To paraphrase the Beach Boys, “The Seattle Kraken wish they all could be Calgary Flames.” (🎵 California Girls) Unfortunately, they can’t. Tuesday at Climate Pledge Arena, the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights outclassed the Kraken, 6-2.
Seattle has won both its games this season against the Flames, and lost against Vegas and Edmonton.
If one play summed up the Kraken evening, it was defenseman Brandon Montour breaking his stick at the right point during a 2nd period power play. For double bad luck, the only other Seattle skater not in deep was Berkly Catton, who at that same moment lost his balance and fell.
As Vegas headed up ice on a shorthanded 2-on-1, that one was Montour – without a stick. It was easy pickins’ for Jack Eichel to slide a cross-ice pass to Mark Stone, who buried his shot before Kraken goalie Joey Daccord could slide post-to-post.
Daccord, who allowed five goals on 21 shots, was replaced in the 3rd period by Philipp Grubauer.
Vegas was led by four point nights from Tomas Hertl (two goals, two assists) and Eichel with a goal and three assists. Victor Olofsson scored twice, but later had to be assisted off the ice after a dangerous hit into the boards from behind by Ben Meyers.
Shane Wright broke up Carter Hart’s shutout in the 3rd period, and Jared McCann also scored for Seattle.
1st Period Goals
1-0 Vegas: Rasmus Andersson’s right point bomb gets deflected by Olofsson past Daccord. Seattle loses a coach’s challenge for goalie interference, putting Vegas on the power play, but there’s no further damage.
2-0 Vegas: The much-maligned Kraken penalty kill doesn’t escape when Brandon Montour is called for interference. Nine seconds later, Hertl converts a Stone no-look pass from in close.
2nd Period Goals
3-0 Vegas: The Stone goal means the Golden Knights have scored once each on the power play, at even strength, and shorthanded.
4-0 Vegas: Apparently, the Kraken and the puck are no longer on speaking terms. The disc keeps avoiding Seattle sticks – a ferocious Vegas forecheck also contributed – and Olofsson whistles his second of the night past Daccord.
5-0 Vegas: Eichel pickpockets Bobby McMann at the Vegas blueline. Then it’s a leisurely breakaway skate & score.
3rd Period Goals
5-1 Vegas: If there’s anything good to remember from this game, maybe it’s Wright scoring in back-to-back games – this one on a wicked snipe from the slot.
6-1 Vegas: As their 5-on-3 ends, Hertl has Grubauer scrambling helplessly.
6-2 Vegas: McCann scores his first of the season on a garbage-time power play.
Kraken Notables
One game after Detlef Schrempf and Josh Nailor showed up at CPA, Seahawks Charles Cross (L) and Jalen Milroe (R, Kraken social media image at left) entered the deep.
The well-represented contingent of Golden Knights fans shouted out “Knight” over the word “night” in the National Anthem.
One of the earliest penalties ever in a Kraken game: Marc Gatcomb called for boarding 15 seconds after puck drop. In the 2nd period, Vegas waited 17 seconds before Nic Dowd took a holding minor.
Myers will likely be facing an NHL disciplinary hearing for slamming Olofsson into the boards from behind, knocking the Golden Knight woozy in the 3rd period. Meyers drew a major boarding penalty and a game misconduct, putting Seattle two men down with 12 minutes left.
Because Meyers wasn’t available, Stone scrapped with Montour seconds later. After Ryan Winterton crushed Trevor Connelly, the teams engaged in shoving matches by the Kraken bench. Then Winterton fought Gatcomb.
By The Numbers
Goals by period: Vegas 2-3-1 (6); Seattle 0-0-2 (2)
Shots by period: Vegas 9-12-7 (28); Seattle 11-8-6 (25)
Power Plays: Vegas 2-4; Seattle 0-3
Next up: Seattle begins a five game road swing Friday in Detroit against the Red Wings; puck drop at 4 pm Pacific.
Earlier Seattle:
— Jani Nyman AHL Player of the Week
Earlier Canucks:
— Feisty Canucks Finish Strong Over Flames
VIDEO: Postgame “Kraken Reaction” …
