Saturday night given the Canucks holding down the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

“They’re in a dog fight right now,” said Bylsma. “They are one [win] and three [losses] coming out of the break. They can’t be happy with that situation. This is a team that's going to be fighting for their playoff lives, and you shouldn't see a difference from us. We have to match that desperation. That's how we want to play.”

The early Kraken shifts filled the bill, delivering hits and the game’s first goal off the stick of Andre Burakovsky (his sixth of the year). But Vancouver matched the intensity with some Grade-A chances stopped by Kraken goalie Joey Daccord. The visitors kept up the competitive fire, scoring two goals in 15 shots on goal (and another seven Vancouver shots that Kraken skaters blocked). Seattle finished with six shots.

Matching the Desperation, Part 2

Down 2-1 as the second period commenced, Seattle regrouped with the prescribed desperation mode to knot the game not once, but twice, then landing a response goal to get ahead 4-3 just minute after tying the game at 3-3. Oliver Bjorkstand tallied on a tip thanks to a Brandon Montour laser to get the game even four minutes into the middle stanza. Four minutes after that, Vancouver flashed its own desperate moves on (hate to say it) a highlight-reel shorthanded goal by Dakota Joshua.

But another four minutes later, Matty Beniers cleanly won a faceoff in the VAN zone, shoveling the puck straight back to Vince Dunn, who was ready for it. He hammered a shot that Beniers, showing his high hockey IQ by driving netfront after the faceoff win, deflected past Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen. It marks Beniers’ 14^th score of the season. Exactly 60 seconds later, yet another SEA defenseman, young Ryker Evans, this time, sent a shot toward Lankinen with Eeli Tolvanen doing the tip-in honors. Not going unnoticed or unproductive, Chandler Stephenson and the aforementioned Burakovsky were puck-battling in the right corner to keep the play alive. Stephenson took the loose puck and sent it cross-ice and back to Evans. Burakovsky, who scored the opening goal, arguably played his best game of the season.

“Offensively, a really good game from him, starting with the goal,” said Bylsma. “He didn’t factor in the ‘Bjorky’ goal, but he was a factor winning the puck and hanging onto it. He was dangerous, good with the puck, on the puck in the offensive zone, and noticeable all night.”

The 4-3 lead held for second intermission, fueled by three outstanding saves by Seattle’s Joey Daccord in the final four minutes (fours clearly wild in the period). Vancouver forward wristed a close-in shot that Daccord somehow halted, then with a minute-and-a-half left in the frame, the Kraken goaltender stopped a pair net-front attempts, first by Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers and one second later, forward Jake DeBrusk on the rebound.

“He’s a warrior,” said Brandon Montour post-game. “He battles every shift, every save. He’s been our best player all year and keeps us in games. He’s so calm and energetic at the same time. He makes crazy saves and makes easy saves. He’s playing at a high, high elite level. That’s good for us going forward.”

The only thing that didn't work out for Daccord once the Kraken grabbed the lead for good was a missed chance for a goalie-goal with the late third-period empty net at the Vancouver end. Montour said his teammate “plays the better than most [goaltenders]” and expects Daccord to score someday.

Bylsma, tongue firmly in cheek, weighed in with both Daccord and the media post-game: “Learn to shoot harder, that was a muffin of a shot,” said Bylsma, smiling.

‘Wright’ Time, ‘Wright’ Play

There has been much to appreciate about Shane Wright's level of play since returning a three-game healthy scratch in late November. Messages from GM Ron Francis and the coaching staff have clearly resonated with the 21-year-old center. Saturday’s opening goal was another example of the impressive details the 2022 first-round draft choice (No. 4 overall) projects to continue bringing to the Kraken for many seasons ahead.

Wright picked up the puck just outside his own blue line and turned on the jets, showing speed that can go unnoticed when a guy like Brandon Montour is your teammate. But make no mistake, his strides from the Kraken blue to the left faceoff circle in the Canucks zone was NHL-elite, “winning the race,” as linemate Andre Burakovsky said to KHN’s Piper Shaw during first intermission. Everyone else on both teams was trying to catch up to his pace.

Wright then skillfully backhanded a centering pass toward Burakovsky. The puck deflected ever so slightly off one of Vancouver's foes trying to stay with Wright’s push, teeing up a shot for Burakovsky. The Kraken veteran forward didn’t squander Wright’s speed and skill, beating Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen's short side with a high-talent shot just inside the goal post.

Wright picked up his second assist of the night when he retrieved a puck in the left corner of the Vancouver zone (leveraging solid puck-battle work by Burakovsky). The Kraken center quickly scanned Brandon Montour at the right point. Montour, who was behind the goal line just seconds before battling for puck possession along with Burakovsky, just as quickly released a shot that was tipped by Oliver Bjorkstrand (his 16^th) to tie matters at 2-2. Wright has been on a right-time, right-play streak over his last 11 games, notching five goals and eight assists for 13 points.