The Seattle Kraken (5-3-1) were enjoying the loveliest of road trips, until they entered the Sunshine State. Seattle got mauled 8-3 by the Florida Panthers Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena, a sour conclusion to a five game, 11 day outing.
Carter Verhaeghe did the most damage for Florida, producing a hat trick before the game was half over. Sam Bennett added a hat trick of his own. Both Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, contributed to the carnage with a combined five assists. Joey Daccord was thrown to the wolves, er, Panthers, allowing all eight goals on 38 shots.
The rout in Sunrise, Fla. followed an overtime loss Thursday in Tampa. The Kraken still collected seven of a possible 10 points on the trip (3-1-1). Seattle’s Freddy Gaudreau, who had seven goals all last season, scored his 5th in nine games this year. Shane Wright and Ryker Evans had the other Kraken goals.
1st Period Goals
1-0 Florida: Just over a minute into the game, Sam Bennett bats a crossbar-high puck behind Daccord.
1-1 Tie: A give-and-go thing of beauty. Wright tips a puck out of the air to Berkly Catton, then heads to the net. Catton somehow finds him from the near boards with a perfect centering pass that Wright converts.
2-1 Florida: The Panthers went dry in the mid-1st period, nine minutes between shots. Then Sam Reinhart provided the oasis. While prone on the ice with two Kraken standing over him, Reinhart still swings a pass to an open Verhaeghe, who blasts home the lead goal.
3-1 Florida: With Ryker Evans already in the box and a delayed second Kraken penalty upcoming to Adam Larsson, Verhaeghe doubles the lead from the bottom of the left circle.
2nd Period Goals
4-1 Florida: Verhaeghe completes a natural hat trick (three straight goals with no other player on either team scoring in-between) by cleaning up the remains of Niko Mikkola’s wrap-around attempt.
NHL history: Brady Tkachuk scored natural hat tricks in each of the Panthers’ last two games, meaning Florida is the first franchise in league history with natural hatties in three consecutive games.
5-1 Florida: 40 seconds later, Mikkola concludes unstoppable Florida pressure by getting a goal of his own.
6-1 Florida: Bennett’s second goal of the game completes a 2-on-1 with Brady Tkachuk.
6-2 Florida: A pass Gaudreau couldn’t complete turns into his 5th goal. Attempting to slide the puck to Ben Meyers, it instead banks in off of Dmitry Kulikov.
3rd Period Goals
7-2 Florida: Reinhart adds the extra point, as the Kraken have been folded, spindled and mutilated.
7-3 Florida: Defenseman Evans slams a rolling puck from long range for his 1st of the season.
8-3 Florida: Correction, Florida went for the two-point conversion. Bennett hadn’t scored at all this season until tonight, when he’s scored three.
Kraken Notables
Although Florida boasts a galaxy of stars, they were without injured Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand.
The Kraken were missing two veteran defensemen, Brandon Montour and Ryan Lindgren. For the first time this season, Josh Mahura, Cale Fleury and Ville Ottavainen all dressed for the same game.
Late in the 2nd period, after a delayed penalty was called on Florida, the Kraken controlled the puck for 1:38 before Jared McCann’s bullet was swallowed by goalie Jacob Markstrom.
How you know it’s not your night #1: in the 3rd period, Joey Daccord, all by his lonesome, drifted behind his net to play the puck. The normally sure-footed goalie tripped and landed full snow angel on his back.
How you know it’s not your night #2: Jordan Eberle and Chandler Stephenson were both minus-5, Bobby McMann minus-4.
By The Numbers:
Goals by period: Florida 3-3-2 (8); Seattle 1-1-1 (3)
Shots by period: Florida 14-12-12 (38); Seattle 9-5-9 (23)
Power Plays: Florida 2-3; Seattle 0-4
Next up: If they still remember where Climate Pledge Arena is, the Kraken will host the Detroit Red Wings there at 6:40 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
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