Final Buzzer: In Control and In the Win Column

That’s more like it. On the first night, albeit still preseason, with new Kraken mainstays Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour together in the lineup, Seattle scored first and dominated the opening 20 minutes. Both free agent signees looked fast and played faster, no doubt assuring fans they will make a difference when the puck drops for real on Oct. 8.

The Kraken finished the first period with 11 shots on goal compared to four by Vancouver. The visitors sent out top-liners on the game’s first power play that fizzled with good work by the Kraken penalty killers, which included solid work by stalwart Jamie Oleksiak but also the likes of Shane Wright and Ryan Winterton (the latter of whom rose from occasional penalty-kill work early last season with AHL Coachella Valley to being Dan Bylsma’s first PK forward over the boards during the playoffs).

Seattle so effectively controlled the puck and pace during the first period; the 11-4 SOG margin felt like it was even better. The Kraken’s one power play didn’t produce a goal, but notable pressure and a range of skating moves by Montour to keep the puck in the offensive zone. The home crowd, noisy and happy all night (scoring first always encourages matters) appreciated the effort and likely envisions power play goals to come with Montour and Stephenson out on the same man-advantage group.

Jumping Out to A Lead

The opening goal was a group effort among three familiar faces: Jordan Eberle entered the offensive zone, setting up a shot from the high slot by Adam Larsson, who wheeled closer to the net during Eberle’s entry. Winger Eeli Tolvanen, who signed a contract extension this summer (almost under the radar with all the free agency news), was net-front right post for a skilled mid-air tip-in score. Four minutes into the second preseason home game, Seattle held its first lead.

New guy and instant fan-fave Montour doubled the lead near period’s end when a hustle play by Ryan Winterton kept the puck alive in the zone, getting it back to the right point and Montour. The 2024 Stanley Cup-winning defenseman quick-released a bit of a floater that beat Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen, once again proving that good things can happen when you get the puck on net.

Center Ben Meyers picked up the secondary assist for his second point of the preseason (he scored against Vancouver Tuesday night in B.C.). Montour raised his arms in celebration and the crowd roared. His tally turned out to be the game-winner. Fun stuff.

‘Monty’ Finds His Way -- Literally

The Kraken’s newest defenseman clearly navigated the ice quite adroitly Friday night, delighting what surmised as a “pretty noisy,” especially for a preseason game. Getting to Climate Pledge Arena? Little tougher. He joked in the media scrum that he might have to use a navigating app until New Year’s.

“I've only played in this rink, I think, two or three times maybe,” said Montour, who talks easily with the media about all subjects. “This is my first time actually here [at the arena] since we've been in Seattle. First time making the drive downtown. We'll get used to it ... this is the first time I've been in this locker room. I had to look at our [team] app to find the directions to where to park my car.”

Winterton Looking the Part

The aforementioned Winterton scored the Kraken’s third goal nearly four minutes into the second period, mirroring the early strike of the first period. Linemate Lleyton Roed, who continues to impress with his speed (whether on a rush or a short burst in the offensive zone), created the scoring chance by stripping a puck and accelerating from center ice, losing two Vancouver defenders. He reached the left corner below the goal line and bad-angled the puck net front. Canucks goalie Lankinen couldn’t control the puck, and Winterton, holding his ground net-front, flicked in the loose puck to make it a three-goal cushion. That made it a goal and a primary assist for two assists on the night for Winterton, who yeeted the plush fish as the night’s First Star of the Game.

Winterton finished strong for Coachella Valley last season, his first full season as a pro. He followed his regular season numbers of 22 goals and 13 assists for 35 points in 58 games by notching seven goals and adding five assists in 18 postseason games for Western Conference champ Firebirds.

Five of those playoff goals were in the six-game Calder Cup final. When asked about it early in camp, Winterton was modest, saying he was missing on scoring chances earlier in the postseason and that he “owed the boys some goals.” He and Shane Wright were arguably the best CVF players in the final, which is saying a lot, given the play of veterans Max McCormick and John Hayden, among others.

Bylsma on Stephenson, Younger Players

Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said he felt “a lot better” when asked about his overall take on Friday’s strong effort compared to the preseason home opener last Sunday. He wanted his team to “play connected” and verified that was what unfolded Friday. He especially liked the first goal, in which all five players touched the puck before Tolvanen scored. He praised Roed’s defensive prowess turning into speed and, subsequently, allowing that he looked for Winterton, Roed and center Mitchell Stephens (the coach liked the NHL-tested veterans' moves down low in the offensive zone) more shifts as the game progressed.

Bylsma, by media request, supplied his thoughts on Chandler Stephenson’s debut in Kraken blue: “It was just great to see him win faceoffs, his speed, his support on the ice. He is a super-intelligent player, and it showed [Friday]. It's just comforting to have him on the ice as coach ... it awesome to see what he can do with this team.”

Vancouver Answers, Then Daccord Replies

Late second period, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers busted up Kraken goalie Joey Daccord’s shutout bid with a rush on net that maybe Daccord overplayed just a smidge. The 6-foot-7, long-armed Myers went for the wraparound shot and his wing span won out over Daccord’s dive to open post. But to his credit, Daccord didn’t dwell on the scoring pay, making a pair of quality saves on VAN regulars Elias Pettersson and Sammy Blais in the final four minutes of the frame. The Canucks pressured pretty much that final stretch of the middle period, with Daccord staying poised and in position for a number of just-wide scoring attempts.

The third period didn’t feature any scoring, but there was a flare-up between the aforementioned Blais and Montour, with Montour losing his balance and Blais heading to the penalty box for interferences. On the ensuing power play, the Ryker Evans-led unit didn’t produce too much noise from the crowd, but Montour nearly scored when the unit jumped on the ice. Plus, fellow big-name agent Chandler Stephenson set up a Grade-A redirection by Eeli Tolvanen that only didn’t work because Vancouver goalie Lankinen made his best save of the night.