Schwartz scores hat trick, leads Kraken past Kings

Jaden Schwartz had a hat trick in the Seattle Kraken’s 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Saturday.

Schwartz scored into an empty net at 18:50 of the third period for his first hat trick for the Kraken (20-24-3). He had four in the regular season and two in the postseason during his 10 seasons with the St. Louis Blues.

“It was just a team effort all around,” Schwartz said. “Guys were laying it on the line tonight. It was a fun game.”

Kaapo Kakko had three assists to extend his point streak to five games, and Seattle ended a three-game home losing streak (0-2-1). Joey Daccord made 27 saves.

Adrian Kempe and Jordan Spence scored for the Kings (25-13-5), who had allowed six goals over their past four games (4-2-0). Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves; he had allowed one goal or fewer in his previous five starts.

“Get behind the eight ball early, it’s not an easy thing to come back against,” Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke said. “We definitely pushed in the third, but I wish we had that kind of effort earlier.”

The Kraken went back up 3-2 1:37 into the second period when Chandler Stephenson was in the slot to redirect Oliver Bjorkstrand’s shot in.

Kakko, who had the primary assist on Schwartz’s first and third goals, has eight points (three goals, five assists) during his five-game streak.

Kakko has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 14 games since he was acquired by Seattle in a trade from the New York Rangers on Dec. 18 for defenseman Will Borgen and third and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. Kakko has at least one point in nine games and three with multiple points.

“It can’t be understated, the line of Matty Beniers and Jaden and Kakko, what they keep doing for us, night in and night out,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. “That line has fed off Kakko’s presence in the offensive zone, his ability to hang on the puck. It has allowed ‘Schwartzy’ to dart into spots, be at the net, and Matty to get to good spots.”

Schwartz gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead 28 seconds into the first period. Alex Turcotte couldn’t control a pass from Kempe in the defensive zone, and Kakko took the turnover before finding Schwartz in the high slot for a wrist shot.

“They don’t give up a whole lot, so I thought we did a good job of being aggressive,” Schwartz said. “Everyone was pushing the pace. Our 'D' were up on the play and kind of made it hard on them. Yeah, it was a good start for us.”

Los Angeles had not allowed a goal in the first period during the first four games of the road trip. Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller called it a “really poor start” and the Kings’ worst in what “probably felt like six weeks.”

“I mean, I’ll cut them a little slack,” Hiller continued. “It does happen in a long season. We gathered ourselves. We just weren’t sharp. Even once we gathered ourselves, we weren’t sharp.”

Kempe tied it 1-1 on the power play at 6:07, putting in Anze Kopitar’s cross-slot pass for his sixth goal in the past eight games.

Schwartz put Seattle ahead 2-1 at 7:40, finishing off a 4-on-2 rush by scoring on a wrist shot from the right circle. Josh Mahura started the break by creating a turnover when he checked Warren Foegele in the defensive zone.

“It was, I think, a huge statement hit, and getting the goal right after it was a sign to everybody we were in the match,” Bylsma said.

Spence tied it up 2-2 at 18:43 on a slap shot from the right point.

The Kings had chances to tie the game in the third period after Stephenson’s seventh goal. Foegele led a 2-on-0 shorthanded break but had his shot saved by Daccord at the right post at 4:16.

Kempe was in the low slot during a 6-on-5 with Kuemper off for an extra attacker but couldn’t get his shot on net at 17:53.

“We didn’t have good execution,” Hiller said. “Puck was bouncing on us. Our hands weren’t working.”

NOTES: Schwartz had the fourth hat trick in Kraken history, joining Jordan Eberle, Jared McCann, and Brandon Montour. … Clarke was used as a forward in the third period, playing four shifts and 2:48 of ice time. … The Kings lost in regulation for the first time in six games at Climate Pledge Arena (4-1-1).