The Seattle Kraken surged in the third period, scoring three goals to secure a 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday night.
Jaden Schwartz broke a 2-2 tie with 12:38 remaining, followed by Matty Beniers adding his sixth goal of the season to extend the lead. Jared McCann sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:49 left, capping a spirited first-ever matchup between the two teams.
Utah struck first with a power-play goal by Logan Cooley in the opening period. However, Yanni Gourde tied it for Seattle with 1:54 remaining in the first, and Andre Burakovsky followed 51 seconds later with a deflection to put the Kraken ahead.
Alexander Kerfoot tied the game at 2-2 late in the second period, sneaking one past Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer ended the night with 28 saves, matching the total of Utah’s Karel Vejmelka.
Kaapo Kakko, a recent acquisition for Seattle, made an immediate impact in his first home game, notching two assists.
Takeaways
Utah: The team’s offensive struggles continued, as they managed two or fewer goals in their past three games. Utah has only won twice this season when scoring fewer than three goals.
Seattle: The Kraken are thriving in late-game situations, with this being their second straight game scoring three goals in the third period.
Key Moment
Schwartz redeemed himself in the third period after having a goal disallowed in the first due to an offside call. His eventual game-winning goal proved pivotal in securing Seattle’s momentum.
Key Stat
3 — Jaden Schwartz had a standout three-point night, scoring his 12th goal of the season and adding assists on goals by Gourde and Burakovsky. It was his second three-point performance of the season.
Up Next
Utah visits the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, while Seattle stays home to host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
