The Seattle Kraken are underway against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Climate Pledge Arena, and we’re pleased to share we’re bringing back the Live Blog! This will serve as a means to keep track of events as the game rolls along.
We will update this article with highlights throughout, so check back often!
Kraken at Maple Leafs
Pre-game notes
The Kraken come into tonight looking to avenge the drubbing Saturday night at the hands of the Minnesota Wild, losing 5-1. With a record of 7-4-1, they sit in third place in the Pacific Division. With the injury to forward Jared McCann, tonight will mark the season debut for Finnish forward Jani Nyman, who was called up over the weekend from AHL Coachella Valley.
At the time of the call-up, Nyman was tied for first in the AHL with nine goals in the first nine games of the season. He will slot in on a line with Chandler Stephenson and Mackie Samoskevich.
A player to keep an eye on tonight for the Kraken is forward Berkly Catton, who has been kicking it into gear lately, riding a career-long four-game point streak. Watch him at the face-off dot, especially if any of those come in the defensive zone.
As for the opposition, the Maple Leafs are changing up their forward lines tonight. With the injury to newly acquired Kirill Marchenko, it means for the first time, we’ll be seeing Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna on a line together, playing with Jack Roslovic.
KRAKEN LINES:
Bobby McMann – Matty Beniers – Jordan Eberle
Shane Wright – Berkly Catton – Kaapo Kakko
Jani Nyman – Chandler Stephenson – Mackie Samoskevich
Freddy Gaudreu – Ben Meyers – Ryan Winterton
Vince Dunn – Adam Larsson
Ryker Evans – Brandon Montour
Josh Mahura – Cale Fleury
Philipp Grubauer
Joey Daccord
MAPLE LEAFS LINES:
Gavin McKenna – Auston Matthews – Jack Roslovic
Easton Cowan – Nick Paul – William Nylander
Bo Groulx – Colton Sissons – Vinni Lettieri
Brandon Duhaime – Teddy Blueger – Zack MacEwen
Jake McCabe – Darren Raddysh
Morgan Reilly – Troy Stetcher
Dakota Mermis – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz
FIRST PERIOD
SEA GOAL: Berkly Catton makes moves down the slot and snipes backhand on Sergei Bobrovsky to make it 1-0 Seattle. Assists to Samoskevich and Montour at 17:59 of the frame. Catton extends his point streak to five games.
Grubauer makes a few saves in the first six minutes to help ease into the game.
1-0 at first media timeout. Shots 6-2 Toronto at 13:33.
Catton continues to deke and dangle in the offensive zone tonight. Second media timeout, shots 8-5 at 7:16 remaining.
End of period penalty kill for the Kraken, as Catton is called two minutes for holding at 2:24. Toronto to its first power-play of the night.
TOR GOAL: Leafs convert with 22 seconds left in the power-play, as Gavin McKenna goes post-and-in to tie the game at 1-1. Kraken had a few chances to clear before McKenna sniped it home, assists to Auston Matthews and Darren Raddysh. Toronto had three shots on goal on the man-advantage.
1-1 after one from CPA. Shots are 14-6 in favor of Toronto. Leafs star forward William Nylander led the period with three shots on goal.
SECOND PERIOD
SEA GOAL: 16 seconds into the frame, a 2-on-1 develops as Mahura flies down the left side and fires home a pass from Ben Meyers. The Kraken lead 2-1.
Ryker Evans to the box for hooking at 18:41. Toronto is 1-for-1 on the power play on the night.
TOR GOAL: Gavin McKenna converts with his second power-play goal of the night, receiving a no-look pass from Auston Matthews and one-timing it home. Tying the game at 2-2.
Vinny Lettieri with a tripping penalty at 17:42. Kraken to the power play for the first time tonight.
SEA GOAL: Chandler Stephenson with a power play regains the lead for Seattle, 3-2.
Easton Cowan to the box with a slashing penalty at 15:11 remaining. The Kraken are 1-for-1 on the power play thus far on the night. Leafs kill.
McKenna to the box for tripping at 12:17. Seattle is 1-for-2 on the power play tonight. Leafs kill.
The Kraken are clicking on the odd man rushes in this period. Plenty of opportunities to extend the lead further.
SEA GOAL: The Kraken offense is ROLLING in the second, as Ryker Evans from the left face-off with a straight snipe over the glove of Sergei Bobrovsky extends the lead to 4-2. Assists to Samoskevich and Stephenson at 9:02.
Big dudes go at it, as Seattle’s Cale Fleury and Toronto’s Vinny Lettieri drop the gloves.
Good opportunity for the Kraken to extend the lead even further as Toronto’s Zac MacEwen is called for a delay of game minor at 4:15. Seattle is 1-for-3 on the powerplay on the night. Leafs kill.
The Kraken lead 4-2 after an eventful second period from CPA. Despite trailing the full-game shot total 16-14, the Kraken outshot the Leafs 8-2 in the period, holding Toronto to just one shot on goal at 5-on-5.
THIRD PERIOD
Nyman has had a quiet night in his season debut, just 6:42 of ice-time thus far tonight. Freddy Gaudreau has split time between line two and four to supplement.
As we say that, Nyman immediately draws a penalty from Toronto’s Dakota at 13:57. The Kraken are 1-for-4 on the power play thus far tonight.
Leafs draw a penalty to negate the Kraken PP.
TOR GOAL: A high-slot shot from Easton Cowan at 4-on-4 caroms directly out to Jack Roslovic, who fires it in from the left circle to cut the Kraken lead to 4-3 with 11:58 left in regulation. Additional assist to Troy Stetcher. ‘Fasten your seatbelts’ time for Seattle.
Dueling “Let’s go Kraken”, “Go Leafs go” chants as we approach the final stages of this one.
TOR GOAL: Leafs pull Bobrovsky, and relentless pressure from the man-advantage sees Auston Matthews tie the game on a one-timer with 1:30 remaining in the third. Gutting blow for Seattle, which led 4-2 entering the period.