Kraken Exhilarate NHL Twitter with 5-Goal Period in Blowout Game 3 Win over Stars
May 8, 2023
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 7:Matty Beniers #10 of the Seattle Kraken skates on the ice during the first period against the Dallas Stars in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on May 7, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)
It was the most dominant 20 minutes of hockey thus far in these Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Seattle Kraken poured in five goals in the second period en route to a 7-2 win over the Dallas Stars at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Sunday night to take a 2-1 series lead.
Goals from Jordan Eberle, Alex Wennberg, Carson Soucy, Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen contributed to an electric and stunning display that effectively won the game for the Kraken as they took a 5-1 lead into the final period.
But they didn't stop there as Yanni Gourde and Justin Schultz tacked on another two goals to complete the rout and put an exclamation point on one of the best playoff displays this year.
None of that would have happened, however, without the superb play from goalie Philipp Grubauer, who kept the Stars scoreless in the first period and held off an onslaught the rest of the game as the visitors tried to get back into it.
Grubauer was arguably the team's MVP as he saved 24-of-26 shots for a .923 save percentage, keeping Dallas at bay after it scored four goals in its Game 2 win.
NHL Twitter went wild after watching how strong the Kraken came out to defend their home ice.
Kraken I don’t know if you will win this series but I’m sorry I ever doubted you. Holy buzzsaw. They are a TEAM playing for each other and it’s evident.
While it's unlikely that that second-period production will be replicated by the Kraken, that type of performance could stick in the back of Dallas' mind throughout the rest of the series.
Because now it knows what Seattle is capable of if it sniffs an opportunity.
The Stars will be looking for a big bounce-back performance in Seattle to avoid falling into a dreaded 3-1 series hole.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Yanni Gourde Thrills Fans with OT Winner to Power Kraken Past Stars in Game 1
May 3, 2023
The Seattle Kraken celebrate after Yanni Gourde scored in overtime of Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, in Dallas. The Kraken won 5-4. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Yanni Gourde crashed Joe Pavelski's "welcome back" party.
The Seattle Kraken center scored the overtime winner in Game 1 of the Western Conference second-round series against the Dallas Stars, spoiling Pavelski's four-goal outburst.
Five different Kraken players scored on Tuesday night, with Jaden Schwartz, Justin Schultz, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle joining Gourde. Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves on 35 attempts.
The Kraken came out firing, putting up four goals in the first period alone before the Stars staged a comeback and forced overtime.
Joe Pavelski is the oldest player with a 4-goal game in Stanley Cup Playoff history.
The previous oldest was Maurice "Rocket" Richard when he was 35 years, 245 days old for the Canadiens in Game 1 of the 1957 Stanley Cup Final vs the Bruins. pic.twitter.com/uxUUxsB8GH
Considering Pavelski had missed the team's previous five games with a concussion suffered in Game 1 of the first round against the Minnesota Wild, it was an impressive return to action.
And the Stars needed every last one of his goals to stay in the game.
2019: Pavelski was injured vs Vegas. Returned 15 days later with 1 goal and 1 assist in Game 7 vs Colorado. 2023: injured vs Minnesota. Returns 15 days later with 4 goals (and counting?) vs Seattle. The sequel even better than the original.
It was a wild ride of a night for Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, meanwhile. He looked poised to potentially be benched after the first period but was brilliant the rest of the way, ultimately saving 39 attempts.
It was the five he didn't stop that cost his team Game 1, cost Pavelski central billing and at least temporarily cost his team home-ice advantage.
Game 2 will take place in Dallas on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
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How the Seattle Kraken Have Followed Vegas' Blueprint to Expansion Success
Jan 19, 2023
TORONTO, CANADA - JANUARY 05: Jared McCann #19 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates a goal with his teammate against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Scotiabank Arena on January 05, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Michael Chisholm/NHLI via Getty Images)
As the Seattle Kraken approached the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, a near-unanimous narrative formed: This was not going to look anything like the Vegas Golden Knights' induction into the league.
The 2018 Golden Knights marked the first instance of NHL expansion since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild became franchises No. 29 and 30 in 2000. That's an entire era of hockey in which the game changed in a number of ways.
This was unprecedented territory for NHL general managers. There was no blueprint to follow. Most decisions made would come with externalities that were tough to anticipate. It's not a surprise that Vegas benefitted from a number of mistakes made by others. Vegas not only built a team superior to past expansion teams, but they managed to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup final in their first season.
Seattle would not benefit in the same way. Four years later, teams had knowledge of what to do and, really, what not to do. Don't overpay to protect certain players, and trust the expansion team would hesitate to select players with big contracts.
Kraken GM Ron Francis did not hold back in tempering expectations for Seattle out of the gate.
"Vegas did a good job taking advantage of the rules and sort of everyone's lack of experience in that environment. Last time where GMs were more willing to, in a sense, overpay to protect certain assets, this time they learned from that and they weren't willing to make the mistakes that they made last time," he told reporters.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 23: Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis poses for a headshot before the 2021 National Hockey League Draft on July 23, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Kraken finished with the third-worst record in the league in their inaugural campaign. Now in their second season, Seattle has found its bearings. The Dave Hakstol-led team sits fourth in the Western Conference by points percentage and just two points behind Vegas (with one game in hand) for first place in the Pacific Division.
Francis had to take a more meandering path than Vegas did, but the Kraken's introduction to the NHL suddenly does not look so different.
The Sum is Greater Than its Parts
During Vegas' inaugural season, leading scorer William Karlsson finished tied for 23rd among NHL forwards with 78 points. He was nobody's idea of an NHL superstar. Fifteen of the other 30 NHL teams had at least one forward who finished with equal or better production. Yet the Golden Knights scored the fifth-most goals in the NHL. Jonathan Marchessault (T-29th), David Perron (T-44th), Reilly Smith (T-66th), and Erik Haula (T-78th) trailed behind Karlsson. Vegas were one of only four teams with five forwards among the NHL's top 90 by points.
Seattle are also compensating for a lack of high-end talent with across-the-board contributions. André Burakovsky leads the team with 37 points in 44 games; he ranks joint-65th among NHL forwards by points. But the Kraken are the only team in the NHL with 10 forwards with 20-plus points this season; Boston and Calgary are next in line with eight.
The sum result? The Kraken rank fourth in the entire NHL in goals scored and first at even strength. Defensemen Vince Dunn (more on him later) and Justin Schultz have contributed significantly to the cause as well, but Seattle's strength at forward lies within its immense depth rather than one or two All-Star talents.
Frugal Finds
The biggest explanation for how Vegas found success so early is that other teams self-sabotaged and threw talent at general manager George McPhee's feet. Marchessault, Smith, Karlsson and Shea Theodore are among the players other GMs inexplicably gift-wrapped.
Seattle was never going to benefit equally. Teams were better prepared this time around, albeit Francis was able to bring in quality players such as Jordan Eberle (NYI), Yanni Gourde (TBL) and Carson Soucy (MIN).
But Francis did come away with some steals, too. The St. Louis Blues boxed themselves in with no-trade clauses afforded to defensemen Torey Krug and Justin Faulk, so they had to expose Dunn, who is now producing at a 16-goal, 62-point pace at 26 years old. It was a massive blunder by the Blues.
Elsewhere, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall chose to protect winger Kasperi Kapanen and moved Jared McCann to Toronto. Toronto then left McCann exposed in order to protect Alex Kerfoot. In Toronto's case, it's a more defendable decision. For Pittsburgh, not so much. McCann scored 27 goals last season and leads Seattle again with 22 and is on a 44-goal pace. Kapanen, meanwhile, is frequently a subject of trade speculation due to poor play.
These frugal finds are not limited to the expansion draft. The Columbus Blue Jackets were thrilled to land Johnny Gaudreau in free agency, but it caused a salary-cap crunch that forced them to trade quality two-way winger Oliver Bjorkstrand for third- and fourth-round draft picks.
The Washington Capitals tossed Daniel Sprong to Seattle as a warm body in the 2022 deadline move that sent depth winger Marcus Johansson to Washington. Sprong, 25, has always been a high-end offensive talent but could never find consistency. With his fourth NHL team, the Dutch winger is finally figuring it out. Despite playing limited minutes, Sprong is third on the team with 15 goals and has 13 assists.
The most recent example of Seattle's analytics department succeeding is with the acquisition of Eeli Tolvanen. The 23-year-old was drafted in the first round by Nashville in 2017 and then set the KHL ablaze, but it did not translate into success with Nashville. Tolvanen's value is mainly derived from his elite shot. Yet he tallied just 23 over 122 regular season games for Nashville while he yo-yo'd up and down the lineup. Having finally given up on him, Nashville placed him on waivers on December 11. The Kraken scooped him up, and the Finnish winger sits with five goals and two assists already through 10 games in Seattle.
What is Next?
Making the playoffs is the primary goal in Seattle. Following that, if the team wants to truly mimic Vegas' early ascent to contention, then reinforcements will be mandatory. As good as Seattle has been, they are the beneficiaries of the Hockey Gods siding with them through the first half of the season. Per Evolving Hockey, the Kraken are 19th in the NHL by expected-goals percentage; based on the shot quantity and quality within their games, Seattle would be expected to have both 136 goals for and against. The league's best shooting percentage (12.3) is thrusting them to the top of the standings. Will that last? Not with the status quo.
So Francis must tap into the final aspect of his build that has lined up with Vegas'; draft pick excess. As part of all of the expansion-draft deals, Vegas gained a ton of draft picks. Seattle didn't have the same luck, but they have accumulated their own arsenal in a different way. With the playoffs out of sight thanks in part to the underwhelming expansion draft, Francis traded six players at the 2022 deadline, most prominently Mark Giordano. For his efforts, he hauled in 10 draft picks.
Aside from all of their natural draft picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts, Seattle is approaching the trading deadline with an additional two second-round picks, plus added selections in Rounds 3, 4, 6 and 7. Cap Friendly currently estimates that the Kraken will have roughly $3.6 million in cap space with which to work at the deadline. The logical dumping of pending UFA Joonas Donskoi's $3.9 million cap hit would open up more. Simply put, Seattle should, and will, generate significant buzz. Multiple trades to reinforce the ranks seem inevitable.
Maybe the most important outcome of the Golden Knights' introduction to the NHL was a long-term product. Vegas has made it to the semifinals (or better) in three of its five seasons and looks to be a playoff contender yet again.
Seattle may not have captured lightning in a bottle initially, but the organization appears on course for a similar long-term trajectory.
Kraken vs. Golden Knights Announced for 2024 NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park
Jan 2, 2023
WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 17: A general view of the logo and inaugural season patch on the jersey of the Seattle Kraken prior to NHL action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre on February 17, 2022 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This marks the first game Seattle has played in Winnipeg. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken are the NHL's youngest franchise, but they are set to host one of the league's marquee events next season.
The NHL announced Monday the Kraken will welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to Seattle for the 2024 Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park.
The Kraken are in their second season as a franchise and have never hosted an outdoor game before. The Golden Knights, who are the league's second-newest franchise after being founded in 2017, played an outdoor game during the 2020-21 season at Lake Tahoe against the Colorado Avalanche.
"We're pretty excited," Kraken CEO Tod Lewieke said in a statement. "I think in some regards these things we hoped would happen, these are the things we dreamed would happen. But it's a great honor that in our third season, we're going to host, really, an international event."
Per ESPN's Ryan S. Clark, the NHL had discussed playing an outdoor game in Seattle for "some time," but the venue was a point of debate. Clark noted that the "longstanding belief" was the league was deciding between T-Mobile Park, Husky Stadium at the University of Washington and Lumen Field, which is home to the Seattle Seahawks.
T-Mobile Park, the Seattle Mariners' home, will be the latest MLB park to host an outdoor game, joining Fenway Park, Busch Stadium, Citi Field, Coors Field, Citizens Bank Park, Dodger Stadium, Nationals Park, Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium.
The Kraken wasted little time volunteering themselves as a viable host to a notable NHL event. In September, team COO Victor de Bonis told ESPN that the Kraken informed the league of their interest to host an outdoor game, the NHL All-Star Game and/or the NHL draft.
"We've always expressed interest in doing these events as we start a new franchise and build our fan base here," de Bonis said at the time.
This year's Winter Classic is being played between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins at Fenway.
NHL Style Rankings: Strong Suit Games Across the Board with a New No. 1
Sara Civian
Nov 30, 2022
TJ Oshie is stylish, but is he No. 1 in our rankings?
I try to keep the NHL style rankings simple. It's the 10 best game-arrival outfits, every other Wednesday. No need to complicate it any further.
But if our Style Lord and Savior Patrik Laine has taught us anything over the years, it's that sometimes you need to break the rules. And too many fun fashion things happened in the NHL over the past two weeks for me not to include some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention: Nikita Malkin
PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 23: Evgeni Malkin #71and family pose with a stick honoring his 1000th NHL game Kris Letang #58 and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the game against the Calgary Flames at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 23, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
Evgeni Malkin's son, Nikita, showed up to his dad's 1000th game dressed to the absolute nines.
Better yet? The Malkins had this suit custom-made by Gentleman's Playbook.
Custom made 3Piece suit for the little guy by yours truly 🔥
If you're unfamiliar with Gentleman's Playbook, self-taught tailor Tom Marchitelli creates luxury custom suits for professional athletes across sports, including several NHL players that routinely make this list. His Instagram is a must-follow for anyone who cares about these rankings.
I'm currently losing my mind picturing the creation of the little teeny vest for Nikita.
Honorable Mention: JT Brown
My colleagues often joke that we should do a media version of the style rankings. At least I hope they're all joking because former NHLer and current Kraken broadcaster J.T. Brown would (literally) take the rest of us to the cleaners every single time.
He's had banger after banger since his broadcast career began, and much like his on-air performance, it's only getting better. I highly recommend following noted Ph.D. owner and former goalie Lexi, who also happens to be J.T.'s wife, for more J.T. fits.
Speaking of the Kraken, Gourde makes his season debut with a hat and an outfit that finally matches. Don't get me wrong; I love Gourde's dedication to the nautical theme in Seattle—and I'm OK with the fact that he likes his hats—but I'm relieved to see it finally all come together in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Caufield has had a few good looks this season, but it's a tough crowd over here. He finally broke through for the first time this season at the No. 9 spot with this pinstripe number. I'm a huge fan of the coffee-inspired color scheme, the absence of the three-piece suit here and the pocket square.
As always, the smile also goes a long way.
8. Nikita Zadorov Previously: Unranked
Highest ranking of the season: No. 5
We are here once again to remind you Big Z does not miss.
Zadorov was right when he said he and I have different tastes. I gravitate towards streetwear, and he is almost singlehandedly keeping the double-breasted suit industry afloat. It's admittedly not my favorite look, but I admire his dedication, and I can appreciate his fits in the objective grand scheme.
OK, folks. Let's bring it in and do a collective exhale: Pastrnak's style is rounding into midseason form. I had to knock some points off because we've seen this black-and-white fit before, but it's so good that it'll make the rankings every time.
And honestly, when I saw the Florida Fits post with Pastrnak and fellow rankings regular Linus Ullmark, Ullmark almost took the cake. Ultimately, Pastrnak's array of fits, including the topical World Cup support and salmon, no-tie look en route to the Sunshine State, won me over.
This outfit is like a solar eclipse. I can't look directly at it for too long, but out of the corner of my eye, it truly feels like something beautiful.
You know those Twitter accounts that are like, "Pictures that precede unfortunate events?"
How about "Outfits that precede fortunate events"?
Oshie's return has been huge for a struggling Caps team, and that's obviously the main priority for Washington. But it doesn't hurt that he's looking good doing it, and I can't think of a better complement to this joufit-y three-piece than some finger guns.
Miller's rercent consistency lands him the No. 4 spot. Notice how there's still some variety in his looks, though; you've got the strictly indigo vibe, the plaid with the fun, silver tie, and my personal favorite with the velvet three-piece.
I'm starting to think that Miller can do no wrong.
This is the kind of look I've been waiting to see from Pettersson this season. I specifically want to point out the socks; they're a perfect example of a small thing going a long way to elevate the entire cohesiveness of the look. Love the detailing in the front of the suit jacket subtly matching the socks and part of the shoe. Also glad that his hair is growing back.
Nylander's got one of the best sneaker games in the NHL these days, and I'm eternally grateful that the Maple Leafs are putting it on display this season.
I was discussing the art of the sneaker/suit combination with Hurricanes color commentator Tripp Tracy in the Bruins press box over the weekend. He was rocking some brown Givenchy platforms that matched his suit perfectly.
Apparently, some of the Canes players were chirping Tracy's sneakers, and I think that's rich if it was coming from Andrei Svechnikov, who thinks he can get away with wearing the same white sneakers every single day.
Svechnikov is one of my favorite people I've ever had the opportunity to cover, so he knows I say this with love. But Svechnikov, you signed the biggest deal in your franchise's history. It's time to consider purchasing one more pair of sneakers.
Anyways, Nylander is fantastic with turning sneakers into a central piece of an outfit. We saw it a few weeks ago with the mint green suit and the dark green Nike high tops. We're seeing it twice here, with the shades of blue and then the pink and brown combo.
Look, not every outfit has to do something revolutionary to hit the No. 1 spot. The whole Lightning team is particularly masterful when it comes to the more classic GQcore, with Steven Stamkos and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare to name a few.
Bogosian's suit here has flown under the radar, but it deserves recognition. The material itself screams thick and rich. I love when a three-piece suit looks a bit more modern, and the pattern achieves that. The warm tones are perfect for Thanksgiving.
Seattle Kraken Unveil Mascot 'Buoy,' Drawing Inspiration from Fremont Troll
Oct 2, 2022
MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 12: View of a Seattle Kraken logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the Seattle Kraken versus the Montreal Canadiens game on March 12, 2022 at Centre Bell in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken finally have a mascot.
The NHL's 32nd franchise, which began play with its inaugural season during the 2021-22 campaign, announced Saturday that its mascot draws inspiration from the Fremont Troll, and its name is Buoy.
Seattle unveiled Buoy by having having him rappel from the rafters at Climate Pledge Arena before a preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Hundreds of names and ideas were submitted for the Kraken's new mascot, but the iconic Fremont Troll sculpture located on N. 36th St. in Seattle is what inspired Buoy's creation.
The Kraken did not want to use an octopus for their mascot because the Detroit Red Wings already use an octopus as their mascot. They also didn't want to use a Kraken, because no one actually knows what a Kraken looks like.
Kraken vice president of entertainment experience and production Lamont Buford said, per ESPN's Ryan S. Clark:
"We looked at all the characters in this area, and we wanted to make sure that what we brought was going to be unique. We didn't want to be like anybody else. When you look at a lot of mascots in sports, you can tell which mascots that were generated from looking at another mascot. We wanted to make sure we avoided that."
So, the next time you're at Climate Pledge Arena, be sure to be on the lookout for Buoy.
