More than any single game this season, the Sunday matinee against the New Jersey Devils would show the true character of the Seattle Kraken.

Would the Kraken use their embarrassing loss to Anaheim on Friday as fuel to rebound with a strong performance? Or would the disjointed effort that left coach Lane Lambert “dumbfounded” be repeated? Seattle’s hopes of continuing to contend for a playoff spot might hinge on the answer.

The Kraken’s young guns led the way – 3rd period goals from Matty Beniers, playing his 300th NHL game, and Berkly Catton, and an earlier tally by Ryker Evans – provided just enough offense for Seattle to hold off the Devils, 4-2. (Jordan Eberle added an empty-netter.) Another kiddo, Jacob Melanson, contributed 7 hits – and has 17 in the last two games.

The Kraken’s grind-it-out style proved superior at 5-on-5, which was fortunate, because they lost the special teams battle. Dougie Hamilton’s 1st period power play goal exposed a pair of recent Kraken fatal flaws: an early goal-against, and surrendering the first score for the 4th consecutive game. Jersey’s other goal, by Jack Hughes in the 3rd, was also an extra-man strike. Seattle, meanwhile, went 0-4 on the power play.

Joey Daccord made 27 saves, including a dozen in the 3rd period, to break a personal three-game losing streak.

1st Period

This game matches teams with similar strengths and weaknesses. Both are middle of the pack defensively (Seattle 12th, NJ 15th) and bottom-dwellers on offense (Seattle 25th, NJ 28th).

Five minutes in, Daccord chests away Hughes’ tip try to keep the game scoreless. That’s significant, because it’s just the second time in the last 10 games Seattle has held the opponent off the board in the first five minutes.

The good vibes last until a Shane Wright high-sticking penalty. Devils 6-foot-6 defenseman Dougie Hamilton blasts home his 6th goal on the PP at 8:11.

Ryan Lindgren crushes Ondrej Palat with a clean hit at the NJ line, but these days, opponents take umbrage at even clean hits. Dawson Mercer, sticking up for his teammate, don’tch know, engages Lindgren in fisticuffs.

Mercer’s instigator minor on top of matching fighting majors gives Seattle’s #9 power play a chance to tie. But no dice. After a block, NJ defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler takes the legs out from under Matty Beniers, who goes flying. Matty’s okay (easy for me to say). Devils led in 1st period shots, 7-6.

2nd Period

From the rear boards, Eeli Tolvanen finds Chandler Stephenson for a wide-open look, the Kraken’s best scoring chance. But Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom comes up big.

Not so much on the next Kraken chance. Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans floats a shot netward from the line, hoping for a tip. Evans gets one, from an unlikely source – Devils blueliner Johnathan Kovacevic.

Markstrom stops 9/10 of the puck wobbling toward him, but that’s not enough. With the Kraken “good trouble” 4th line providing distractions in front, the disc somehow worms its way between his pads and over the goal line, eluding the goalie’s backward lunge.

That piece of vulanized rubber is a slippery sucker. On a Devils power play, only Daccord’s desperation acrobatics at the goal line keep Jersey from retaking the lead.

Taylor Codomo Photo

The goal has provided Seattle with new energy. A Jaden Schwartz block helps kill the penalty. Then Jordan Eberle comes close, shooing off Markstrom’s crest. A Tolvanen hit leaves Brett Pesce down and bleeding on the ice.

Shots after 40: Devils 16, Kraken 14.

3rd Period

Maybe the nickname for Kraken 4th liner Jacob Melanson should be “DJ”, because he’s playing all the hits. In the Kraken’s last game on Friday, he set a franchise record with 10 hits. Today against Jersey, through two periods, he’s been credited with six more. Melanson is up to 81 hits with a period still to play in his 17th game this season.

Jordan Eberle and Beniers is a winning Kraken combination. The captain frees the puck to 2023’s Calder Trophy winner, who goes wide to elude the NJ defense and parks a backhander top shelf for a 2-1 lead at 7:04.

Matty’s celly on his 12th of the season – a stick twirl follwed by holstering his weapon – may be the best on the team.

Berkly Catton doubles the lead with his 5th 18 seconds later on another fluky play. Seattle wins the draw; Chandler Stephenson sends a sublime cross-crease pass to Catton, who’s stick is along the goal line when he makes contact. Did it go off the post and in? Did it strike the skate of Kovacevic? Do any of the screaming fans at CPA care? Markstrom fishes the puck out of his net and fires it down ice in disgust.

The Kraken’s 30th-ranked penalty kill does what bad penalty kills do – give up goals. Hughes scores New Jersey’s second with the extra man to narrow the lead to 3-2 at 8:14. Seattle’s PK is 2-for-4.

New Jersey pulls their goalie for a sixth attacker, but oops! The puck, which hasn’t been the Devils friend today, hops over Hamilton’s stick at the right point. Cue the captain Eberle’s team-leading 18th goal into an empty net.

Up Next

Alex Ovechkin likely makes his last-ever appearance at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday when the Kraken host the Washington Capitals. The Great 8 has hinted that he’d like to return to Russia to finish his career when his contract expires at the end of the season.