By Charles Hamaker

Seattle, WA – For the first time this season, the Seattle Kraken have finally been able to put together consecutive wins as they picked up two points in the first game since returning home from a brutal four-game road trip. The visiting Nashville Predators, a squad that had shutout these Kraken when they met for the first time back in October, were more than ready for this rematch as they got on the board first with a power play goal, but after that Seattle was able to settle in and start to find a groove they’ve been building since that previously mentioned road trip began. Despite a penalty ridden hockey game, being dominated statistically in the second period, and the fear of a two-goal lead, the Kraken came out on top, and their positive momentum may guide them as they look to turn a corner on their third season in franchise history.

Seattle Kraken forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jared McCann scored the first two goals of the game against the Nashville Predators. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Stay the course, for another hot start, just with a lot of penalties

From the start of this game, things were chaotic. The first period saw both teams combine for a total of five penalties, two against Seattle and two against Nashville, including a four-minute minor against Adam Larsson for high sticking in a play that saw Gustav Nyquist lose a few teeth. That penalty against Larsson resulted in the Kraken having to go briefly down to three-men, since Eeli Tolvanen was already in the box, and while the Seattle kill looked like they were going to be able to hold strong and take out both of the Predators power plays, Nashville struck first with just two seconds left on the man advantage. The Predators took advantage of two semi-open spots in the Kraken penalty kill as Colton Sissons down low drew just enough pressure from Seattle to get Tommy Novak wide open in the middle of the slot in quick fashion for score one of this game. It was a tough way to start, both the clunky timing considering the penalties and allowing a power play goal, but the Kraken remained focused on getting back into this one.

Deeper into the period, Seattle went on their second power play of the night after showing positive signs on the previous man advantage but failing to make that one count. While they had failed to get many shots on Predators netminder Juuse Saros, the Kraken were getting good puck and player movement on their power play unit and their first goal of the night came because of that. With Jared McCann and Justin Schultz manipulating the Nashville penalty kill with their movement, Schultz found Oliver Bjorkstrand as he pressed into a crowded slot. Nicknamed the Maestro for a reason, Bjorkstrand masterfully snapped a shot through traffic to beat Saros top shelf and tie this game up at a goal each. With some help from a screen by teammate Alexander Wennberg in front of Saros, Bjorkstrand’s shot thread the needle through a few Predators and got the Kraken on the board. The second Seattle goal of the night saw them take advantage of an odd-man rush, as a Yanni Gourde poke check got the Kraken going the other way with numbers. Gourde and Jared McCann only had one man to beat besides the goaltender, former Kraken teammate Jeremy Lauzon. Gourde thread a past at the right moment past McCann, who hammered a one-timer past Saros to double the Kraken lead shortly before heading into the first intermission.

The Seattle Kraken were able to beat Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros for four goals in tonight’s win. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Surviving the second frame

While the shot numbers overall for the second period look even, as Nashville owns the advantage there 14-11, the Predators tilted the ice in their favor and pressed the Kraken to the brink on a few occasions and somehow left the period with a net zero score because Seattle answered the Nashville goal. The lone goal of that period for Nashville, a second power play goal on the night as Roman Josi slammed a one-timer weak side past Grubauer as he had been left all alone in the right faceoff circle. It came late into that frame, with a little under three and a half minutes left until the second intermission, but the Predators certainly could have more than that considering just how well they had played. Nashville’s chances in this period, like in the large majority of the game itself, came on the power play as Seattle gave them the man advantage twice in this contest. The Kraken kill has been a focus of the team dating back to the first game of the road trip when it got torched against the Red Wings, and it was under more stress tonight considering how many infractions that Seattle took. The second of those penalties came against goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who was called for tripping. The tripping came on a collision with Nashville’s Liam Foudy, and left the German Gentleman shaken up for a few minutes. After gathering himself, Grubauer remained in the game and fought off some Predators shots to hold this game in favor of Seattle by a goal.

That goal had come just before the collision, as it was the Kraken on the positive end of a response goal, scoring just 24 seconds after the Predators had gotten their second power play goal of the night. Seattle defenseman Brian Dumoulin won a board battle after Nashville had taken away a puck on an attempted pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand. Dumoulin winning that battle on the boards led to Tye Kartye rimming it back around to Bjorkstrand open on the other end, where he found Dumoulin up at the blue line. The long time Pittsburgh Penguin, who had been given space alone as the Predators followed the play elsewhere, toe dragged around Nashville’s Cole Smith before snapping a shot cleanly through traffic and past Juuse Saros, who had beautifully been screened out in front by Tye Kartye. The Kraken were showing the fight that we’d grown accustomed to seeing from last year's group, and they were on the other end of a response goal, something that’s been an issue for them in their first two years as a franchise.

Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn scored the teams fourth and final goal of the night, coming in the third period, in the their win over the Nashville Predators. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Needing to close out Nashville

It wasn’t a two-goal lead yet like they’d struggled with on the road trip, but the game was somewhat stacked against Seattle going into the third period of this contest. With Grubauer banged up after the collision towards the end of the second period, Nashville dominating the second frame, it looked like the Predators were ready to pounce and push forward towards getting ahead of the Kraken. And yet, that isn’t what played out in the third and final period of this game. While there was thought that Grubauer would be unable to go for the third because of the collision, he was out of the locker room first and played the entirety of the third period, and Seattle needed him. Despite looking like he was too banged up to keep going, Grubauer was up to the task on multiple occasions as Nashville looked to equalize once again, and he was able to shut out the Predators in the final 20 minutes of the game.

With Seattle only ahead by a score, the Kraken were looking to beat Saros for a fourth time in this contest and to give themselves a two-goal lead for a fifth straight game. They’d do just that, and this time were able to hold on to that two-score advantage, on a Vince Dunn blast from just outside of the left faceoff circle. With no Seattle teammate screening out in front, Dunn’s slap shot got through two Nashville skaters and past Juuse Saros on the glove side, doubling the Kraken lead, a two-goal advantage that they’d never look back from. Grubauer and Seattle were able to ward off the Predators push, even with the sixth skater on as Nashville went with the empty net, collecting their second consecutive win.

The Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators battled through a hard fought game, but ultimately Seattle was able to pull out of this game as the victor. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo)

Turning the corner?

Seattle has been doing several things well to start the season, we’ve talked about that on end just about every single game. The main problems that the Kraken have faced have included failing to score despite some strong efforts to do so, and their power play to begin the season was simply inept. Seattle continued to push forward and have other aspects of their game (Goaltending, the penalty kill, mostly their defensive play) perform well, until there was a brief point where their offensive struggles were leaking into other aspects of their play. That road trip came around, facing four teams that could reach the playoffs this season and three that have been there for years leading into this, and the Kraken played well in every game. Well enough to win all four of them, had it not been for a few bad bounces and struggles maintaining two goal leads. It isn’t far-fetched to think that Seattle is on the cusp of being a dangerous team once again, one that blocks shots, has good goaltending, their special teams improving, and most of their core from last season's historic group intact still. There is still a lot of positive with this team, despite how they started off the season, and their recent stretch of play could be the launch pad they need to find their flow.

Quick notes

Yanni Gourde's assist on Jared McCann's goal was his 100th point as a member of the Kraken. He is the fourth player in franchise history to total 100 points with the team, joining McCann, Jordan Eberle and Vince Dunn.
After scoring tonight against the Predators and on Oct. 30 against the Lightning, Brian Dumoulin has scored in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
With a goal tonight, Oliver Bjorkstrand now has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last nine games dating back to Oct. 14 at St. Louis.
He also has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last seven games against the Predators.
Jared McCann recorded his # multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist tonight against the Predators and has scored in each of the Kraken's last three games. He now has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his last seven games played.
McCann now also has nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last eight games against Nashville.
Jaden Schwartz extended his point streak to five games with an assist tonight. It is his first five-game point streak since March 2 to 9, 2023 and his first four-game assist streak since Feb. 21 to 27, 2020.
Justin Schultz recorded his first multi-point game of the season with two assists tonight.
Tye Kartye's assist on Dumoulin's goal was the first regular-season assist of his NHL career.

What’s next?

Following the Seattle Kraken win over the Nashville Predators here at Climate Pledge Arena in the first of a two-game “homestand,” the Kraken get a day off tomorrow before they will host a Pacific Division rival, the Calgary Flames. That game takes place on Saturday, November 4th with a puck drop of 7PM PST at Climate Pledge Arena while being broadcast locally on Root Sports and nationally on ESPN+. While we’ve discussed how Seattle looks to keep things rolling and turn a corner, Calgary has struggled early on this season and have lost their past six games as they enter this game against the Kraken. That shouldn’t be taken lightly, though, as the Flames have beaten the Kraken the last two times these teams met as Seattle hasn’t won against Calgary since November of last season.

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Cover photo by Rio Giancarlo

Kraken keep Predators at bay, survive feisty battle in 4-2 victory