Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

I didn’t even know we could still do games like this in the 2025-26 NHL. Color me shocked.

But First, the Highlights (?)

Game Notes

Your TOI Leader tonight was Brandon Montour, but not by much. He played 24:37, and Vince Dunn played 24:35.

This Sunday, we got to see a goalie duel of goalie duels, the likes of which fans have not seen in this score-happy league in quite awhile. Dave Rittich and Joey Daccord took center stage while the forwards, who had just spent a lot of energy the night before, largely traded chances back and forth with backchecks being sloppy for both sides…but the Kraken more specifically. They definitely struggled quite a bit with chance creating, and as a result had to pick and choose their chances where they could, but they did get them. It’s just a shame they couldn’t resolve this in OT with all that open ice, but the skillz comp and a point giving them 2nd place in division for however long that lasts is good enough for me. 3 points on a back-to-back is still progress to me.

This is however, where you do start to miss those high-impact, high skill forwards in your game; as the skillz competition remains slightly vexxing, but also critically in helping even out slow starts. The Kraken do have a little bit of that, but not nearly enough when they were spending a good portion of the 1st and 2nd stuck at six shots on goal. This, I feel, should be remedied as the season goes along, and it’s not like they’re gonna do that again in a league with this much Parity and this much skill. More like a “put this on the list for the deadline” kind of thing.

Hey! The Kraken went 2 for 2 on penalty kills! The issue is resolved!*

The Mayor absolutely crushed this game; it was a busy one with 34 shots faced in 65 minutes of hockey plus a shootout, but in goalie duels like this, you can come away with a shutout and still technically lose. Still, incredible night for Joey, even in a loss.

Still, why did Dave Rittich have to pick tonight of all nights to be Big Save Dave? Couldn’t you have done that yesterday?

* = The issue is still very much alive.

Was there anything good about this game?

Even in a game that the Kraken did not score? Yes!

The Penalty Kill, which has been a serious problem for the Kraken this year, was lights out in this one, and the Islanders are usually pretty good at crashing the net with a man advantage. This was a great night for them.

Joey Daccord was the most engaged player on the ice for Seattle, and he brought this all the way to extra innings in the shootout.

The Charts, via NaturalStatTrick.com

This trip, which ended up with 5 of 8 points gathered, is at long last over! The Kraken now come home to play a Pre-American Thanksgiving tilt with the Dallas Stars. That game is on Wednesday at 7pm!

We’ll see you there, and remember:

Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.