Appleton has goal, assist for Kraken in win against Panthers

SEATTLE -- Mason Appleton had a goal and an assist for the Seattle Kraken in a 5-3 win against the Florida Panthers at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday.

Appleton took a cross-ice feed from Alex Wennberg and scored with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle 26 seconds into the third period to give the Kraken a 4-3 lead. It was his first goal in 16 games.
"We scored a winning goal on attacking with possession and getting in the zone and being able to make a play off the rush," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "Loved our poise there and presence to read that situation and know there was an opportunity there and enter the zone with possession and make a play. That was a difference maker."
Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves for the Kraken (13-24-4), who have won three of their past four games.
"I thought we did a good job of managing the puck tonight," Appleton said. "That's a big reason why you end up on the right side of the scoreboard. Especially when you play an explosive team like Florida, you play run-and-gun with them, that's when you lose a game."

Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and two assists for the Panthers (28-9-5). Sergei Bobrovsky, who won his previous five starts, made 24 saves.
"We kind of got mad and got back to work for a while, I thought we took the game over [in the second period]," Florida coach Andrew Brunette said. "Then we started the third period. You know, first stretch and then [we have] a breakdown, and they scored and we're chasing the game. On the road, they're hard games when you're chasing the game, so we put ourselves in a hard position."
Anthony Duclair gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 4:57 of the first period when his shot went off Grubauer and Seattle defenseman Carson Soucy's left skate.
Marcus Johansson tied it 1-1 at 5:02 of the second period on a one-timer from just inside the left circle.
Yanni Gourde gave the Kraken a 2-1 lead at 10:02 with a slap shot from the point after a pass from Adam Larsson, and Colin Blackwell scored 17 seconds later when Appleton's backhand from behind the net bounced off Blackwell's helmet at the edge of the crease at 10:19 to make it 3-1.
They were the fastest two goals in Kraken history.
"We were much more predictable tonight," Gourde said. "When a team is committed to playing like that, we're tough to beat for 60 minutes. 'Grubi' was excellent. Everyone was committed to winning this game. That's what we did tonight, and we have to do that every night."

Huberdeau cut it to 3-2 with a power-play goal on a wrist shot from the point at 12:32, and Aleksander Barkov took a cross-ice pass from Huberdeau and scored with a wrist shot from between the circles that hit Gourde's stick and got past Grubauer at 14:07 to make it 3-3.
Calle Jarnkrok scored an empty-net goal with 19 seconds left for the 5-3 final.
"Not our best game, obviously," Barkov said. "We didn't play the way we want to. "It was really close until the end and we had chances, but it just didn't go our way. I don't think we deserved to win this game, but I think we had chances to tie this game at least."
Grubauer made 12 saves in the third period and won his third straight start.
"The biggest thing [about Grubauer] that I see, is being able to shrug off a goal against and move on to the next save, and that's really important," Hakstol said. "That's what it takes to win in the League, you need those saves. When you add it up at the end of those nights, you see those saves."
NOTES: Soucy left in the first period because of a lower-body injury. Hakstol did not have an update. … Huberdeau leads the Panthers with 43 career three-point games. It was his seventh this season.