The Seattle Kraken were ready to get back into action after the 4 Nations Face-Off. The majority of the team had a break, with only Kaapo Kakko representing his country of Finland. They were well-rested and ready to take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. Seattle pulled out a 2-1 victory.
McCann Finally Breaks Goalless Streak
The game was tied heading into the third period. Shane Wright traveled with the puck down the ice. He swerved in and out of traffic, avoiding the Panthers players who attempted to defend him. Wright passed it to Adam Larsson in the center of the ice. Larsson sent a pass to Jared McCann as he got closer to the net. McCann let the puck fly, finding the back of the net. He not only broke the tie, but he scored the game-winning goal.
McCann went on a nine-game stretch before he finally scored again. His last goal before this one was on Jan. 20 against the Buffalo Sabres. He was the highest goal-scorer for the Kraken in the 2022-23 season, as he became the first player to reach 40 goals scored for Seattle in a single season. His performance took a dive last season, scoring 29 goals. McCann hasn’t been performing well this season either, scoring 15 goals so far. The nine-game slide did not help. Hopefully, this is the start of a scoring streak for him.
Kakko Shines in Seattle
While McCann scored the last goal of the night, Kakko was able to get the ball rolling. Wright had the puck by the boards off a pass from Jaden Schwartz. He sent it to Matty Beniers in the middle of the ice. Beniers passed to Kakko in the face-off circle. He skated up to the net, sending the puck under the legs of Sergei Bobrovsky. Kakko scored the first goal on Seattle’s first and only power-play chance.
Related: Shane Wright’s 2-Point Night Helps Kraken Defeat Panthers 2-1
On Dec. 18, Kakko was traded from the New York Rangers to the Kraken in exchange for Will Borgen and two draft picks. In the 25 games he has played with the Kraken, Kakko has earned a total of 18 points via six goals and 12 assists. He had 14 points earlier this season with the Rangers. He scored four goals and earned ten assists in 30 games. Thus, he has earned four more points in five fewer games with the Kraken, so he’s beginning to find success in Seattle.
The Kids Are All Wright
Wright earned an assist on each of the two goals scored in this game. For his full season in the NHL, he is demonstrating that he deserves a spot here.
Wright spent two seasons with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, honing his skills. He was called up to the NHL for eight games last season and the season prior. In the 2022-23 season, he scored one goal and one assist for a total of two points. In the 2023-24 season, he scored four goals and earned one assist for a total of five points.
His performance in Coachella Valley last season was incredible. In 59 games, he earned 47 points via 22 goals and 25 assists. His consistent performance showed he was ready for the next step.
In 55 games this season, Wright has scored 12 goals and earned 21 assists for a total of 33 points. On the Kraken leaderboard, he is in fifth place with his points total. He has been a solid performer for the team and his statistics continue to show that. The conditioning he received with the Firebirds prepared him for the NHL.
Next Up
The Kraken will head down to Tampa Bay, where they will play the Lightning on the second half of a back-to-back.
