The Seattle Kraken opened their 2022-2023 season with a very frustrating 5-4 overtime loss out in Anaheim on Wednesday night. The new roster changes made by General Manager Ron Francis certainly played a factor in the team getting the point, but still, ultimately, was a frustrating result. It’s still extremely early, but a very encouraging night for the Kraken’s new and young pieces. Taking on an Anaheim Ducks team on the road with high expectations for this season was already a tough task. Having some careless penalties and poor goaltending certainly didn’t help.
In the opening period, less than a minute in, the Anaheim Ducks opened the scoring. American winger Troy Terry continued right where he left off last season, putting one up high on Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer. A turnover by Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak led Troy to get a wide-open shot in the slot and make no mistake with it. Around the mid-way mark of the first period, Seattle’s forward Jared McCann tied the game. A vintage McCann style snipe top corner on Ducks goalie John Gibson. This was Seattle’s first power-play goal of the season, and wow, was it ever perfectly executed. It’s also interesting to note that this was the Kraken’s franchise record for shots in a period with 22. Great start for the Kraken after giving up an early goal that could have derailed the game early.
In the middle frame of this overtime thriller, it was newly signed Seattle Kraken forward Andre Burakovsky who opened the scoring. Only thirty-eight seconds in, a beautiful shot on the power-play went right by Gibson to give the Kraken the lead. This was Seattle’s second power-play goal on the night and another one that was well set up. Just over five minutes later, another newly added Kraken forward put the team up another. Forward Oliver Bjorkstrand walked into the slot and ripped one up high. A crucial screen in front of Gibson by Wennberg led to Seattle’s third power-play goal of the game. As we neared the end of the second period, it was now newly signed Ducks forward Ryan Strome who had something to say in this one. A strong power play goal for Anaheim snatched momentum from the Kraken after they dominated most of the game.
In the third period, things started off entertaining with a scrap between Ducks forward Max Comtois and Kraken’s defenseman Will Borgen. Both sides were throwing haymakers but eventually stopped as they fell to the ice. Young Kraken center Matty Beniers gave the Kraken an insurance goal a few minutes later, taking the momentum back. Kraken were up by two with half the third period to go, but when all things were looking to be over, it was certainly not. A quick wrister up high from newly signed Ducks forward Frank Vatrano got the Ducks back in it with just over ten minutes remaining. Four minutes later, a tough penalty by Kraken’s Ryan Donato led the Ducks franchise player Trevor Zegras to tie the game on the power play. A beautiful slap shot up high on Grubauer blasted the roof off the Honda Center.
In overtime, The Ducks started pressing as the Kraken tried to slow down the game. It was a Kraken odd-man rush that led to a beautiful play by Ducks goaltender John Gibson who made the save, Then hit forward Troy Terry on the stride for him to score a nifty breakaway in tight on Grubauer. Despite outshooting the Ducks 48-27, the Kraken fell short in the season opener.
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