It wasn’t the victory the city of Seattle really wanted on Sunday, but not a bad start.
It was a double-feature Sunday for many of the fans in attendance at Climate Pledge Arena who planned on watching or attending the NFC Championship Game later, and dressed for the occasion. The Kraken game time moved up an hour last week so no one had to choose.
After being criticized by their coach following their latest defeat on Friday, the Kraken took down an opponent they had never defeated in regulation. Seattle defeated the New Jersey Devils, 4-2.
A Kraken team with a troubling tradition of showing up late started right on time. Dougie Hamilton opened the scoring for New Jersey 8:11 into the game, a perfectly respectable time by recent Seattle standards. In fact it’s the latest first goal allowed since Jan. 6.
In eight of the Kraken’s past nine games, they’ve allowed at least one opponent goal by the five-minute mark. In the ninth game, it took 5:44.
Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren put a big, clean hit on Ondrej Palat and Palat’s teammate, Dawson Mercer, wanted an answer for it. He took on Lindgren, gloves flew and Mercer picked up an instigator penalty in addition to the five for fighting both players received.
The Kraken had allowed a short-handed goal in four of five games, but avoided that on Sunday. They did almost allow a goal out of the penalty box. Goaltender Joey Daccord was banging away, letting his teammates know New Jersey’s Paul Cotter was rejoining the play, but he still found himself one-on-one with the Devils forward. Daccord made the stop.
Defenseman Ryker Evans’ longshot deflected off a Devil’s stick and tied the game 7:37 into the second period. New Jersey netminder Jacob Markstrom felt the puck dribbling through him and dove backward but got there too late.
Evans is wearing a face shield after he was clipped with a high stick from his own teammate. His cut lip required stitches.
Two days after he set a franchise record with 10 hits in a game, Kraken winger Jacob Melanson picked up his first NHL penalty for holding. The penalty kill was a slog for Seattle. Daccord did his job, Chandler Stephenson blocked a pair of shots and Jaden Schwartz threw himself in front of a booming Timo Meier bid to finish off the two minutes.
The scoring stalemate lasted almost 20 minutes, then Matty Beniers took matters into his own hands. He dragged the puck around a cluster of Devils and roofed a shot. He clearly liked it, twirling his stick back into its invisible scabbard with a celebratory yell.
Eighteen seconds later, the Kraken had a two-goal lead. Stephenson won a faceoff, then drifted across the ice and set up 20-year-old Berkly Catton, who is living with the Stephenson family during his rookie season.
Catton looked shocked, then pleased when the goal horn went off. He was facing the boards when the puck slid across the line and he stumbled into the celebration of his fifth NHL goal.
Jordan Eberle’s team-leading 18th goal of the season was an empty netter.
New Jersey got one back with their second power-play goal of the afternoon. The Kraken penalty kill finished 2-for-4, while the power play was 0-for-4.
Daccord made 26 saves, and the Kraken (23-19-9) picked up their first win with him in net since that Jan. 6 game against the Boston Bruins. Daccord’s latest attempt at the empty-net goal he wants badly was thwarted by a quick whistle. The official seemingly thought Daccord had smothered the puck, when he had greater ambitions for it.
The Devils entered the game 7-0-2 against the Kraken all-time and had won the past six games, including a 3-2 overtime on Jan. 14. The more recent overtime loss was two and a half seasons ago, on Jan. 19, 2023.