Kraken Only Killing Themselves
“Penalty killing” has a different meaning for the 2025-26 Kraken. When this team takes a penalty, their PK is killing them.
No, Cole Caufield’s game-winner 44 seconds into overtime wasn’t scored with a manpower advantage. In fact, Kraken goalie Joey Daccord is still wondering how the 5-foot-8 Wisconsin native managed to thread the needle between the left post and the goalie’s body. Not only was it Caufield’s second goal of the game, not only did it tie him for the NHL goal-scoring lead with nine, it was also a Montreal-record 11th overtime goal for the 24-year-old winger.
What actually sank Seattle was allowing goals on both of Montreal’s two power play chances. The problem isn’t that Kraken are parading to the penalty box.
According to MoneyPuck.com, their “Penalty Minutes Taken Per 60” of 7.34 is third-lowest in the league. But when they do go shorthanded – look away, kids, this is ugly – the Kraken allow a goal on more than one in three opposition advantages (64% PK success rate, 29th in the NHL).
Juraj Slafkovský scored a 1st period PPG, with Habs captain Nick Suzuki collecting one of his three assists. Alex Newhook added another in the 3rd, for a seemingly secure 3-0 Montreal lead.
Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren, signed during the off-season specifically for his shot-blocking and penalty-killing acumen, could do neither on the Slafkovský tally, because he was the penalized player.
Montour To The Rescue
The title of the first 40 minutes for the home team could have been “Sleepwalking in Seattle.” This wasn’t a low-event two periods for Kraken, it was practically a NO-event two periods.
Enter defenseman Brandon Montour, in just his second game back after a family leave absence. First, he awoke teammates from their collective slumber via a power play goal at 8:57. Then he fed Shane Wright for a one-timer that narrowed the margin to 3-2 at 15:17, reigniting hope within the Climate Pledge Arena stands.
Monty magic would strike one more time – on his own one-timer – after goalie Daccord was pulled for a sixth attacker. Montour’s long-range bomb from the left point, his third point of the period and 300th of his career, tied the game 3-3 with 1:43 remaining.
“They’re a fast, young team,” Montour said afterward. “It seemed like we were tired. We didn’t give their goalie (Jakub Dobes, 18 saves) much work. You get a (goal), you see the confidence. Nice to see ’em go through. Nice to get a point, but we’d like to create more throughout the game.”
Seattle continues its five-game homestand Saturday when the enigmatic New York Rangers come to town.
Bonus Game Fact
The teams scored in all sorts of different manpower configurations. Seattle’s goals were scored 5-on-4, 4-on-4, and 6-on-5. Montreal got two goals 5-on-4, with one each at 5-on-5
and 3-on-3.
