Ben Meyers had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Lindgren and Eeli Tolvanen scored for the Kraken (21-18-9), who have lost four straight (0-3-1) and six of their past seven (1-4-2). Ryan Winterton had two assists for his first multipoint NHL game, and Joey Daccord made 26 saves.
“What's happening right now is we're making mistakes that are going in the back of our net,” Seattle coach Lane Lambert said. “And we've got to correct those mistakes.”
Wotherspoon gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 5:44 of the first period, using Mantha as a screen and beating Daccord with a slap shot from the blue line.
“We want everybody involved in the offense,” Muse said. “And obviously, [the defensemen] have been the last couple games. I think we’ve been seeing it. It’s not always going to be necessarily just goals, but contributions on the offensive side. Whether it’s getting up in the rush and helping to create space, or their involvement there, movement in the O-zone ... or like tonight, actually scoring goals.”
Dewar made it 2-0 with a short-handed breakaway goal at 7:50. Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson lost the puck at Pittsburgh's blue line, and Dewar broke the other way before scoring on a wrist shot from the slot.
“I poked it away at the blue line and kind of had a bit of a half breakaway and pulled away,” Dewar said. “I shot it glove side, and it went in.”
Dewar set new NHL career highs in goals (11) and points (19) during the game.
“He’s always working,” Muse said. “It’s everybody on that line, but I can’t speak enough about him and the impact that he’s made this year. Just the way he plays the game, everything’s hard. He’s always playing it the right way.”
Meyers cut the deficit to 2-1 at 16:12 of the first when he buried a wrist shot into the top left corner from the right face-off circle.
“[Meyers is] ready to play,” Lambert said. “He works, competes, battles, got good poise with the puck. He does a lot of good things for us.”
Lindgren tied it 2-2 at 13:55 of the second period. Meyers’ shot was stopped by Skinner at the right post, but Winterton slid the rebound to Lindgren in front, where he chipped it into an open net.
“It was a good play by Ryker [Evans] trying to get [Meyers] back door,” Lindgren said. “And then great play by ‘Wints’ to find me in the middle there. Those two (Meyers and Winterton) have been terrific.”
Kulak put the Penguins back up 3-2 just 50 seconds later at 14:45 with a wrist shot from the point that got past Daccord's blocker through traffic. It was the first goal this season for Kulak, who was acquired along with Skinner in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 12.
“I think we’re too loose right now in the D-zone,” Lindgren said. “We’re giving up too many chances, we’re hanging our goalies out to dry a little bit. When we’re playing our best hockey, we’re a hard defending team.”
