Kraken rout Sabres in 5-1 dominating win to open homestand
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – Coming off of a frustrating loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, the Seattle Kraken came out and handled business in game one of their three game homestand. After jumping to a two-goal lead, Seattle made sure that they wouldn’t blow this one, pouring on an additional three to defeat a hot Buffalo Sabres team that never got into a rhythm. A complete team effort over an entire 60 minutes, performances like this give a glimpse into the potential of the Kraken, if only they could display this consistently.
Defensemen Jamie Oleksiak scored the first goal of the night for Seattle (Photo by Birdzeyeviewvisuals)
The fourth line shoulders the load
The line that put out the most offensive contribution in this game against the fast-paced Sabres was not the top line, nor the two after that. The fourth and final Kraken forward line poured in a total of six points and showed off their talent all night long, carrying the load. Two of the players on the line tallied two assists each (Daniel Sprong and Brandon Tanev) and two of them tallied a goal each (Morgan Geekie and Sprong), outscoring Buffalo on their own. Production such as tonight’s, especially from players such as Geekie and Sprong who are playing for their roster spot, is a great display of the team's depth. Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol reflected on the fourth lines performance.
“They had a good night, they got us off to a good start... they did a good job. That group was able to contribute for us offensively and that’s important for our group to have that depth of scoring,” Hakstol remarked.
Forward Daniel Sprong fakes out Buffalo goaltender Eric Comrie (Photo by Birdzeyeviewvisuals)
Specialty teams get back on track
The Kraken special teams have been like both ends of a battery: one negative, one positive. The Seattle power play ranks near the top of the league despite going quiet in the loss to the Blackhawks on Sunday. The Kraken penalty kill ranks nearly dead last in the NHL. Tonight, the penalty kill eliminated five power plays for the Sabres, and the Kraken tallied two power plays. Early into this young 2022-2023 season, the Kraken power play has seen a near 360-degree change from its inaugural season self. If that isn’t just a mirage, with an improved penalty kill, Seattle may push for a playoff berth sooner rather than later. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol reflected on the specialty teams play in tonight’s contest.
“The power play has been good all year. We went out tonight, generated, and did a pretty good job. It’s not just about producing offense and scoring goals, it’s about the timeliness of it. Jared McCann’s at the end of the second period is a well-timed goal... In terms of the PK, it’s everybody doing their part. It was a skilled power play we were playing against tonight, but we were able to get our pressure and get our clears when we needed it,” Hakstol stated.
Kraken forward Jared McCann slams home a power play goal (Photo by Birdzeyeviewvisuals)
Defense remains steady for all three periods
A big point of emphasis for Seattle this season, dating back to last season, has been the poor defensive play that has a multitude of failing aspects. Tonight, outside of a single turnover that resulted in the lone Buffalo goal, the Kraken defensive units did their job. Similar to the specialty times play, if Seattle can get these sorts of performances from their defensemen on a consistent basis, the Kraken will be able to hold on to their current playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Seattle’s Adam Larsson slams a Sabres player against the board (Photo by Birdzeyeviewvisuals)
Quick notes
With Jamie Oleksiak’s first-period goal, the Kraken have joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as the only teams in the league this season to have five different defensemen score a goal.
Daniel Sprong recorded his first goal and point of the season with his goal in the second period. With his assist, Sprong notched his first three-point game since 2018.
With his two assists, tonight marks Brandon Tanev's first multi-point game this season
Matty Beniers' third goal of the season brings him to six points this year, tying for leading rookie scorer with two others: Calen Addison (MIN) and Kent Johnson (CBJ).
With 16 shots allowed, tonight marked the Kraken's second-fewest shots against in franchise history, trailing only the 14 shots against on April 18, 2022 vs. Ottawa.
Kraken forward Matty Beniers slammed home a power play goal, continuing his rookie of the year campaign (Photo by Birdzeyeviewvisuals)
What’s next?
The Kraken play the second of a three game homestand on Thursday, October 27th when they welcome the Vancouver Canucks to town. Vancouver has struggled mightily to begin the year, blowing multi-goal leads and having fans throw their jerseys on the ice in reaction to the teams play. Puck drop between the Pacific Division rivals is at 7PM PST inside of Climate Pledge Arena.