Final Buzzer: Colorado Quest

DENVER -- This is the sort of victory fans will remember and, as importantly, players too. Jumping to a lead on the Stanley Cup champions in their own loud and primed building, check. Philipp Grubauer makes two big saves on Nathan MacKinnon, check. Andre Burakovsky explains pre-game the key to beating Colorado is to "take away their speed," check. Not letting the game slip away when the Avalanche scored a short-handed goal to tie the game and raise the worry meter.
That's a whole passel of checkmarks. Veteran forward Jaden Schwartz offered one more in the post-game media scrum: "We checked them hard," said Schwartz. "We took away their time and space. We did a good job of using our feet today and really making it hard on them to make plays."
Schwartz, who had his own outstanding night of making plays here Friday, worked a puck once-twice in puck battles late third period, eventually lofting a puck toward the Colorado zone. SEA forward Karson Kuhlman used his speed to out-skate Kraken expansion pick Kurtis MacDermid (from LA and traded to Colorado for 2023 fourth-rounder) to score a tie-breaking goal with just under 8-minutes left. It might seem improbable until you put together Schwartz's elite hockey IQ and Kuhlman's never-stop, never-give-in-or-give-up approach to every shift he has taken for Seattle since being picked up on waivers from Boston last season.

"It starts with a good wall play [in the defensive zone] by Schwartz," said Kuhlman, who scored his second NHL career game-winning goal and first for the Kraken. "He makes a good play to put the puck to space that let's me skate to it… {MacDermind] was kind of draped on me. I usually like to get that puck to the far post but I saw the opening [between goalie Pavel Francouz' pads]and was able to put it in the net."

After the Kuhlman goal, the last eight minutes of the game were stressful for Kraken fans. Grubauer, who saved 17 of 19 shots including a dozen Grade-A chances, departed the game because he was injured on the shorthanded goal. Martin Jones stepped in a tough spot, but to the Kraken's credit, Jones faced only one shot on goal in the final 12 minutes.
Dave Hakstol was visibly pleased with his squad's determination and poise after the shorthanded goal could have revved up Colorado.
"For the guys not to let up, for me that's kind of the benchmark for me," said Hakstol. "We played a real good hockey game, but make a mistake [allowing a shorthanded goal] that can rattle you, especially in this building and momentum gets rolling. But we just went right back to work."
<>##### Middle (Period) of It All The second period was akin to a good old-school prize fight, with each team trading blows and the opposing squad recovering to launch another offensive counterattack. The middle 20 minutes started loudly with a [Philipp Grubauer\ save on all-world scorer Nathan MacKinnon. Next, after giving up two goals in 17 seconds in Wednesday's overtime home loss to St. Louis, the Kraken turned up with two goals in 22 seconds in the second minute of the second period. Jaden Schwartz scored the first goal of the night for either side, taking a textbook back-of-net pass from Eberle who was close enough to the net to keep defenders honest. Schwartz wired a rocket past Colorado goalie Pavel Francouz. It was the Kraken's seventh power-play goal of the season. \Video: SEA@COL: Schwartz and McCann score back-to-back](https://www.nhl.com/video/c-13278708) At even strength, Seattle kept the pressure on. With the puck in the Avalanche zone, defenseman [Carson Soucy\ took a quick look up to note Jared McCann on the back post of Francouz's blind side of sorts. Seconds later, Soucy had the puck and sent it to McCann for the scrappy forward's second goal of the year - first since opening night in Anaheim. 2-0 visitors. Grubauer kept his stellar night trending up with another huge save on MacKinnon. Later in the period, he made another Grade-A stop on Newhook (more payback karma for the Colorado forward bulldozing Grubauer early first period without drawing an obvious goalie interference call). At the 5:55 mark, the potent Colorado offensive group did break into the scorebook with Evan Rodrigues scoring his first Avs goal after signing as a free agent, leaving Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby. Francouz made his own pair of huge saves to keep Colorado close, stopping McCann twice from close range, one on a breakaway. Late in the second period, the Kraken penalty wiped out a second Colorado power play of the night, with a pair of major shot blocks each by defensemen Will Borgen and Jamie Oleksiak. *

First Period Kraken Have Been Waiting For*

Starting in Denver against his former team no doubt means something extra to SEA goalie Philipp Grubauer. He made all of the necessary saves, including a huge Grade-A attempt by Avs forward Alex Newhook, who shot from close in and then crashed into Grubauer. The Kraken were matching the Avalanche pace and grit throughout the first 20 minutes. Jordan Eberle had the best scoring chance, shooting off a pass from Jaden Schwartz just outside the crease. Schwartz made an elite read on the play to get the puck on Eberle's stick. Seattle outshot the defending Cup champs 11-8 in the first frame and, more importantly, was not playing from behind after the opening period.](https://www.nhl.com/video/c-13278056)