Kaapo Kakko struck twice in the third period, Joey Daccord stopped 33 shots, and the Seattle Kraken erased an early two-goal deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 on Saturday.
Oliver Bjorkstrand broke a 2-2 tie with a net-front scramble goal at 3:08 of the third period. Kakko quickly extended the lead just 38 seconds later, and he added another on a power play less than two minutes after that.
Andre Burakovsky, Ryker Evans, and Brandon Tanev also found the back of the net as the Kraken snapped a four-game losing streak. Chandler Stephenson, Joshua Mahura, and Jared McCann each contributed two assists.
Buffalo scored with goals from Sam Lafferty and Jack Quinn in the first period. However, Seattle responded with six unanswered goals. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves for the Sabres, who had entered the game on a two-game winning streak.
Takeaways
Kraken: Seattle’s resilience shined as they rallied from a multi-goal deficit this season for the NHL-best sixth time. The comeback victory also helped the team recover from a tough 6-2 loss in Columbus on Thursday.
Sabres: Frustrated fans voiced their displeasure after the Sabres squandered their 15th lead of the season. Chants called for the firing of general manager Kevyn Adams, and the sale of the team by owner Terry Pegula echoed through the arena.
Key Moment
Bjorkstrand’s go-ahead goal came off a rebound that deflected off Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson and into the net after Luukkonen initially stopped Burakovsky’s shot.
Key Stat
The Kraken are a perfect 4-0-0 all-time in Buffalo, outscoring the Sabres 22-11 in those games.
Up Next
- Kraken: Travel to Detroit on Sunday for a five-game road trip.
- Sabres: Host Carolina on Wednesday after a three-day break.
