Final Buzzer: Eight is Great

CHICAGO, IL - A bit of history was made tonight. The Kraken went into their final game of a two-week road trip and beat Chicago 8-5. And what a poetic score that was. It matched the total number of wins the Kraken have in this current streak (8, a franchise record) and marked the first time any NHL team has won every game on a road trip of seven games or more. Seattle still remains the only undefeated NHL team in 2023.
"The two points is what matters," Dave Hakstol said. "It's a great accomplishment for the players to be able to do that. It shows the consistency and the work that they've put in from the start of this road trip. So, for me, it's more about the players and accomplishing consistency of play together as they move through the entire road trip."
This was the fourth time this season the Kraken have scored at least eight goals and the third time they have done it on the road. It was also the 20th time in 23 road games that Seattle has scored at least three times. Speaking of playing away from home, Seattle upped their road record to 16-4-2.

15 different Kraken skaters earned at least a point in this game including every forward. Before tonight, that had happened only seven times for road teams in NHL history. Six skaters had a multi-point game.
What stood out? Let's dig in.

That's a First

One of the things Dave Hakstol has liked about his club during this win streak is its ability to start well and they certainly did that in Chicago. The Kraken scored first and by the time the clock hit zero in period one, Seattle had scored five more times.
How impressive is that?
It marks a new franchise record for goals scored in a period (6) and ties the record for the most goals scored in a period this season (Buffalo, Dec. 7). The goals came off five different skaters' sticks in just seven shots on goal. Each of the Kraken's four forward lines scored at least once, and every Kraken forward earned at least one point.
The first goal of the game exemplified what's been working so well with the Kraken's offensive depth as the Morgan Geekie line combined for the score. Brandon Tanev passed the puck out of the defensive zone connecting with Morgan Geekie. From the center of the ice, the center sent the puck to Sprong speeding into the offensive zone. Number 91 pulled in close to the net drawing Petr Mrazek to the near post. This created space behind the goaltender and Sprong potted the puck in behind him. It was Sprong's fourteenth goal of the season tying a career-high for him.

Chicago would get on the board thanks to a bad bounce net front off a Jonathan Toews shot, but then, in the span of 3:41 the Kraken slammed the door on the Blackhawks' hopes of winning the game.
First, Matty Beniers retook the lead for the Kraken with a goal off a seeing-eye shot from the top of the attack zone. 1:16 later, Jared McCann scored off an odd-man rush. 1:22 after that, Andre Burakovsky reminded Kraken fans why he was such a valuable addition to the team with the third Seattle goal of the game, chasing Mrazek from the game.

Alex Stalock fared no better after coming in in relief. 37 seconds after Burakovsky's score, Eeli Tolvanen scored a goal in his second straight game and fifth in eight games. And 26 seconds after that, McCann got his second of the game.
According to StatsCentre, that barrage marked the third-fastest five-team goals by an NHL team playing on the road.
"That's a crazy first period," Hakstol said. "We had a couple of really nice plays offensively. And we got a couple that had eyes and fell in the back of the net. That's a positive way to be able to start a hockey game."

McCann You Believe it?

The Kraken would sit back a bit. Chicago added four more goals.But, the Kraken weren't done either.
Chicago added four more goals, but the Kraken weren't done either.
1:03 after the Blackhawks' third goal, Adam Larsson carried the puck up the ice into the offensive zone before dropping it back to McCann who moved to his favorite spot in the right circle and finished for the Kraken's seventh goal of the game.

"Obviously my linemates created a lot of space for me," McCann said. "Obviously playing with Ryan (Donato) tonight was huge and he's a big boy who can control the puck down low and he found me out by the slot there and I was able to put it in. I'm very fortunate to play with the two very skilled players."
This was the first hattrick of the Kraken season and the first in McCann's career, and McCann now has 10 points (7-3-10) in his eight most recent games against Chicago. The forward has been so valuable to Seattle this season scoring more even-strength goals per 60 this season than any other NHL player (with at least 10 games played).
After McCann re-established a four-goal lead, Oliver Bjorkstrand decided to add one more after he set up in the slot to beat Stalock for the eighth time in the game.

Beware the Pair

This season, Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn have played every single Kraken game together as a pair and they've been fantastic. Going into this game, according to Sportlogiq, the duo ranks second in the league in even-strength scoring chances (280) this season, behind only Carolina's Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. They were both also on the ice for each of the first six Kraken goals and each had an assist. Larsson's came off a beautiful rush that preceded a pass to McCann on his third goal of the game. Dunn set up Beniers on his score. With that, Dunn extended his point streak and assist streak to six games.
"Every time he and Dunner over the boards in the first period, they were on the plus side," Hakstol said. "You do things the right way, and good things happen. That's probably the best way that I can describe his game. He does things the right way, and more often than not, when you do things the right way, you get rewarded."
The two have been so productive and so balanced between defensive and offensive impact. ROOT Sports NW's Piper Shaw asked Larsson during the game why the two worked together so well.
"(Dunn) brings a lot of offensive elements to the game," Larsson said. "This year, he's elevated his defensive side, so I try to be that piece to support him when he wants to (join the offensive attack)."
Watch: Youtube Video

By the Numbers

Here's a look at our data-driven Instant Analysis from Sportlogiq (click
HERE
for how to read this graphic):