On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Seattle Kraken hosted the Boston Bruins. For the most part, the first two periods began relatively even, with both teams recording two goals within the first half of the game. By the time the end of the second period rolled around, the Kraken had a two-goal lead over Boston. Seattle came out swinging in the final frame, scoring two more unanswered goals. The Bruins tried to make a comeback, but Kaapo Kakko’s empty-net goal ensured the Kraken’s 7-4 win over Boston.
Catton Scores Not One, but Two First NHL Goals
Kraken rookie Berkly Catton has been trying his hardest this season to score his first NHL goal. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers and has since played in 28 games with the team. Last night, he scored not one, but two goals.
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Just two minutes into the second period, Catton picked up the loose puck in the neutral zone off a failed Boston play. He skated it into Seattle’s zone and dropped a pass down to Jared McCann. He sent the puck back up to Catton in the faceoff circle. He was off to the right side of the faceoff dot and on a weird angle. He took the shot anyway, which found the back of the net for his first NHL goal.
Towards the second half of the third period, David Pastrnak took a seat for hooking Ryan Lindgren. On their power-play opportunity, Kakko brought the puck into Seattle’s zone. He passed it to Catton, who sent it across the ice for Frederick Gaudreau. He held the puck at the blue line while Catton skated up towards the net. Gaudreau passed it up to him between the faceoff circles, and Catton let a shot fly. It bounced off the top of the net and past the goal line for his second of the night.
Catton now has a total of seven points in his first 28 NHL games. He should be so proud of himself for finally scoring his first NHL goal, and getting two in one night is a huge accomplishment. He has been working hard to score his first, and now that hard work has finally paid off.
Special Teams Played a Major Role in This Game
As mentioned above, Catton scored his second NHL goal on a power-play opportunity for the Kraken. However, his wasn’t the only goal scored on a power play in this game.
Eight minutes into the second period, the Bruins took two penalties, nine seconds apart. The Kraken had a 5-on-3 opportunity and did not let it go to waste. Seattle won the faceoff, and Vince Dunn had the puck at the blue line. He took a shot, but Jeremy Swayman made the save. The rebound went to Matty Beniers, and he sent a backhand pass right to Jordan Eberle in front of the net. Swayman was sprawled out, trying to defend, and Eberle sent the puck right behind him for the first goal of the night.
With just a minute and a half left in the second period, Alex Steeves took a seat for slashing Cale Fleury. The Kraken tried making a play, and McCann took a slap shot from the faceoff circle. His shot went wide and hit the glass, but the loose puck found Dunn at the blue line. He passed it back to McCann, who was still in the circle. He took another slap shot, and this time, scored with just .5 seconds on the clock for a buzzer-beater goal.
The Seattle Kraken celebrate after a goal scored by left wing Jared McCann (Steven Bisig-Imagn Images)
The Kraken had four power-play opportunities and managed to cash in on three of them. Their power-play success rate now increases to 22.7% for the season. They currently have the ninth-best power play in the NHL. They just hit the halfway mark of their 2025-26 season, and the Kraken will need to keep their power play strong if they wish to progress any further this season.
Kraken Had Another Full Team Effort
The Kraken played the first half of a back-to-back the day prior on Jan. 5. In that game, 11 different players put their names on the scoresheet. Against the Bruins, once again, 11 different players were listed on the scoresheet.
It might have taken 41 games, but this current Kraken lineup is really starting to gel. Even with Eeli Tolvanen as a late scratch due to illness, Seattle managed to find their edge and take down Boston. This game was a full team effort with the forwards, defense, and goaltending all pulling their weight.
Kraken Remain at Home
The Kraken will play one more game at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday, Jan. 8, when they host the Minnesota Wild.
The Kraken will take on the Bruins to close out the season series later this month on Jan. 15, just nine days after this game.
