SEATTLE — Another multi-goal comeback in the third period. Another glimpse of what the young core for the Kraken could be in the future. Trimming into the playoff deficit.
Not too bad for a game Seattle ended up losing.
The Kraken rallied from a 4-2 deficit to force overtime before falling 5-4 to the Detroit Red Wings in a shootout on Tuesday night. It was a scrappy effort by the Kraken that was a far better performance than what they showed last month in Detroit when they trailed 4-0 after one period on their way to a 6-2 loss.
“Really proud of our compete there and to come back and score two in the third and force extra time, get the extra point shows a lot about our character as a team,” center Shane Wright said. “Obviously, not the great end result, but yeah, really proud of how we fought there in the third.”
The Kraken pulled within 4-3 on Wright’s second goal of the game with 9:50 remaining, the second two-goal game of the season for Seattle’s 21-year-old center. Chandler Stephenson ensured the Kraken would get at least one point out of the effort when he beat Detroit goalie Cam Talbott five-hole with 2:56 left to pull Seattle even at 4-4.
In overtime Brandon Montour had a terrific chance halfway through the five-minute session saved by Talbott, but both Talbott and Seattle’s Joey Daccord turned away every chance during the frantic extra period.
In the shootout, Matty Beniers and Wright missed the first two attempts for Seattle and Patrick Kane scored for Detroit. Kaapo Kakko had a chance to extend the shootout but couldn’t get a clean shot off. Kane’s shootout goal was the 53rd in his career, the most in league history.
Daccord made 36 saves in regulation and overtime, including some big stops in the third period and overtime.
Detroit won its seventh straight game and continued to thrive under coach Todd McLellan since he was hired on Dec. 26. McLellan was a candidate for the Seattle job last offseason that went to Dan Bylsma and the Red Wings are now 15-3-1 since McLellan arrived.
Seattle did get a point by forcing overtime, but the second straight loss kept the Kraken nine points behind in the wild-card race. With only two games left before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Kraken continue to inch closer to being trade deadline sellers following the two-week layoff.
“Some unfortunate pucks, some unfortunate plays really got us back on our heels early on in that game and they got to the power play where we knew we had to keep them off of and they cashed in on their opportunities and that really got us behind the eight ball in the game,” Bylsma said. “We answered back a couple of times, but they seemed to answer with a power-play goal and kept us fighting back in the game.”
Detroit did most of its damage against Seattle on the power play, which had to be a frustration considering it was a point of emphasis the Kraken spoke about following morning skate.
Detroit entered the game with the fourth-best power-play unit in the league.
The Red Wings needed only a few seconds to show the potency of their power play. Moritz Seider scored four seconds into a power play late in the first period after Stephenson was sent off for tripping and gave Detroit a 2-1 lead.
After the Kraken pulled even in the second period, Jonatan Berggren scored off a faceoff win on another man advantage for the Red Wings and gave Detroit a 3-2 lead going into the third period.
The Red Wings took a 4-2 lead on Elmer Soderblom’s goal 3:21 into the third period that came only moments after another Detroit power play concluded. Wright, who was called for tripping, was only a couple strides out of the penalty box when Soderblom scored.
“I thought it was back and forth. I thought we had a good amount of chances five-on-five but give them credit, they did a good job of getting their looks, too, five-on-five. Joey made some great saves,” Beniers said. “I thought it was back and forth, and we just can’t give them that many power plays. Can’t give any team that many power plays.”
Wright’s two-goal game was part of Seattle’s core pieces for the future showing up. Stephenson seems part of the Kraken future signed for the long-term and his tying goal was his 10th of the season.
And Seattle’s first goal came from Beniers off a terrific pass by Kakko, who continues to thrive since being acquired from the Rangers. Kakko has 17 points in 22 games with the Kraken.
“He’s a fun guy to play with. He sees it well, holds on to pucks, makes great plays,” Beniers said.
In the bigger picture for the Kraken, having a game where their two young centers stand out as stars is another incremental step forward as the rest of this season inches closer to be about development for the future.
“They’re a big part of our team. To see Matty and the way he’s grown in the last 20 games and to see Shane keep stepping forward and being on the scoresheet repeatedly and getting big goals, power-play goal a couple of games ago, and tonight both those goals are huge for us in the game and they’re coming from our young guys. It’s good,” Bylsma said.
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