Philipp Grubauer relishes the cheers that fill the arena when he’s making big saves for the Seattle Kraken. The chants of “Guru” echoed throughout the night, and they were well-earned as he delivered perhaps his best performance with the NHL’s newest team.
“It’s special because they don’t do it for everybody,” Grubauer said. “It’s unbelievable. I love to hear it.”
Grubauer made 35 saves, and Marcus Johansson scored the game-winning goal with just 3:08 remaining, giving the Kraken a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Coming off a season-high 37-save performance in a win over Washington three nights earlier, Grubauer followed it up with another stellar outing. He made 16 saves in the second period and 11 more in the third, helping Seattle secure a second consecutive win against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
Statistically, Grubauer struggled in the first month of the season, but his recent performances have shown significant improvement.
“He’s finding the puck through traffic. He’s seeing the puck and looks very calm and settled,” said Seattle coach Dave Hakstol. “You’ve got to read some plays very well, and we’ve definitely seen that tonight.”
Seattle won its second straight to close out a six-game homestand, handing the Hurricanes their third regulation loss. It was also Carolina’s second straight setback following an overtime loss to San Jose on Monday.
“Early in the year, we were getting a lot of bounces going our way, and now they’re not,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “If we play like that every game, we’ll get good results.”
Jared McCann scored on the power play at 4:16 of the second period, and Johansson provided the game-winner late in the third. Johansson circled behind the net and fired a wrist shot over Frederik Andersen’s left shoulder, scoring his second goal of the season and giving Seattle its first win when trailing after the first period.
“I saw a little bit of space between him and the post. The defenseman gave me a good screen, and I tried to get it through. It worked out,” Johansson said.
Brendan Smith gave Carolina an early lead at 18:32 of the first period, scoring on a slap shot from the point that slipped past Grubauer, who was screened by Jordan Staal.
But that was all Carolina could get past Grubauer, while Andersen finished with 20 saves.
“These last few games, teams are selling out to make those blocks, and they’re really competing,” Smith said. “We’re going to get the team’s best. We want it that way so when playoff time comes, we’ll be ready.”
Seattle tied the game in the second period as their power play, once dormant early in the season, continued its resurgence. McCann’s goal was his fifth on the power play, marking the fifth straight game with a power-play goal for the Kraken. Seattle has now converted on seven of its last 19 power-play opportunities after starting the season with just three goals in 38 chances.
Grubauer was outstanding when Carolina had the man advantage, showcasing the talent that prompted Seattle to invest heavily in him. He made a key stop on Andrei Svechnikov’s clear shot off a faceoff and lunged across the goal to rob Teuvo Teravainen of a sure goal. Grubauer also made a crucial save on Jordan Staal’s short-handed breakaway during Seattle’s power play.
In the third period, Grubauer continued to shine, making big saves on several odd-man rushes caused by turnovers from Seattle’s defense.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to their goalie,” Smith said. “He made some big saves at key moments.”
NOTES
Carolina played its second game without defenseman Ethan Bear, who tested positive for COVID-19 before Monday’s game in San Jose. Vince Dunn and Andrei Svechnikov received 5-minute penalties for fighting in the third period, with Svechnikov also getting a roughing penalty. Johansson has five points in his last five games against Carolina.
UP NEXT
- Hurricanes: Carolina wraps up its road trip at Philadelphia on Friday.
- Kraken: Seattle begins a four-game road trip at Tampa Bay on Friday.
