The Seattle Kraken paid the New York Islanders a visit on Dec. 5. While the Islanders were hoping to sneak a win out of the visiting team after falling to them last month, it was the Kraken who once again reigned victorious, pulling out a 5-2 win over the Islanders.
Dunn Stuns With 3 Points
After being on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), Vince Dunn finally made his return on Nov. 30 and has now played in the last three games with the Kraken. Although the past two games were also important, his impact on last night’s game was significant. He was able to earn himself three points, with one goal and two assists.
These numbers, as well as his performance overall, are something to be celebrated. Before Dunn was back in the lineup, the defensive pairings looked sloppy. With him back, the team actually looks cohesive out on the ice. The Kraken are finally beginning to look like a real hockey team.
Before Dunn’s return on Nov. 30, the last game he played was on Oct. 17. With 19 games missed, this would usually be a cause for concern. Perhaps all that bed rest did him some good, as he has never appeared more fired up within a game. He’s back in action, and clearly ready to help his teammates win some games. This was only his seventh game of the season, but the three points he earned put his point total at seven for the season, between two goals and five assists.
Wright Deserves to Be in the Lineup
For several games, head coach Dan Bylsma was making Shane Wright a healthy scratch. After some time to work on his skills and hone his talents, it appears Wright is finally making the plays that Bylsma expects of him.
In the second period, Wright was able to net the fourth goal of the game for the Kraken on the power play. His power-play goal was a work of art, thanks to the help of Brandon Montour. He passed the puck to Wright from the blue line, where Wright was waiting at the faceoff circle. Although far from the net, Wright was able to find an opening and sneak the puck through the Islanders’ defense.
Wright was a healthy scratch for a long stretch of November. In one of those games, he was able to get a bird’s eye view and watch the game with general manager (GM) Ron Francis. This seemed to benefit not only Wright, but the team as a whole. Although it is unfortunate that he was unable to play for a while, he is beginning to play like himself again. He had a great season in Coachella Valley, constantly making plays for the Firebirds. Now it’s time to put those skills to the test at the NHL level.
Related: Kraken’s Shane Wright Still Searching for Consistency
So far, he has played in 24 games in the 2024-25 season. He has scored a total of five goals and earned three assists for a total of eight points. Both Bylsma and Francis believe in Wright. With their coaching style and encouragement, Wright can begin to make even more strong plays.
Kraken Finally Score on the Power Play
While Wright was able to capitalize on the extra man advantage in the later part of the game, Oliver Bjorkstrand was able to do this earlier as well. In the first period, he was able to score the second goal of the game on the power play. Dunn passed the puck to Bjorkstrand, who was able to tip it into the net from up front.
So far this season, their power play percentage has been 16.7%, making the Kraken one of the lowest-ranked power play teams in the NHL. The fact that they were able to score on both power plays they received is an incredible feat for the season. Now, if they could just keep this momentum up.
Tomorrow Is Another Day
The Kraken have back-to-back games, where they face off against the New Jersey Devils for the third game of this four-game East Coast road trip.
