Kraken Rally, Fall in Overtime

When the Kraken skated off to the second intermission, they went with the knowledge that the team has struggled to win games or even gain standings points in which they trail after two periods. Monday’s matinee was a good day to reverse the trend as playoff chase rounds rev up into an intense eight-week pursuit of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference postseason.

Veteran forward Jaden Schwartz knows all about playing catch-up, winning a Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019 after the Blues had the worst record in the NHL in early January. Fittingly, Schwartz scored a well-earned goal to enable Seattle to tie the score for the third time. Schwartz finished a brilliant bit of playmaking by another Cup winner (two times), Yanni Gourde, who skated and juked with the Kraken enjoying an extra attacker due to a delayed penalty. Gourde worried Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon enough that Lyon lost his footing in the crease and upon receiving Gourde’s pass, Schwartz’s job was simply to lift the puck over the fallen Lyon.

That goal earned a standings point for Seattle, encouraging since St. Louis, holder of the second wild-card spot, lost earlier Monday in the first half of an ESPN doubleheader that swung out to the PNW for Game 2. Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot spoiled a total comeback by scoring the game-winner just over a minute into overtime. It doesn’t get any easier for the Kraken; first-place Vancouver visits Thursday and then Saturday’s home game features fellow wild-card contender Minnesota (which scored seven third-period goals Monday to beat aforementioned Vancouver in a 10-7 football score after being down 5-2 after two periods).

“The point is a real important point,’ said a typically measured Dave Hakstol after the game. “It’s disappointing to lose the point in overtime, but the point we got is valuable. This time of year, we have a short memory. We gave them back one puck too many and that led to the overtime goal ... let it dwell, be a little [angry], then turn the page quick, get ready for the next one here at home.”

Jared McCann, who scored twice to make it 24 on the season and 91 in his three seasons with Seattle, was most definitely not ready to look at the bright side immediately after the game.

“The last three games have been good for us and we’re headed in the right direction,” said McCann. “But every single game here is must-win.”

Lining Up for Rest-of-February Homestand

Hakstol mentioned the chemistry of McCann with linemates Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers when asked about McCann’s production (four goals and two assists in five games) coming out of the All-Star break/bye week. Fans can expect that trio to stay together as this pivotal homestand unfolds. Same for Yanni Gourde centering Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. It’s likely the coaches keep Alex Wennberg, Schwartz, and Andre Burakovsky together, at least against rival Vancouver here on Thursday.

“Burky is able to create separation right now, which is something when you come off of an injury that's hard to do to have the energy on the burst. But he's been able to do that, he's had the confidence to take pucks into traffic. I believe part of that is because he knows he's got the burst to get out of those tight spots.”

McCann Stays Hot

Kraken forward Jared McCann entered Monday’s afternoon game with eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in his last 14 games. His heater continued in the first of six straight games here at Climate Pledge Arena. He scored in the first period to tie the game at one goal apiece, then repeated the knotting with a second goal – his 24^th of the season – to make it 2-2 later second period. That adds up to 19 points in the last 15 games.

Sprong Returns and Scores

Detroit went up again when former Kraken forward Daniel Sprong scored his 15^th goal of the season before the second intermission. Sprong’s quick-release shot, off a sudden 2-on-1 rush during a Seattle shift change, ricocheted off the right post and then past a sprawling Joey Daccord. Sprong showed little emotion after the score, but it did appear he was working hard to keep the stoic face.

The former Seattle fourth-liner is filling the same role for Detroit, averaging a bit under 13 minutes of time on ice per game but standing as the Red Wings’ fourth-leading scorer with 20 assists to go with the goals. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has been clear he admired the scoring-depth playoff roster Kraken GM Ron Francis built last season. Sprong was a free-agent signing and he is one of 11 Red Wings with 10 goals or more on the season.

Keeping It Real (Close)

Both goaltenders kept their teams in the game at various points in the first 40 minutes. Detroit's Alex Lyon faced 11 Grade-A scoring chances in that timeframe while Daccord sorted through seven high-danger chances. Lyon was particularly impressive in a first period dominated by Seattle and then again in the second half of the middle period when the Kraken logged most of their 13 shots on goal in the frame. Lyon finished with 38 saves and handled the bulk of 14 Grade-A scoring chances with both Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz giving the well-traveled 31-year-old credit for making big and timely saves. 

With Detroit up 3-2 to start the third period, Seattle pressured to no luck against Lyon, and when Detroit countered with a couple of quality chances just three minutes into the period that Daccord turned away. Just a couple of shifts later, Jared McCann nearly notched the hat trick but Lyon got his shoulder on it.

Connecting Patrick Kane to Steve Yzerman to Ron Francis

The Kraken exhibited no trouble with early call time for Monday’s Presidents Day matinee, firing 15 shots on goal in the first period on Detroit journeyman-turned-No. 1 goaltender Alex Lyon. But the visiting Red Wings, who clearly have fans who travel to watch them on holiday weekends, scored first on young defenseman Moritz Seider’s long shot from the right point.

The German-born Seider was selected No. 6 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and has blossomed into the star he was anticipated to become, having already played 219 games before he turns 23 in April. Seider was set up by Detroit winger and future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane, who waited patiently to let the play develop along the right side boards, then fed his teammates stick to tape.

It marked Kane’s 800^th career assist, 14 of which have been recorded in Red Wings red-and-white, along with seven during the second half of last season with the New York Rangers, then, of course, the rest during a legendary, three-Stanley Cup run with Chicago. Kane is third all-time in assists by American NHLers, trailing only Phil Housley (894) and Mike Modano (813). He’s nearing top-30 all-time in assists but still needs another 200-plus to pass his current boss, Detroit GM and Hall of Fame player Steve Yzerman (1,063), and though his off-season hip surgery was a success (23 points in 23 games after finishing rehab), Kane is highly unlikely to get even close to the another Hall of Famer/GM on hand Monday, Kraken hockey boss Ron Francis, who is second all-time (1,249). Only Wayne Gretzky (1,963) has more.