After nearly three weeks without a win, the Seattle Kraken ended their eight-game losing streak in style, showcasing a performance reminiscent of their previous season’s success.
Joey Daccord stopped 24 shots to secure his first career shutout, and Kailer Yamamoto kicked off the scoring with the first of two goals from Seattle’s fourth line in a 4-0 triumph over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
“To get a shutout in the NHL, especially against such a high-caliber team with a lot of good players and an incredible goalie over there, it hasn’t really sunk in yet. But it’s pretty special, for sure,” Daccord said.
Yamamoto netted his fourth goal of the season early in the second period, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare added his third with 14:01 left in the third period, thanks to a terrific pass from rookie defenseman Ryker Evans, who earned his first career point. Alex Wennberg scored his fourth goal at 9:13 of the third period, and Eeli Tolvanen capped off the night with an empty-netter with 3:51 remaining.
Both Yamamoto and Bellemare finished with a goal and an assist, while Will Borgen contributed two assists. This victory marked Seattle’s first win since defeating San Jose the day before Thanksgiving.
“We needed two points. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who scored, who did what. We wanted two points, and we were the hungrier team, I think,” Bellemare said.
Getting contributions from across the lineup was a key element of Seattle’s 2022-23 playoff run but has been inconsistent this season. The recent losing streak was the Kraken’s longest since a nine-game skid early in their inaugural 2021-22 season. However, the win against the Panthers demonstrated Seattle’s ability to compete with top-tier teams.
“For the guys to be able to let loose, enjoy a good win knowing that they worked for it, that’s huge,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.
Daccord was reliable and made crucial saves when necessary, including a stop on Aaron Ekblad during a 2-on-1 rush early in the first period. The Kraken also effectively limited the Panthers’ dangerous opportunities, holding them without a shot on goal during any of their three power plays.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for Florida, but the Panthers saw their three-game winning streak snapped. Florida had scored at least three goals in each of their previous five games but was shut out for the third time this season.
“They were really good tonight. We were off it a little bit. We didn’t generate as much as we normally (do) and then chased the game a little bit, possibly, in the third,” said Florida coach Paul Maurice.
Yamamoto’s goal came 3:06 into the second period on a stretch pass from Borgen that sent him in alone against Bobrovsky. Yamamoto lifted his shot over Bobrovsky’s glove, giving Seattle just their second lead in the past nine games. It was also the first goal from Seattle’s fourth line since November 24 against Vancouver.
Holding a 1-0 lead after the second period was the first time Seattle led going into the third since their 7-1 win over the Sharks on November 22.
Upcoming Games
- Panthers: Continue their road trip at Vancouver on Thursday.
- Kraken: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
