The Seattle Kraken have finally found their groove. Hosting the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, they were able to come away with a 5-1 win.
Bjorkstrand with Two Goals and a Milestone
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored not one, but two goals last night.
His first goal of the night was a mere six seconds after the Bruins were sent to the penalty box; David Pastrnak received a double minor for high-sticking Jamie Oleksiak. Just 24 seconds into the game, Bjorkstrand scored for his team. Chandler Stephenson won the faceoff for the Kraken and immediately passed the puck to Matty Beniers. From the faceoff circle, he saw Bjorkstrand at the front of the net. He passed to Bjorkstrand, who tipped it into the net and scored the first goal of the night for the Kraken.
This goal was also Bjorkstrand’s 50th as a member of the Kraken. Congrats to him for earning this milestone goal!
His second goal of the night came about during the third period. Eeli Tolvanen was able to get the puck off a bad pass from the Bruins. He passed it to Shane Wright, who in turn passed it to Bjorkstrand. From the middle of the ice, he took the shot and was able to find the back of the net.
Bjorkstrand continues to be a consistent playmaker for the Kraken. In 30 games this season, he has scored 11 goals and earned 11 assists for a total of 22 points so far. He is tied with Jared McCann for most goals this season. He is also second place in overall points for the team, trailing McCann by four points. He has been a great asset to the team since joining in the expansion draft, however, this season he is really coming into his own.
Third Line Creating Plays
Not only is Bjorkstrand a great asset to the team, but his linemates are as well. The third line of Bjorkstrand, Tolvanen, and Shane Wright was a force to be reckoned with throughout the entire game. As mentioned above, Bjorkstrand scored two goals. Wright also earned two assists and Tolvanen earned one as well.
Related: Seattle Kraken Have to Immediately Address Their Big Issues
Lately, head coach Dan Bylsma has been changing the lines every game. He has clearly been trying to find something that works, since the beginning of the season was off to a rocky start. This line was pure magic in this game, ideally one that will stay together for the rest of the season. Between the points earned by the members of the third line, as well as their ability to keep puck control and play on the penalty kill, the chemistry these three have together on the ice is a beautiful thing.
Since Yanni Gourde was out with an injury, Wright stepped up to play center with Tolvanen and Bjorkstrand. Once Gourde is back in the lineup, he’s going to need to find some new linemates. This triple threat cannot be broken up.
Grubauer Kept the Kraken Alive
Phillipp Grubauer played an exceptional game. If it wasn’t for that penalty shot, the Kraken would have had a shutout win against the Bruins. The Bruins had 34 shots on goal. They had some good chances to make the score a lot closer, but it was Grubauer’s reflexes and saves that kept the team in the game. He had a save percentage of .971, which is his highest save percentage in his last five games. Fans are very quick to fault the goalie for a bad game, but it doesn’t seem like they’ll be blaming him now after their incredible performance.
Keep This Up
The Kraken continue to stay at home when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Dec. 14.
