On Tuesday, Nov. 11, the Seattle Kraken hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets for their first game of the season. The Kraken started out strong, scoring the first goal in the first period. The Blue Jackets managed to tie up the game in the second period on a 5-on-3 power-play opportunity. With no goals scored in the third, the game went into overtime to decide the winner. Both teams failed to score in overtime, and in the shootout, it was the Blue Jackets who recorded the 2-1 win over the Kraken.
Winterton Scores Second NHL Goal
In the first period, it was Ryan Winterton who scored first for Seattle. Jaden Schwartz sent the puck around the end boards, where Ben Meyers picked it up and passed it down to Jamie Oleksiak. He sent it immediately back to Meyers, who skated the puck up to the net. He made a drop pass down to Winterton, who was skating up to the net. His shot flew past Jet Greaves to put Seattle on the board first.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Kraken’s 2-1 Loss to the Stars
This goal comes just three games after Winterton scored his first. He played on the fourth line alongside Meyers and Tye Kartye. This line was an unstoppable force last night and was the only one to score a goal for Seattle. All three of these players played a strong game, but of course, Winterton had a stronger one with his goal. It will be interesting to see how this line progresses throughout the homestand. We’ll see if Winterton can score any more goals throughout the next two games, or if Meyers can score his first and Kartye can score his second.
Murray Kept Kraken Alive
Matt Murray had an incredible game against Columbus, despite the loss. He made 33 saves on 34 shots, recording a .971 save percentage (SV%). This was his highest save percentage so far this season.
After the game, Murray spoke to the media, stating, “I was thankful to get in there to get the start for one, and I feel like I’ve been feeling a little bit better each and every game. That’s three starts now, and I felt better in each and every one, so we’re trending in the right direction.”
Based on his performance in this game, it is clear that Murray is, in fact, getting a little bit better each game. He kept the Kraken in the game and made every attempt to earn Seattle the win. In the end, the Blue Jackets got the best of him in the shootout.
This was a similar result to his last game against the Dallas Stars on Sunday as well. Murray played a phenomenal game, but the Stars just got the best of him. There is no reason for Murray to be down on himself after this performance. He has proved to himself and the rest of the team that he deserves to be in the crease more.
Kraken at Least Picked Up a Point
Although this was a tough loss, the Kraken still picked up a point in the standings. They are currently in third place, sandwiched between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Seattle has had eight games this season go into overtime so far, with five of them resulting in losses. On the plus side, every point counts.
The Kraken have had a very strong start to the season, arguably their strongest in their five seasons in the league. Even though this game resulted in a loss, the Kraken kept pace with Columbus and played until the bitter end; Seattle should be proud of their performance.
Kraken Staying Home
The Kraken will continue their three-game homestand, playing in their second game of three on Thursday, Nov. 13, when they host the Winnipeg Jets. This game marks the two teams’ second meeting of the season. On Oct. 23, the Kraken recorded their first shutout of the season, beating the Jets 3-0. Let’s see if they can keep this performance up the second time around.
