The Seattle Kraken took a quick back‑to‑back trip: St. Louis on Saturday and Dallas on Sunday. Joey Daccord went on injured reserve (IR) with an upper‑body injury before the trip and did not travel. By rule, he will miss at least seven days. That meant both Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray would start.

Saturday: Comeback in St. Louis

The Blues have struggled defensively and have allowed an NHL‑worst 63 goals. Seattle started fast and controlled play early. Then a risky pass through the slot by Ryan Winterton was picked off and buried by Dylan Holloway. A sloppy line change led to a too‑many‑men penalty. On the ensuing Blues powerplay, a pass attempt deflected off Adam Larsson and in. St. Louis led 2‑0.

Seattle answered in the second. Ryker Evans and Eeli Tolvanen scored their first goals of the season to tie it 2‑2. It was also Evans’ first game this season. The Kraken pushed after the equalizer and carried momentum. It felt like the go‑ahead goal was coming.

Instead, Jordan Kyrou pounced after a crease scramble and lifted the puck over a sprawling Grubauer. St. Louis led 3‑2 in the third.

It stayed that way until the final second. With Grubauer pulled, Chandler Stephenson scored with 0.5 on the clock. The league initiated a review after Jordan Eberle’s skate contacted Joel Hofer’s stick in the crease. Officials ruled no goalie interference. To overtime they went.

Seattle won the opening draw and held the puck throughout OT. Shane Wright took the first shot and buried it. The Kraken snatched two points. It was Wright’s first career overtime winner.

Sunday: Close loss in Dallas

Murray drew the start and was sharp, stopping 22 of 24 shots. Jaden Schwartz tipped an Adam Larsson shot to give Seattle a 1‑0 lead. Dallas answered 1:09 later on the powerplay. Wyatt Johnston pulled the puck across the crease and backhanded it in. The goal took some wind from Seattle’s sails.

Dallas controlled most of the first. With under a minute left, Tyler Seguin settled a bouncing puck, slipped past Ryan Lindgren, and tucked it under a sprawling Murray for a 2-1 lead.

Seattle did not fold. The Kraken pushed hard in the second and third, outshooting Dallas 24‑14 over the final 40. They generated several grade‑A chances, but Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith turned them aside.

Seattle remains winless in the second game of back‑to‑backs over their last 15. This one felt different. The Kraken skated well and delivered a quality effort against a contending team. It goes down as a loss, but play like that will win more than it loses.

Seattle remains winless in the second game of its last 15 back‑to‑back sets. This one felt different. The Kraken skated well and delivered a quality effort against a contending team. It goes down as a loss, but play like that will win more than it loses.

Takeaway #1 – Berkly Catton hits 10 games

Ten NHL games is a key marker for CHL‑eligible players. If a player is returned before that 10th game, the entry‑level contract slides, preserving three full years. With the game against the Stars on Sunday, Catton has now played 10 games, so this season will count as the first year of his deal. It’s a positive sign he could stay with the Kraken all season, but nothing is guaranteed.

The next marker is 40 games on the NHL roster, which accrues an NHL season. Accrued seasons determine when a player reaches unrestricted free agency (UFA). If Catton is on the roster for 40 games, even without playing, he would be UFA‑eligible at age 25. If not, he hits UFA at 26.

Catton has three assists through 10 games and looks more comfortable each night. The coaching staff is managing his minutes to set him up for success. He logged 10:05 in St. Louis and 8:48 in Dallas. Trust the process. His development is trending well.

Takeaway #2 – Goalies giving Seattle a chance

Head coach Lane Lambert’s group is building around structure and defense. That helps the goaltenders do their jobs. Both netminders gave Seattle a real shot to win this weekend.

Grubauer’s win required late heroics, but those moments only mattered because the “German Gentleman” kept it within one in the third. Murray allowed two in Dallas and kept Seattle one bounce from a tie.

Last season, the Kraken often looked different with Grubauer in net, and not in a good way. With Daccord on IR, it was fair to wonder if the structure might crack. It didn’t. The group stayed connected, limited breakdowns, and remained competitive in both games.

Takeaway #3 – In it until the end

The loss to San Jose felt like an early-season low point, just 16 games in. Seattle responded with two committed efforts. The Kraken put 61 shots on net over the weekend, up from the season 23.9‑per‑game average noted in Monday Musings. They chased in both games yet kept applying pressure while staying sound defensively.

That push earned the win in St. Louis. You could argue the performance in Dallas was even better, even if the result wasn’t. The effort is what matters here. If they keep this up, the wins will follow.

Wrapping up

A win in the second leg at Dallas would have snapped an ugly streak. Still, a weekend split on the road carries plenty of positives. Seattle now returns home for a three‑game homestand, starting with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Nov. 11.