Kole Lind, Jordan Eberle, and Yanni Gourde all found the back of the net in the first period as the Seattle Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Philipp Grubauer made 25 saves to help secure Seattle’s third straight win. Rookie Matty Beniers contributed an assist, becoming the first rookie this season to record a point in each of his first four NHL games.
“We got off to the start that we needed,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “Playing with a lead against Colorado is crucial, and we managed to do that. Different players stepped up at key moments, leading to a solid team victory.”
Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen scored for the Avalanche, while Pavel Francouz stopped 26 shots. Colorado, which has already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, has now lost two consecutive games after a nine-game winning streak. The Avalanche remain tied with Florida at 116 points in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy.
“We weren’t working hard enough,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “We weren’t ready to play at the start, and the Kraken have been playing some good hockey lately. They played hard from start to finish.”
Lind opened the scoring just 1:12 into the game with a backhand shot for his second-season goal.
Beniers assisted Eberle’s goal at 5:23, extending Seattle’s lead to 2-0. It was Eberle’s 19th goal of the season.
“In the first 10 minutes, they scored a few quick goals,” Colorado’s Nazem Kadri said. “That set us back. We settled in and controlled the game more, but the slow start hurt us.”
Seattle made it 3-0 when Jared McCann’s shot from the point deflected off Colorado defenseman Bowen Byram and Gourde, finding its way into the net with 5:16 left in the first period. It was Gourde’s 18th goal.
“Going up 3-0 on any team is a bonus,” Eberle said. “But against a team like Colorado, you know they have the firepower to return. I thought we did a good job limiting their chances.”
Makar put Colorado on the board with his 27th goal with 2:23 left in the first, and Lehkonen added his 17th in the third period to close the gap to 3-2 with 3:40 remaining.
“You have to trust every aspect of your game,” Hakstol said. “We’re seeing a lot of that now. The guys are playing well together and following the plan.”
STRONG START
Matty Beniers, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, is off to an impressive start in his NHL career. He’s the first rookie with an expansion team to record a point in each of his first four games since Bernie Johnston (1979-80). The longest such streak is six games, held by Wayne Gretzky (1979-80). Beniers has been making his mark with a point in each of his four games since his debut against Calgary last Tuesday.
Game Notes
Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen missed the game due to a non-COVID-related illness. Nazem Kadri returned to the lineup after an upper-body injury, playing for the first time since March 31. With an assist on Gourde’s goal, Jared McCann recorded his 200th NHL point. The Kraken honored linesman Vaughan Rody, who officiated his final NHL game in his 21st season. Rody is a resident of Lake Stevens, Wash.
UP NEXT
- Avalanche: At Edmonton on Friday night.
- Kraken: At Minnesota on Friday night.
