The Kraken closed out their four‑game road trip through Calgary and California with the kind of gritty, resilient win that was a staple of this team in the early stages of the season, edging the Kings 3–2 to complete the first three-game Golden State sweep in franchise history.
All three victories came in regulation against teams sitting above Seattle in the standings, a detail that matters a lot more than it sounds. And on top of that, the Kraken finally snapped their long‑running curse on the second half of back‑to‑backs, a streak that stretched all the way back to March 5, 2024. It wasn’t always pretty, and there were long stretches spent absorbing pressure, but Seattle’s structure held, their depth delivered, and they flew home for the holiday break with six massive points in their pocket.
Takeaway 1: No Dunn, no Montour, no problem
The Kraken walked into Los Angeles missing their top two defensemen and still found a way to clamp things down when it mattered. Vince Dunn’s late injury in Anaheim forced him out Tuesday, and with Brandon Montour already sidelined, Seattle needed someone to step into the void. Enter Ryker Evans.
Evans logged a season high 21:36 and carried 82 percent of the team’s power-play minutes. Evans always looks comfortable when taking an expanded role, and no game was probably bigger than Tuesday night. The team needed him to step up, and he delivered.
Seattle also got Berkly Catton back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 6. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, but he flashed the skill that makes him such an intriguing piece of the future. The little shake-and-go moves, the space creation, the confidence. Yes, there were turnovers. Yes, there was a penalty. But for a player jumping back in cold, it was an encouraging return.
And the fourth line? They were outstanding again. Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson continue to give Seattle honest, heavy minutes. Meyers’ goal stood up as the game winner, and he’s quietly become a reliable penalty-killing option. That line is earning every shift it gets.
Two weeks ago, the Kraken’s penalty kill was in freefall, giving up seven goals on eight opportunities over a brutal three-game stretch. Since then, the turnaround has been dramatic. Seattle has posted kill rates of 83.3 percent over the last eight games and 88.9 percent during the California swing, driven by a structural adjustment the team made earlier this month.
The power play has been just as impressive. With nine goals on their last 28 opportunities, Seattle is converting at 32.1 percent since Dec. 7, the third best mark in the NHL over that span.
Special teams were sinking this team earlier in the month. Now they’re helping to drag it back into relevance.
Takeaway 3: Just when we thought we were out, they pull us back in
Let’s be clear: the Kraken still have a long climb ahead if they want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender. But sweeping the California teams — all in regulation, all above Seattle in the standings — is a massive step in the right direction.
The underlying numbers won’t blow anyone away. The Kings carried long stretches of play, and Seattle spent plenty of time weathering pressure. But the Kraken defended the interior, kept L.A. to the outside, and found timely goals despite missing four key players.
Help is coming, too. Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz are inching closer to returns, and their presence should give this team a much needed offensive jolt.
Three straight regulation wins against division opponents is enough to make things interesting again.
Odds and Ends
Seattle scored first in all three games and trailed for just 1:19 across the entire 180 minute trip.
Tuesday marked the Kraken’s 27th one-goal game of the season (excluding empty netters), second only to the Kings.
Eeli Tolvanen extended his points streak to five games, equaling a career best he set back in 2022-23.
Jamie Oleksiak might have had his best game of the season. His defensive play led directly to the Ben Meyers goals, and he was stellar defensively.
Goaltending has been outstanding for the Kraken lately. Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord have really carried them through these three games.
And a quick nod to the Seattle Torrent, who held on for a tense one-goal win of their own against Montreal. For those of us running dual screens, those final 10 minutes were… not relaxing.
The Torrent recorded the franchise’s first win in exciting fashion, beating the New York Sirens 2-1 on Dec. 17. Following the game, many of Seattle’s stars were absent from practice, joining their countries for the international break. Most of them went to Edmonton and played in the final two games of the Rivalry Series. The remaining players stayed put and kept practicing hard. Coach Steve O’Rourke specifically called out the Torrent’s first-round draft pick Jenna Buglioni as having taken some steps given the extended practice opportunity.
Torrent vs. Charge Game Recap – 12.17
The team’s first game back after the break was a bottom-of-the-table clash, the seventh place Torrent taking on the eighth place Ottawa Charge. The Charge came to Seattle on a back-to-back after a 2-1 loss to Vancouver the day prior.
O’Rourke called both teams “snake bitten” at the pre-game press conference, saying that they both have the ability to score more, and haven’t shown it yet.
This was the first game back from injury for former Charge defender Aneta Tejralová, who was in Czechia playing with her national team during the break. O’Rourke said having her back in the lineup gave the locker room confidence and that she brought energy and fun to the ice every day.
Wanting to get rookie goalie Hannah Murphy more experience, O’Rourke tapped her as the starter for the second time. The Charge also started their rookie goalie, Sanni Ahola, for the first time.
Hannah Bilka takes a shot against the Charge. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Period 1
Murphy was put to the test early but stayed solid. Her team helped her out by making some good blocks. The Charge had most of the momentum in the first, but the Torrent had moments of good possession. Despite Ottawa’s 13 shots on goal to Seattle’s seven, the Torrent ended the period up 1-0. Julia Gosling netted a power-play goal on a beautiful cross-ice pass in the last 30 seconds.
Period 2
The Torrent came out strong in the second period and scored on an early power play. Alex Carpenter put up both of the period’s goals by providing a strong net-front presence. Momentum shifted as the period went on, though, and Seattle was lucky not to concede on a few dangerous chances at the end of the second.
Period 3
Lots of penalties came early in the third, with Seattle’s PK being tested often. The game stayed physical from start to finish, and Hannah Bilka scored her first ever goal in a Torrent jersey on the empty net. In the last minute of the game, Rebecca Leslie scored for the Charge, ruining Hannah Murphy’s clean sheet.
Post-Game Thoughts
Overall, the team seemed to be jelling in this one, making fewer mistakes and missed passes than in previous games.
Bottom-six center Mikyla Grant-Mentis stood out to me this game, making several shot blocks and playing hard against the boards. Second-line center Danielle Serdachny also stood out, coming up with some clutch shot blocks and drawing penalties throughout.
Torrent vs. Fleet Game Recap – 12.11
Boston came into Seattle with a single loss on their record. O’Rourke complimented their elite level of play, and emphasized that Seattle would have to work on keeping them away from the net front. He said they had been putting an emphasis on a strong box out and getting under sticks.
O’Rourke called out Lexie Adzija before the game, saying: “I make sure she’s our first penalty killer.” He said he thinks she has developed an identity here, and wasn’t sure she had that in Boston.
Hannah Bilka came into this one with her first ever back-to-back multi-point games in the PWHL. Coach pointed to her time with USA Hockey as a reason for her increased confidence. He said, “She is an elite winger picking up pucks off the wall,” and he said teams should fear when that line starts scoring.
When asked if the plan for the goalie situation was a 1A/1B with Schroeder and Murphy, he agreed. But he was also quick to put his trust in third goaltender CJ Jackson, saying he would be comfortable with them starting. O’Rourke said all three were amazing, and brought different skill sets, and gave credit to CJ “[they are] starting to make improvements…holding onto pucks.”
Corrine Schroeder in action against the Fleet. (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Period 1
The game started with early chances on both ends. Boston struck first with a goal directly from a face-off. The Torrent had good possession at the start of the period and set a physical and scrappy tone. Seattle killed one penalty and then went to the power play twice. The Fleet also had the first jailbreak goal at CPA. Despite ending the period down 2-0, goalie Corinne Schroeder made some great saves for the Torrent, and the first ever Schroeder chants came after a huge stop on a Fleet shorthanded breakaway.
Period 2
Boston started the second period with momentum. The Torrent had some good chances, but Boston had better ones, and forced Schroeder to make multiple point-blank saves. Jenna Buglioni was checked into the boards and was down on the ice. Seattle’s continued issues clearing the zone worsened in the second.
Period 3
Schroeder continued to stand on her head for Seattle. The third was relatively sedate without many chances. Hilary Knight got the crowd on their feet when she sat down a Fleet skater in open ice, but Boston capitalized on the resulting power play. The fans, at least, had one thing to cheer for, as a late goal for the Torrent came from a beauty of a tip by Jessie Eldridge off a shot from Tejralová.
Postgame Thoughts
I think this game was the Torrent’s worst effort so far, with the only bright spot for Seattle being Schroeder’s performance. Despite the result, after the game she claimed to be having fun and was “in a flow state.” Hannah Bilka also stood out as playing tough and scrappy against her former team.
After the game the players praised the huge turnout (over 11,000) and the fans for giving them energy throughout the game, despite the poor performance.
The Torrent look to turn things around quickly with a game Tuesday against the second place Montreal Victoire.
The Seattle Kraken continued reconstructing some positive feelings in their locker room Monday with a 3-1 win over the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, frustrating them into submission with stellar goaltending and opportunistic scoring.
Jordan Eberle scored twice, Freddy Gaudreau scored once, and Philipp Grubauer was outstanding to help Seattle to its second straight win on the heels of a miserable 1-9-1 run.
Coach Lane Lambert credited the fourth line of Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, and Jacob Melanson for helping turn the tide of a game that was often dominated by Anaheim but remained anybody’s contest until very late.
“They turned it around for us in the third period,” Lambert said. “A couple of great shifts, a couple of big hits, got us emotionally involved. And I thought that between them and Philipp Grubauer, it’s probably the main reason why we won the game.”
So that was nice… but… the Kraken’s already long injured list apparently added yet another member on Monday.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Takeaway #1: What a game for Grubi
It’s no coincidence that in these two straight wins over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and the Ducks on Monday, the Kraken have gotten stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord and Grubauer.
The German Gentleman was razor sharp against Anaheim, making the saves he was supposed to make while also coming up with some acrobatic stops that he had no business making. Lambert called Grubauer Seattle’s “best player” in the game.
In all, Grubauer stopped 39 of 40 shots, his highest total of the season.
“I mean, it’s not ideal [having that many shots],” Grubauer said. “Like in the second period, I don’t think we got too much going. And we sat back a little bit, so we definitely learned from that. But we stick together. Kartsy, obviously, huge hit, guys stepping up for each other, that’s huge, and we found a way to play it the right way in the last period there.”
Considering back-to-backs have been a massive challenge for this club over the last season and a half, getting a performance like this from Grubauer in the first of two games in two nights—with Joey ready to back the boys when they’re on tired legs Tuesday in Los Angeles—sets the team up for (potential) success.
Takeaway #2: A big night for Eberle
While the Kraken got caved in on most statistical metrics in this game, they won a classic bend-don’t-break type of contest. Freddy Gaudreau broke the ice at 4:49 of the second period with a power-play goal after Chandler Stephenson drove to the net and drew a penalty. With the puck pinballing around Lukas Dostal, Kaapo Kakko and Shane Wright both took whacks at it before it landed on Gaudreau’s stick, and he lofted it past the prone Ducks netminder for his second goal of the season.
After Mikael Granlund tied the game 1-1 at 15:40 of the second, captain Jordan Eberle took it from there.
Midway through the third period, Eberle struck for his first of two goals. Off a quickly developing 3-on-2 rush with his recently tweaked line alongside Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko, Kakko sent a rushed, fluttering chip pass to Beniers. Beniers made a spectacular play to bat it down and somehow corral it in time to slide it over to Eberle. Eberle delayed and got Dostal to drop down, then sniped it over his shoulder against the grain.
Eberle followed that up with an empty-netter at 19:24 of the third to seal the win.
Takeaway #3: Vince Dunn injured?
It is bonkers how many injuries this team has had this season. What started with injuries to key players like Stephenson, Kakko, and Ryker Evans in training camp has slowly evolved throughout the season, with important pieces going into and out of the lineup like there’s a revolving door into the injured ward.
It was announced Monday morning that one of Seattle’s top two offensive defensemen, Brandon Montour, would miss four weeks after hand surgery stemming from his fight in defense of the now-traded Mason Marchment. Montour joined McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray on the shelf.
But would you believe me if I told you that Vince Dunn—Seattle’s other top offensive defenseman—may now be injured as well? He got blindsided in the second period and appeared to run face-first into Ross Johnston’s shoulder pad. After standing on the ice for a moment at the stoppage, Dunn flipped his lid. He kicked the door, broke his stick on the dasher, nearly took off the heads of Joey Daccord, equipment manager James Stuckey, and a random security guard, then threw a bag down the hallway and finally exited the game.
Vince Dunn left the game after this and did not return.
All-time meltdown from him before heading down the tunnel.
Add him to the injury list that already includes Jared McCann, Brandon Montour, Jaden Schwartz, Berkly Catton, and Matt Murray. Crazy. #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/BXV31SWq6p
We wondered recently how the Kraken could survive without Montour. How can they survive without Dunn or Montour?
Bonus Takeaway: The Kraken are 2-0-0 since Mason Marchment was traded
Since the hockey world is abuzz with Marchment’s hot start with the Columbus Blue Jackets—three goals in his first two games since the trade—we’ll simply note that Seattle has won both of its games since the deal.
One side benefit has been Kakko elevating onto the top line. Kakko had been working well with Shane Wright and Jani Nyman, but he looks even better alongside Beniers and Eberle.
“[Kaapo is] working, he makes plays, he holds onto pucks,” Lambert said. “It’s a good spot for him. I hadn’t seen him in that spot prior to a couple games ago, and it’s been a good change for him to get up there and those guys to have him there.”
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
The Seattle Kraken, at least momentarily, ended their skid Saturday night with a gutsy 4–2 win over the San Jose Sharks. It’s been a grueling four‑week stretch, 10 losses in 11 games, and while the Kraken haven’t played outright poor hockey, their issues run deeper than bad luck. Injuries, a thin roster, and too many nights where the opponent simply had more have all caught up to them. Saturday didn’t fix everything, but it did give them a bit of reprieve from this brutal stretch.
Playing tight games
Regardless of what the record says, the Kraken have been competitive all season. As rough as the last several weeks have been, they’re still keeping games close and giving themselves a chance. Their last eight games have all been decided by one goal, and they’ve played 25 one‑goal games this season when you exclude empty-netters, second most in the league behind the Los Angeles Kings.
A great example came last Tuesday against the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken went toe-to-toe with them and entered the third period with a one‑goal lead before Colorado flipped the game with two goals (plus an empty-netter) in the final frame. In the first 20-plus games of the season, that game almost certainly would have reached overtime and earned Seattle at least a point. But that just isn’t happening right now. In their first 23 games, the Kraken reached overtime 10 times; over their last 10, they’ve made it to the extra frame just once.
They mentioned this on the postgame show Saturday night: when Vince Dunn turned the puck over deep in the Kraken zone, leading to San Jose’s go‑ahead goal early in the third, it felt like another “here we go again” moment. But the Kraken responded less than a minute and a half later to tie it, and suddenly the energy shifted. A few minutes after that, Ryan Lindgren scored his first as a Kraken, the eventual game‑winner.
Departure of Mason Marchment
As you probably know by now, the Kraken shipped off Mason Marchment on Friday for a couple of draft picks from Columbus. There was some excitement about Marchment providing additional depth scoring, but that never materialized. Coming into the season, I thought it was reasonable to expect around 20 goals from him, roughly 0.25 per game. Instead, he managed just four goals in 29 games (0.14 per game). He also struggled defensively, leading Kraken forwards in turnovers and penalties taken.
Considering the drop‑off in performance, it’s actually impressive that Seattle got more in return than what they paid for him in the offseason.
More trades to come?
Given how the season has gone, a lot of fans are expecting, or demanding, a sell‑off of veteran players. As always, the team will listen to all inquiries, but there’s no rush. The trade market doesn’t really heat up until about 30 days before the deadline. If the Kraken do become sellers, and right now that seems likely, they’ll want as many teams in the mix as possible to drive up demand. Some clubs don’t yet know whether they’re buyers or sellers, and others may develop deeper needs as the deadline approaches.
The other side of the equation is prospect readiness. You don’t want to bring up players who aren’t ready for the NHL, and right now there aren’t many in Coachella Valley who are prepared for full‑time roles. Rushing them would be detrimental to their development.
Other musings
The Kraken have the same number of standings points as they did at this time last season.
When Seattle scored the empty‑netter against San Jose on Saturday with 1:30 left, it was their first two‑goal lead since Nov. 15, also against San Jose. They’ve held a two-plus-goal lead for just 4.4 percent of their total game time this season, the lowest rate in the NHL.
One encouraging trend: special teams. The penalty kill hasn’t been perfect, but over the last seven games it’s operating at 80 percent after sitting at a league‑worst 64.8 percent prior. The power play has also surged, converting at 30 percent over the same stretch after sitting at 17 percent for the season.
Seattle averages 0.65 points per game when scoring first and just 0.31 when allowing the first goal.
In case you missed it, Brandon Montour is out four weeks. Add it to the long list of significant injuries this season. Montour is second on the team in time on ice and has often dragged the Kraken back into games. Injuries happen to everyone, but when they hit your best players, the impact is brutal.
Brandon Montour out approximately four weeks after hand surgery, per @SeattleKrakenPR.
It was great to see the Torrent open the 100 level and Space Needle Lounge for Sunday’s game versus the Boston Fleet. Seattle is averaging the second‑highest attendance in the league this season.
Goal of the week
Regular readers and Sound Of Hockey listeners know how much I love this kid:
WHAT A GOAL BY OSCAR MOLGAARD. HIS 5TH OF THE SEASON AND GIVING THE BIRDS BACK THE LEAD
By the way, the Kraken are 2‑0‑0 with Molgaard in the lineup.
Player performances
Chandler Stephenson (SEA) – Riding a four‑game goal streak with five points in his last four. He also has points in eight straight. Jagger Firkus (CVF/SEA) – Five points in two weekend games. He has 13 goals in 26 games after scoring 15 in 69 last season. Nathan Villeneuve (SBY/SEA) – Eight points in his last four games. He has 14 multi‑point games and is on pace for 98 points in the OHL.
The week ahead
The Kraken face a dreaded back‑to‑back with games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, starting Monday night in Anaheim. Both teams sit ahead of Seattle in the standings, but the Kraken have beaten each of them once already this season. Nothing is easy for Seattle right now, but both the Ducks and Kings look more vulnerable than their records suggest. Anaheim is 5‑5‑0 in its last 10 and has been giving up goals in bunches. The Kings are 4‑2‑4 and struggling to score. If there’s ever a good time to face these teams, this might be it.
After the holiday break, the Kraken return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday the 28th. The Flyers have lost four of their last five but reached overtime in four of those games, including two against Carolina.
Given how Seattle has been playing, grabbing three of six possible points this week would be solid. But if they can snag three of the four points available against Pacific Division teams, that would be a real confidence boost, and a sign that this slump might finally be ending.
And finally…
There’s plenty of other hockey to enjoy this week. The Seattle Torrent play one more home game this month when they host Marie‑Philip Poulin and the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge. After the break, they head to Dallas for their first Takeover Tour game against the New York Sirens. Both games will air locally on Fox 13+ and YouTube (though you wouldn’t know it from the PWHL schedule page).
World Juniors also kicks off Friday. The Kraken will be represented on at least three teams (Finland, Sweden, and Czechia) and possibly a fourth if Blake Fiddler sticks with Team USA. Regardless of who you’re rooting for, the tournament is always a blast. All games will air on NHL Network, which is getting harder to find with the current streaming landscape.
This column will likely take next week off, but the hockey certainly won’t. Between the Torrent’s final home game of the month, the Takeover Tour stop in Dallas, and a World Juniors tournament loaded with Kraken prospects, there’s plenty to keep Seattle fans entertained through the holidays. It’s been a chaotic, injury‑riddled, occasionally maddening calendar year for the Kraken, and hopefully this team can turn the page with the new calendar year. Thanks for reading, for riding the waves with me, and for making this space such a fun one to write in. Enjoy the holidays — we’ll pick things back up in the new year.
The Losing Streak Cynthia is in the books!! Seattle put together a strong third period and earned its first regulation win in a month. The last regulation win came Nov. 20 against Chicago.
Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson each recorded two-point nights, with a goal and an assist. Stephenson extended his career-best point streak to eight games, with five goals and four assists during the run. The Kraken are 2-6 in that span, but this win offered a needed step forward.
Here are three takeaways.
Takeaway #1: Kraken on their heels in the first
Coming into the game, the Kraken were 1-9-1 in their previous 11 games. Facing a division rival and sitting seven points behind the Sharks and the final wild-card spot, urgency was expected. Instead, Seattle allowed four Grade A chances in the first five minutes.
Four really tough shots on Joey Daccord in the first 5 minutes of this game, but he's stood tall so far. #SeaKraken looking messy on the defensive end…
Seattle did push back and outshot San Jose 17-12 in the period, but the overall play remained shaky. One bright spot was the penalty kill, which handled two minor penalties with ease. That momentum did not carry over, as the Sharks converted on their next powerplay in the second period on a goal from Adam Gaudette.
Sharks tie it on the power play. Starts with a face-off loss for Freddy Gaudreau. Celebrini's shot hits bodies and pinballs to Adam Gaudette for a tap-in.
According to MoneyPuck, San Jose posted 1.61 expected goals in the first period compared to Seattle’s 0.80. It was a poor start, but the Kraken escaped the period tied 0-0.
Takeaway #2: Joey Daccord is a beast
The only reason the game remained scoreless through the first period was Daccord. He turned aside high-danger chances and consistently kept Seattle in the game. Daccord finished the night with 3.41 goals saved above expected.
One of his superpowers is puck handling. On Seattle’s lone powerplay, San Jose cleared the zone and headed off for a line change. Daccord recovered the puck and fired it to Freddy Gaudreau at the far blue line, creating a scoring chance that Yaroslav Askarov was able to stop.
Daccord closed the night with 35 saves, a .946 save percentage, and the win. Without his performance, this outcome would not have been possible. The defense struggled in the first two periods, but confidence in the goaltender allowed the Kraken to stay committed to the game plan.
After practice, captain Jordan Eberle said, “I look at [the 9 losses], I think we are tied or leading in the third period in like six of them.”
That trend nearly continued. Seattle entered the third tied 1-1, but the Sharks took the lead just 36 seconds in. Collin Graf picked off a Vince Dunn pass, put the puck on net, and watched his shot hit the post, then Daccord, before crossing the line.
Collin Graf makes it 2–1 Sharks as the puck pinballs around, hits the post, then caroms off Joey Daccord and into the net. #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/1ySOZIdGn5
Kraken fans braced for another third-period collapse. Instead, Seattle responded with two goals in a span of 2:32 to take a 3-2 lead. Neither goal was flashy. Both came from defensemen simply getting pucks through traffic.
Ryker Evans tied the game by holding the blue line and snapping a wrist shot on net. Ryan Lindgren followed with his first goal as a Kraken and the eventual game-winner, taking a pass from Stephenson and firing a wrist shot from the top of the circle.
Seattle tightened defensively over the final 15 minutes and slowed the game down. Stephenson added an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 win and finally end Losing Streak Darren, I mean Cynthia.
Next up
This was not Seattle’s sharpest game during the current stretch, but it was effective. The Kraken kept the game close, leaned on strong goaltending, and capitalized in the third period. Improvements are still needed on the penalty kill and in defensive coverage to reduce pressure on Daccord.
The Kraken are off Sunday before continuing their California road trip. They face Anaheim on Monday and Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
