The Kraken dug a 4-0 hole for themselves by mid-game Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena. The deficit proved unsurmountable. The visiting New York Islanders, who lost to Seattle Feb. 2 at the new UBS Arena adjacent to Belmont Park, turned the tables with a 5-2 road victory at the Kraken’s new home.
After giving up a pair of goals in the opening 20 minutes and two more by mid-second period, the Kraken (granted, later than liked) responded with several spirited shifts and maintained offensive zone pressure to crack the scoresheet late second period.
To the Kraken’s credit, they skated furiously during the third period, scoring once and getting lots of what players and coaches like to call “good looks” in the Islanders zone. The crowd of 17,151 was appreciative and boisterously loud.
“We had five outstanding chances in the next five minutes after we made it 4-2,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We had opportunities to make it a one-goal game.”
In the final 20 minutes, you would never guess Seattle was on the verge of a five-game losing streak. A late empty-net goal by Zach Parise ended the night’s hope of a Kraken comeback.
‘Flipping the Switch’
The Kraken’s first score developed when usual winger Calle Jarnkrok took an offensive zone faceoff, winning it. Yanni Gourde, coming off the wall from the right wing, collected the puck and skated to the center slot for a quick-release high shot that Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin couldn’t cleanly handle.
Gourde, like Hakstol and his fellow players, was unhappy with how the Kraken handled the puck in the defensive zone during the four-goal slide over the first 30 minutes of the game. Gourde’s goal was “a flip of the switch,” Hakstol said.
“That’s momentum,” the Seattle coach said. “You feel the strain where you are at in your home building [behind by four goals]. To finally get one gave us a jolt of energy.”
Center Riley Sheahan said the Gourde goal “got us some momentum to string together strong shifts and get back to our forecheck.”
Goalie Dueling
The third period featured an early goal by Kraken center Sheahan, who picked up the puck off an unexpected carom off the back boards, catching Sorokin and his defenseman off-guard with a stickhandled backhand shot that cut the Islanders’ lead in half at 4-2 just two minutes into the period.
Sorokin came up big several times in the ensuing 13 minutes after the second Seattle goal. At the second intermission, NYI was leading in shots on goal by a 27-15 margin. At mid-third period, the SOG total was 28-20 in the Isles’ favor.
At the 13-minute mark, the Kraken’s penalty-kill unit was tapped for the first time tonight (with usual stalwart Joonas Donskoi not dressed, Austin Czarnik took his spot on a line with Sheahan and Ryan Donato). Before any NYI damage, a penalty on local Western Hockey League legend Mathew Barzal was called for hooking.
The resulting 4-on-4 play and a slice of Kraken power play generated a handful of scoring chances on both ends of the ice. Sorokin and Kraken counterpart Philipp Grubauer were up to the task.
Video: NYI@SEA: Gourde scores in 2nd period
First-Period Frustration
Grubauer made his best save of the opening period with a point-blank stop on Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier about nine minutes into the game. But 18 seconds later, with NYI maintaining offensive zone possession, Beauvillier moved the puck to linemate Brock Nelson for a center-slot shot and the first goal of the game.
Grubauer and his teammates appeared headed to the first-intermission locker room only down one goal despite a lopsided shots-on-goal count. Even when NYI defenseman Noah Dobson put a hard shot on net that got past Grubauer at the 17:03 mark, the referees immediately ruled goaltender interference on veteran forward Parise.
But Parise was insistent with Islanders coach Barry Trotz and his staff that he was forced into the blue-paint crease. The former Minnesota Wild star likely was equally vocal that Grubauer initiated contact and Kraken captain Mark Giordano shoved him into the crease.
Trotz, who Tuesday morning moved Parise to the NYI first line centered by Barzal, opted for the video appeal, risking a two-minute penalty if Parise was wrong. It didn’t take long for the NHL’s hockey operations “situation room” in Toronto to reverse the call.
The Kraken instead skated to the locker room down two goals. Grubauer finished the first 20 minutes with 11 saves. Seattle managed just four shots on goal. Several Kraken rushes looked promising, but Islanders defenders were getting sticks in passing lanes to deflect pucks.
For his part, Hakstol didn’t exit the bench after the first period until after he held an extended conversation with referee Kevin Pollock.
“I wanted to get an explanation [of the interference call],” Hakstol said.
Video: NYI@SEA: Sheahan sneaks one by Sorokin
Schwartz Report
Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz missed his 22nd game of the inaugural season Tuesday night. He is recovering from hand surgery and has been skating with his teammates.
When asked about Schwartz’s potential return to a lineup that could certainly use his playmaking touch, Hakstol said the alternate captain is “making progress” and the coaches and training staff will “have a better idea in the next three to four days.”
JT and Fitz Redux
At the first home game back at Climate Pledge Arena after making history as the first all-Black TV announcing pair to call an NHL game last Thursday in Winnipeg, Kraken broadcasters Everett Fitzhugh and JT Brown were the honored guests to ring the “Anchor Up” bell to signal puck drop. Brown did the honors with the Kraken’s play-by-play radio voice Fitzhugh cheering.
No matter, during the first intermission Fitzhugh was walking on the outside corridor of the press bridge. A whole group of fans noticed “Fitz,” cheering and calling his name more than a few times. Good stuff.
Barzal Enjoys Return
Barzal played in Seattle for the first time since he led the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds to the WHL title in 2017. Barzal was playoff MVP, with seven goals and 18 assists in 16 games. In four seasons as a Thunderbird, Barzal notched 63 goals and 215 assists in 202 games. Barzal delivered 17 goals and 48 assists in 49 playoff games.
“It’s cool coming back here,” Barzal said following Monday’s skate.
“Just that feeling you get when you have history in a certain spot,” Barzal said. “When we won that championship there was this euphoric feeling that I got, and we got as a team. We felt like we worked so hard for four years to accomplish that.”
Barzal assisted on Parise’s first goal Tuesday and was a force on that line along with Kyle Palmieri. Barzal finished the game with four shots, a blocked shot and a takeaway.