Kraken Storm Hurricanes Early, Suffocate Them Often

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Kraken forward Yanni Gourde left little doubt after coming up with the game-winning goal in this one that his team had put in full value for its two points.

Not only was this 4-2 victory Tuesday night their first ever over the Carolina Hurricanes on the road, but it saw the Kraken hold one of the league’s most potent offenses to a 16-shot output that was their lowest in the six-plus-season tenure of head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Gourde struck for his winner midway through the third period on a loose puck in the slot, just 46 seconds after the Hurricanes had their own go-ahead marker nullified by a goaltender interference call.

“Tonight, we saw that level of play we can get to and the consistency of our game,” Gourde said after the Kraken snapped a three-game losing streak in kicking off a tough four-city East Coast road trip. “There’s still lots of room to grow, but at least the effort was there. The willingness to win a battle.”

Brandon Tanev sealed the victory with five minutes to go, skating in alone and putting a deke move on Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov.

But the night effectively started and finished with a new line that saw Gourde move to right wing, Matt Beniers slot in at center and Jaden Schwartz assume the left wing spot. Schwartz would set the game’s tone with an opening goal just 19 seconds in, taking a lead pass from Gourde, going in alone and beating Kochetkov with the first shot of the night.

It was the third fastest goal in Kraken history, with Alex Wennberg getting one in 14 seconds and Jordan Eberle in 15 seconds in seasons prior. But more importantly, it signaled the Kraken meant business after some poor efforts the three prior games in consecutive losses to the lowly San Jose Sharks and another to the Anaheim Ducks.

“We were very, very disappointed in the last three games and we had to look at ourselves in the mirror a little bit,” Gourde said. “And that’s what we did.”

Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma did more than look at a mirror. He watched video of the three-game horror show and started switching up personnel to begin a critical trip and seven-game stretch that sees his team facing some of the NHL’s finest.

Bylsma knew he had little margin for error with his team trying to avoid sliding too far back of contending teams. So, he benched winger Andre Burakovsky as a healthy scratch for the first time all season and switched up his lines, hoping to jumpstart centerman Beniers a little bit by sticking him between two veteran wingers.

Berniers would make a nice play on a loose puck in his own end and get it to Gourde ahead of his springing Schwartz for the opening goal. The assist on the play was only the second point for Beniers in his last nine games.

“We’ve got to play a lot harder as a team,” Beniers had said heading into the contest. “We’ve just gotten away from what makes us good and have success. We’ve gotten away from it, so we’ve just got to get back to that and you know, simplify. Be hard and do the little things right. And that’s important.”

The Kraken weren’t perfect in this game. An own-zone giveaway by Shane Wright led to a tying first period goal by Eric Robinson in close on Joey Daccord.

But Wright would atone for it somewhat in the next period, stealing a loose puck in the neutral zone and sending Vince Dunn in on a rush with Oliver Bjorkstrand. Dunn passed to Bjorkstrand, whose initial shot was stopped. But Eeli Tolvanen was right there to pounce on the rebound for a go-ahead goal.

The Kraken held Carolina without a shot the final 9:35 of the second period and to just two the entire frame. The Hurricanes had just seven shots total the first two periods and were outshot 29-16 overall.

And though the Hurricanes tied it in the third and nearly went ahead on the overturned marker, the Kraken never stopped coming. Dunn said the overturned goal was obviously a big lift, but his team was already in the right mindset.

“I think even just when they did score those other two, I thought we responded the right way and that’s something that’s very important for us. It’s important for us to stay positive when things don’t go our way.”

Dunn had gone over to console Wright after his giveaway on Carolina’s first goal. He was glad Wright responded the way he did in getting him the puck off the turnover ahead of Tolvanen’s marker.

“I just said ‘Forget about it, go get one’,” Dunn said. “And that’s exactly what he did. Those are the kinds of teammates you need.”

Bylsma felt it was “probably our best 60 (minutes) of the year” starting with the “massive” opening goal and carrying all the way through.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Bylsma said. “But just the battle and compete was there all game long. Giving that team 16 shots in a game…that’s not something that happens very often.”

And for Gourde, who helped start and finish this one off, he’d like to see it happen far more often. In fact, he’s been clamoring for three-plus years about how the Kraken need to play this way for 60 solid minutes night-in and night out.

And after the three prior games in which they didn’t come close, they certainly got the message in this one. Gourde’s postgame smile indicated as much.

“Like I said, the consistency of our game was the key.”