Joey Daccord made a spectacular double save on Connor McMichael, using his right pad to stop the initial shot and then kicking out the rebound.
“That was pretty cool,” Daccord said. “It’s nice when those are going your way.”
Daccord’s outstanding performance helped the Seattle Kraken secure their eighth consecutive win, defeating the Washington Capitals 4-1 on Thursday night. This victory tied the longest winning streak in the franchise’s three-year history and extended their current run to 10-0-2 in their past 12 games.
“We’re playing well and doing the right things,” said Tye Kartye, who broke a nine-game goal drought with his first goal since Dec. 14. “We’re not focused on the streak. We’re just taking it game by game.”
Alex Wennberg and defensemen Justin Schultz and Adam Larsson also scored for the Kraken. Seattle hasn’t lost since before Christmas, a stretch that included Daccord’s shutout in the Winter Classic.
Daccord, in his first full NHL season, improved to 7-0-0 in his past eight games, boasting a 1.14 goals-against average and a .966 save percentage during this span. He has taken on a larger role in the net since Philipp Grubauer’s injury and could start three more times on this road trip.
“It’s easier to find your groove when you’re playing a lot,” Daccord said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m just trying to enjoy it and ride the wave.”
Seattle’s success is due not only to Daccord’s stellar play but also to balanced scoring. Kartye and Larsson became the 15th and 16th players to score during this streak.
“We play pretty evenly throughout the whole team,” Kartye said. “When everybody’s contributing, it bodes well for us.”
Wennberg netted his second consecutive game-winner, and Schultz scored his second goal in five games. The Kraken have surged into playoff contention in the Western Conference after losing 12 of their first 17 games.
The Capitals, who had been struggling, have now lost seven of their last nine games despite increased production from Alex Ovechkin. The captain assisted on Max Pacioretty’s first goal since re-tearing his right Achilles tendon about a year ago.
“I’ve been getting more comfortable, but you still want to win and contribute more,” Pacioretty said. “We had a couple of chances to get within one, and you never know if you bury one of those and the crowd gets into it.”
Darcy Kuemper conceded four goals on 23 shots. Washington welcomed back T.J. Oshie from an 11-game absence but played without All-Star Tom Wilson, who has a broken nose.
Upcoming Games
- Kraken: At Columbus on Saturday night.
- Capitals: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday to open a home-and-home, back-to-back set.
