The St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken kicked off their 2024-25 seasons with a Tuesday matinee at Climate Pledge Arena. The visiting Blues came out on top 3-2 after erasing a 2-0 deficit. It was a tale of two halves, with Seattle dominating to start but St. Louis fighting back for their two points. The two teams are looking to make the playoffs after missing out last season.
Campbell Makes History
Jessica Campbell, one of Seattle’s assistant coaches, made history as she became the first female coach, head or assistant, to ever work behind the bench for an NHL club. A former player, she hung up the skates in 2017 and became an assistant and skills coach with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers in Germany. She then became an assistant coach for the men’s national team at the 2022 World Championship where the team reached the quarterfinals.
After that, Campbell spent two seasons with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League, making back-to-back Calder Cup Finals alongside Dan Bylsma. When the Kraken hired Bylsma as head coach this past offseason, Campbell followed.
Jessica Campbell's first game behind the bench with the @SeattleKraken is in the books. 🦑 #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/T1lOjDmIy6
— NHL (@NHL) October 8, 2024
Before the game, Campbell told NHL.com “The year ahead is going to be a lot of fun. But to know and to understand that obviously there’s still at the forefront the thoughts of other women and other people who have the same aspirations as I do… So, to carry that torch every day and keep my focus on being a coach, but it definitely puts meaning into the work.”
Game Summary
Although the first period ended without any goals, the Kraken controlled the game. They outshot the Blues 11-5 and had 1.55 expected goals (xG) to St. Louis’ 0.56. Seattle played with speed, creating several high-quality scoring opportunities on the rush.
Related: Blues Season Success Rides on Binnington & Hofer Goalie Tandem
Matty Beniers and Brandon Tanes were the Kraken’s top forwards in the first period, setting up multiple scoring chances each while facilitating play through the neutral and offensive zones. 27-year-old defenseman Will Borgen was as steady as ever, limiting Blues’ forwards from driving toward high-danger areas.
Seattle built on their strong first period with a Vince Dunn goal early in the second. Recently appointed captain, Jordan Eberle, won a puck battle with Colton Parayko to feed Dunn, who then proceeded to tuck in his own rebound to get the scoring going. Minutes later, Eeli Tolvanen doubled Seattle’s lead when he beautifully tipped in Ryker Evans’ shot from the point.
With 10:59 to go in the second period, Tanev tucked in a Jamie Oleksiak shot from the point but the goal was immedately called off due to offsides. Instantaneously, Parayko and Yanni Gourde got into an unrelated fight in the neutral zone, potentially stemming from a hit Parayko through moments prior. The fight generated the momentum shift St. Louis needed, as they proceeded to score three straight in a span of two minutes.
St. Louis’ first goal came from Jordan Kyrou on the powerplay. After receiving a breakout pass from Robert Thomas, he slid the puck five-hole on Philipp Grubauer to put the Blues on the board. 90 seconds later, Philip Broberg tied the game with a wrist shot, earning his first point with the Blues, thanks to a setup from Justin Faulk who notched his second assist of the game. Dylan Holloway also picked up an assist, marking his first point with the team.
Just 20 seconds after that, former Blue Jacket Alexandre Texier set up Kyrou on a breakaway, which he buried past Grubauer for his second goal of the afternoon. It was also Texier’s first point with St. Louis. Kyrou’s speed was a standout all game, and if he can build on this strong season debut, the Blues might be in better shape for a playoff run than many expect. After facing 28 shots through the first two periods, Jordan Binnington stopped all four he faced in the third, leading the Blues to a 3-2 win.
Blues and Kraken Standouts
Binnington was an obvious standout for the Blues, not only because he stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced, but also because of his poise and control in the crease. He looked confident and minimized rebounds. Even after giving up two quick goals in the second period, he stood tall and controlled the rest of the game. He finished his season debut with a .938 save percentage and 1.68 goals saved above expected.
Started the season on a WINNING note 🎶#stlblues | @SitemanCenter pic.twitter.com/FA9Hhl64Xc
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 8, 2024
Kyrou was also a standout for the Blues, finishing with two goals on just two shots, each of which stemmed from his speed. After scoring just 67 points (31 goals and 36 assists) last season, a bounceback from Kyrou feels inevitable and would be massive in the team’s playoff aspirations.
On the other side of the ice, Seattle’s defensive pairing of Evans and Borgen was dominant. In addition to contributing to Tolvanen’s goal, they held the Blues to just 0.092 xG during their nearly 13 minutes on the ice together. Though listed as the team’s third pairing, they outperformed all other pairings, giving Bylsma reason for optimism moving forward.
Despite having a concerning opening period, the Blues bounced back and will now look to build on their success this Thursday (Oct. 10) when they visit the San Jose Sharks. The Kraken will look to bounce back when they visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (Oct. 12).
