Philipp Grubauer wasn’t exaggerating when he said it had been a while since his last shutout—nearly two years, to be exact. This shutout came at a crucial time for the Seattle Kraken, as they strive to stay in the playoff hunt with the trade deadline approaching.
Grubauer made 33 saves, earning his first shutout of the season, while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alex Wennberg scored to lead the Kraken to a 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
Grubauer was outstanding for the second consecutive game, recording the 21st regular-season shutout of his career and his first since April 7, 2022, against Chicago.
“It’s been a while for myself, but obviously it’s more important to get those points than to get the shutout. … It’s huge for the team, too, because everybody played their part,” Grubauer said.
Seattle secured two vital points in their bid to remain relevant in the Western Conference wild-card race, especially with the looming trade deadline. The Kraken have won three of their last four games and have points in six of their past seven.
Pittsburgh’s three-game win streak was snapped, leaving them seven points behind Philadelphia in the division race and eight points back of Tampa Bay for the wild card. Despite having games in hand over both teams, the loss halted the momentum they gained from a comeback overtime victory in Vancouver earlier this week.
“I think this time of the year that’s what we have to go for; a lot of teams are playing defense a lot stiffer, and I think you’re going to see a lot lower scoring games just with how tight the conference and the divisions are,” said Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, who made 26 saves in the loss.
Grubauer was impressive earlier this week in Seattle’s shootout victory over Boston, stopping all three attempts in the shootout. He faced a barrage of shots from the Penguins, making 18 saves in the first period alone, including a spectacular stop on Jeff Carter, who played in his 1,300th career game.
Grubauer continued his strong performance in the second period, including a key save on Jansen Harkins. Seattle limited Pittsburgh’s opportunities in the third period, allowing only five shots on Grubauer in the final 20 minutes.
Pittsburgh was shut out for the third time this season, the first since December 16 against Toronto.
“Our goaltending has been a big factor for us, and both guys have done a great job and, obviously, tonight (Grubauer) with the shutout, he should be proud of his effort,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.
Bjorkstrand scored for the second straight game, following a 15-game stretch where Seattle’s All-Star representative had only one goal and six assists. He swatted a puck out of the air and past Jarry at 12:25 of the first for his 15th goal.
Wennberg added his ninth goal off a scramble in front of the Pittsburgh net during a Seattle power play at 15:02 of the third period.
“I feel like the third period, we were determined to win this game, and that’s all that matters,” Wennberg said.
UP NEXT
- Penguins: At Calgary on Saturday.
- Kraken: Host Edmonton on Saturday.
