On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the Seattle Kraken kicked off their four-game homestand with two convincing wins: a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and a 6-4 triumph against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

The Kings arrived in Seattle boasting a stingy defense, having allowed just five goals in their previous six games. The Kraken, led by Jaden Schwartz, dismantled that narrative by piling on four goals. Schwartz delighted the home crowd with the first hat trick at Climate Pledge Arena this season.

Meanwhile, the struggling Sabres, sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 39 points, couldn’t keep pace in Monday’s matinee game. The Kraken swept the season series against Buffalo, scoring 12 goals over the two matchups.

Takeaway #1: Daccord comes up big

Joey Daccord earned third-star honors against the Kings, delivering a standout performance in the face of a relentless third-period push. The Kraken entered the final frame with a 3-2 lead but found themselves on their heels, managing just one shot on goal. Head coach Dan Bylsma reflected, “[Chandler Stephenson] got us the goal to get up 3-2. [In the] third period we battened down the hatches a little too much, but we were up to the task, and Joey [Daccord] was up to the task.”

Daccord turned aside 16 third-period shots, including a shorthanded 2-on-0 break and multiple scrambles in front of the net. He preserved the lead until the Kraken sealed the game with an empty-net goal.

In Monday’s game against the Sabres, Daccord continued to deliver timely saves, including another shorthanded breakaway stop.

Takeaway #2: Schwartz, Beniers, and Kakko shine

The line of Jaden Schwartz, Matty Beniers, and Kaapo Kakko combined for eight points across the two games, with most of the damage coming against the Kings. Schwartz’s hat trick was supported by Kakko, who assisted on all three goals, and Beniers, who provided the primary assist on the second tally. Their chemistry is quickly becoming a bright spot for the Kraken.

Kakko’s unselfish play was on full display, particularly when he set up Schwartz for the hat-trick-clinching goal. Schwartz’s post-practice praise on Jan. 18 clearly resonated, as Kakko consistently fed his linemate with precision passes.

Beniers also contributed a power-play goal against Buffalo. He logged an impressive 22:12 of ice time in Monday’s game, leading all skaters (forwards and defensemen).

Takeaway #3: Josh Mahura’s hit and team physicality

Josh Mahura (“Muzzie”) delivered one of the season’s best hits against the Kings, an open-ice masterpiece that fired up the Kraken bench and led directly to a goal. The hit not only separated Warren Foegele from the puck but also set up a 2-on-1 break, culminating in Schwartz’s second goal of the night just eight seconds later. Quinton Byfield wanted to drop the gloves with Mahura, but Mahura smartly declined, allowing the play to develop and the goal to be scored.

Bylsma commented on the impact of the play, “The hit, I don’t want to say it woke us up because I think we were in the match before that, but the hit was a huge play, [a] statement in the middle of the ice, and we were able to answer back with a goal by Schwartzy.”

The physicality carried over to the Sabres game, where John Hayden registered three hits and scored a critical response goal just 27 seconds after Buffalo took a 1-0 lead. The Kraken never trailed for the remainder of that game.

Bylsma on the fourth line's response goal and role tonight.

"You want the fourth line to provide energy, you want them to provide physicality. You want them to provide, you know, put the other team back on their heels when they get the opportunity. But you know, tonight, right… pic.twitter.com/atAslayXXH

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 21, 2025

Bonus Takeaway: Response goals

“Response goal” became the buzz phrase of the weekend as the Kraken answered opponent tallies within three minutes on five occasions. Against Buffalo, they achieved this three times in under a minute, keeping momentum firmly in their favor.

Offense came from up and down the lineup, with goals from Schwartz, Chandler Stephenson, John Hayden, Jamie Oleksiak, and Jared McCann. Every time the Kings or Sabres tried to claw back into the game, the Kraken had an answer, ensuring they secured all four points from the weekend.

Wrapping it up

After coming off a hard-fought loss to the Winnipeg Jets to close out their road trip, the Kraken played well in that game and carried that momentum into these two victories. Both games saw the Kraken come out ready to play, with the first goal of the homestand scored just 28 seconds into the opener against the Kings.

The Kraken will now get a few days of rest before facing the high-flying Washington Capitals on Thursday, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.