Andre Burakovsky netted the go-ahead goal midway through the second period, propelling the Seattle Kraken to a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle, Daniel Sprong, and Yanni Gourde also scored, helping Seattle snap a three-game losing streak. Martin Jones made 23 saves as the Kraken improved to 3-1 all-time against the Panthers, including 2-0 in Florida.
“We wanted to get back to who we are,’’ said Seattle coach Dave Hakstol. “We had lost three in a row, so we needed that 60-minute performance to push back in the right direction. Our players did that. I thought we were pretty consistent, and our special teams were solid and contributed to the win. Goaltending was solid. That’s what it takes to get a good road win.”
Eric Staal and Chris Tierney scored for the Panthers, who have lost two straight and three of their last four. Sergei Bobrovsky, starting for the second consecutive night with Spencer Knight out due to illness, made 27 saves.
“There were an awful lot of difficulties in some basic things in our game,’’ said Florida coach Paul Maurice. “We had trouble moving the puck. There are physical and mental turnovers, and we had a bit of both. … As the game wore on, you saw the mental aspect. We started slightly off, then they pushed, and I don’t think we found a way to get better during the game.”
Seattle took an early lead 1:04 into the game when Beniers capitalized on a turnover deep in the Florida zone, scoring his 11th goal of the season.
The Panthers tied it up at 7:34 of the second period when Staal scored his first goal in over 18 months. The veteran center, who didn’t play in the NHL last season, signed a one-year deal with Florida in October.
Burakovsky restored Seattle’s lead 1:31 later with his 10th goal of the season.
Florida failed to capitalize on a power-play opportunity in the third period, and Eberle extended Seattle’s lead to 3-1 shortly after it ended, scoring his seventh goal at 7:15.
“It was a much better effort than we’ve seen lately,’’ said Gourde. “It was a much more complete game; our competitive level was higher. Everything was better tonight.”
The Panthers’ Ryan Lomberg received a two-minute penalty for roughing and a five-minute major for boarding a little over four minutes later. The Kraken took advantage, with Sprong scoring on the power play with 4:51 left, marking his sixth goal of the season.
Gourde sealed the game with an empty-netter with 2:38 remaining, making it 5-1. Tierney added a late goal for Florida with 1:17 left to round out the scoring.
Game Notes
- The Panthers continue to face player illnesses. Captain Aleksander Barkov missed six games before returning Thursday night, center Anton Lundell has missed four, and Spencer Knight has been out for three.
- Defenseman Radko Gudas is in concussion protocol after an injury in Seattle on Dec. 3.
Up Next
Kraken: Visit Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
Panthers: Host Columbus on Tuesday night.
