If Seattle Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer got paid by the save Friday in Detroit, he’d have enough to take his entire team out to dinner. Although, truth be told, it’s the team that would owe him a meal.
Grubauer made six saves in the first two minutes of the 2nd period alone, at which point the Red Wings shot total was up to 22. Then the Kraken paid back their goalie, not with vittles, but with three goals in 3:05 and four total in the middle frame.
Freddy Gaudreau potted two of those, as Seattle departed Little Caesar’s Arena with a 6-3 victory.
Ben Meyers has a three-point night on a goal and two assists, all in the 2nd period. Vince Dunn, Mackie Samoskevich and Berkly Catton scored the other Kraken goals. Eleven different players recorded at least a point.
Grubauer finished a sparkling evening with 38 stops.
1st Period Goals
1-0 Detroit: Viktor Arvidsson continues Seattle’s PK woes, pushing a puck that leaked through Grubauer over the goal line.
1-1 Tie: Catton’s backhand finishes a sublime one-touch Kaapo Kakko pass. Catton later added an assist.
2nd Period Goals
2-1 Detroit: William Wallinder’s 60-foot wrister becomes his first NHL goal. Grubauer got unlucky, as Matty Beniers deflected the shot en route.
2-2 Tie: The Kraken score on their 7th shot. Gaudreau in close converts a Ryan Winterton pass from the corner 39 seconds after Wallinder’s goal. Winterton had two helpers.
3-2 Seattle: The Kraken score on their 8th shot. From the lip of the crease, Samoskevich putts home a pretty Jared McCann feed.
4-2 Seattle: The Kraken score on their 9th shot. Gaudreau’s second of the period is a right circle snipe for his 7th career multi-goal game.
5-2 Seattle: Just sprung from the penalty box, Ben Meyers calls his own number on a 2-on-1 with Shane Wright. Seattle has five goals on 14 shots, and Detroit goalie John Gibson’s night is over at 14:05.
3rd Period Goals
6-2 Seattle: On a Kraken 5-on-3 power play, Dunn wires a shot inside the right post past replacement Detroit goalie Daniil Tarasov.
6-3 Seattle: During a frantic scramble, Kakko rescues the puck from the goal line, but accidentally deflects the puck off Mahura. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård gets credit for his first NHL goal.
Kraken Notables
Maybe the Kraken just like playing teams with all-red uniforms. They’re 3-0-0 against Detroit and Calgary, 0-2-0 against Edmonton and Vegas.
With Ryan Lindgren on I.R., both Ville Ottavainen and Josh Mahura dressed. Mahura contributed an assist; Ottavainen had three blocks and finished +2.
More Seattle defense: Dunn scored for the second time this season. Ryker Evans recorded +3. Brandon Montour had two assists. Adam Larsson stayed busy with two shots, two hits, and four blocks.
By The Numbers
Goals by period: Detroit 1-1-1 (3); Seattle 1-4-1 (6)
Shots by period: Detroit 16-13-12 (41); Seattle 5-12-8 (25)
Power Plays: Detroit 1-3; Seattle 1-3
Next up: The Kraken head to the Nation’s Capital for a Sunday afternoon tilt with Alexander Ovechkin & Co.; puck drop at 2 pm Pacific.
Earlier Seattle:
— Kraken Strategy To Win More Face-offs
Earlier Canucks:
— Hurricanes 7, Canucks 2; The Top Meets The Bottom
VIDEO POSTGAME: “Kraken Reaction” with Simmer and Glenn …
