Final Buzzer: Kraken Fall in OT

Fortified by a gorgeous hustle goal from Ryan Donato and a bit of luck prompted by an Adam Larsson shot from the point, the Kraken approached the third period with a tie score and determination to win their first home game of the young season. Seattle kept the pressure on all period and outshot St. Louis 12-6 in the final period. The period ended 3-3 with overtime pending.
The Kraken, assured of a standings point, no doubt wanted more for themselves and this Seattle high-decibel crowd. Seattle secured the first scoring chance two minutes into extra time on a drive by Yanni Gourde. But St. Louis broke the tie 2:50 into overtime on a score from defenseman Justin Faulk.

Kraken coach Dave Hakstol made it clear his squad wasn't happy with not leaving Climate Pledge Arena with two standings points Wednesday. But he noticed and appreciated the final game of the homestand compared to Games 1 and 2.
"We played a tired hockey game against Vegas," said Hakstol. "I don't like at all the way we played the other night against Carolina. This is our hockey team tonight. The way we battled competed and executed. The pace and tenacity we played with tonight is a good standard to continue to build from."

Donato Steps Up

Let's agree with the Kraken down 3-1 going into the second period, somebody needed to spark the home team. Enter forward Ryan Donato, who was a healthy scratch in Monday's loss to Carolina. The well-liked teammate Donato shook free with a long, perfect feed from another well-liked teammate, Brandon Tanev, to spring a good-old-school breakaway on Blues goalie Jordan Binnington.

Liner Notes

To make it even more fun, 18-year-old Shane Wright, notched his first NHL point on the Donato goal, picking up the secondary assist. Only fitting, because early in the game Wright was hit and leveled by veteran Blues forward Ivan Barbashev. Donato immediately challenged Barbashev, drawing a double minor for roughing with Barbashev getting two minutes.
Wright's assist was added by the NHL official scoring crew but made for a nice moment when it was announced during the opening minute of the third period with parents Tanya and Simon Wright in attendance and making a cameo on the twin video boards. After the game, reporters showed Wright photos of his parents on the video boards with the son insisting, "Yeah, he's crying" when answering his own question of whether his father was emotional.
"Getting his first point is awesome," said Dave Hakstol about the 2022 first-rounder and center, now officially the youngest Kraken player to register a point. "He deserved to score his first goal tonight (hitting the post on an impressive shift in the third period(. That line (Wright between Donato and Tanev) did everything right out on that shift."
Hakstol appears eager to pick up some pace in Wright's development: "Now, I've got to get him on the ice for a couple more minutes a night and just continue letting him grow. I liked his game tonight. I liked the confidence."
It should be documented that Martin Jones made 10 saves in the second period, several Grade-A and one acrobatic on veteran scorer Brandon Saad, to keep this game close after 40 minutes.
Hakstol credited his goaltender with being the best penalty-killer on the ice during a late first-period St. Louis power play ("top two or three in the NHL with the two units they put out there") that could have effectively salted the lead beyond comeback range.
"I thought [Jones] was key in the first period on the [three] penalty kills," said Hakstol. "In the second period, he had two big saves, one that was a bit of a desperation save and he got across and got a piece of it ... I felt like in that period he matched the guy (Binnington) at the other end and gave us a chance to continue digging out and getting it back to even."

Proof Case

To complete a much more satisfying middle period for Kraken fans, defenseman Adam Larsson put a puck on net from his usual right point. Not hard but the shot made it's way net front, where STL defenseman Torey Krug inadvertently tipped the puck past an unsuspected Binnington. Tie game and proof again that sending pucks toward the goal crease can generate good things, on purpose, accidental, incidental, transcendental, you name it.

Blues Respond - Twice in 17 Seconds

St. Louis forward Brayden Schenn scored a response goal 64 seconds after Seattle tied the game. Kraken goalie Martin Jones played the puck behind the net but appeared to get back to his crease a bit slower than ideal. Blues forward Robert Thomas snagged the puck for a takeaway that generated enough chaos for Schenn to tap in a rebound after Adam Larsson blocked Schenn's initial shot.
Seventeen seconds later, Schenn was skating up ice with Adam Larsson on the case, but STL defenseman Justin Faulk somehow slipped past Larsson's D-partner, Vince Dunn, for an open run on Jones, beating him with a backhand move for a second response goal (within two minutes of an opponent goal). Kraken coach Dave Hakstol called a timeout after Faulk's score.