On Thursday, March 26, the Seattle Kraken traveled to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The two teams kicked off the season series earlier this month in Seattle, on March 17, where the Lightning took a commanding 6-2 win.
The Kraken kicked off scoring in the first period, but Tampa Bay answered back with a goal of their own. Seattle scored a second goal to end the first 20 minutes with a one-goal lead. Another goal for the Kraken at the start of the second gave them a two-goal lead, but the Lightning quickly squashed it with two goals of their own. With no change in score after the final 20-minute period, this game was headed to overtime to decide the winner. Halfway into overtime, the Kraken scored to take a 4-3 win. The season series ends in a tie.
Montour Kicked Kraken Off and Closed Them Out
This game was a full team effort from the Kraken, but Brandon Montour deserves his flowers. He opened the scoring and closed out the game for Seattle.
As the game returned to full strength for Tampa Bay in the first period, the Lightning tried to clear the puck out of the Kraken’s zone. Oscar Fisker Molgaard used his speed to get to the puck first. He sent it down the boards for Frederick Gaudreau, who picked it up in the neutral zone. He skated it up to the center of the ice and passed it to Montour. With a backhand shot, he put the Kraken on the board first.
By the end of the final 60 minutes, the score was tied 3-3, and overtime was needed to decide the winner. Two minutes into overtime, Berkly Catton took a shot, but it bounced off the stick of Andrei Vasilevskiy. Shane Wright picked up the loose puck by the boards and kept it in the Kraken’s zone, sending it to Montour. He was up in the faceoff circle, and despite the tough angle, he scored the game-winning goal.
Montour has been a great two-way defender for the Kraken in his second season with the team. In 53 games, he has recorded 31 points. His two goals in this game are a testament to the opportune scoring chances he can find.
McMann Hit a Milestone
Montour wasn’t the only player with a multi-point night. Both Kaapo Kakko and Bobby McMann scored a goal and an assist each. For McMann, his two points in this game pushed him to a career milestone.
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McMann has now recorded 100 points in his NHL career. McMann was a new acquisition for the Kraken at the trade deadline. They traded two draft picks to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for McMann. While they had to wait for him to be cleared by immigration, McMann has now played seven games with the Kraken and has recorded nine points. The Kraken wanted to pick up a depth scorer at the deadline, and already, he has been demonstrating that Seattle made the right choice.
Congrats to McMann on 100 points. Here’s to 100 more with the Kraken.
Kraken Battled Hard
The Kraken played a hard game all night. They had an early lead, and although the Lightning came back and tied the game, Seattle didn’t let that stop them. They persevered and were rewarded with the win.
When head coach Lane Lambert was asked about what part of the team he was most proud of last night, he stated, “We were resilient. It was a hard game and we had some guys getting banged up… Our bench was real short at times of players but our guys did a great job of adapting and adjusting.”
The Kraken are still down Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz due to their injuries. Jordan Eberle had to seek medical attention after a heavy hit from Emil Lilleberg. Luckily, he was okay and finished out the game. Between that and Montour and Catton sharing the penalty box, the rest of the team stepped up big time. This is the kind of team effort you need as they continue to make their push for the playoffs.
Kraken Continue the Road Trip
The Kraken will stay on the East Coast and head north to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, March 28. This game will conclude the season series, where Buffalo currently leads after they beat the Kraken in Seattle back in December.
