3 takeaways from the Seattle Kraken’s 2-1 OT loss to Columbus
The Seattle Kraken (1-1-1) dropped the second game in their first three on Saturday, falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 in overtime.
Here are three takeaways from Seattle’s first overtime game.
1. Brandon Tanev, leading goal scorer
If you had Brandon Tanev leading the Kraken with three goals in three games to start the season, you might have been the only one.
Tanev, taken by Seattle from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the expansion draft, earned the nickname Turbo due to his speed. But he’s never scored more than 14 goals in an NHL season. He had seven goals and nine assists in 32 games for the Penguins last year.
But he’s off to a hot start for the Kraken. After scoring two goals — one an empty netter — in the franchise’s first win over Nashville on Thursday, he had Seattle’s only goal in Saturday’s loss to Columbus.
2. Shot problems
The Kraken struggled to get shots on Saturday. They had just five in the opening period and managed only two in the first half of the third while clinging to a 1-0 lead. The Blue Jackets out-shot Seattle 25-20.
It was a continuation of Seattle’s third period against Nashville. While the Kraken held on for a win over the Predators, they managed just one shot in the third period and had to rely heavily on goalie Philipp Grubauer to seal the game.
Seattle leaned on Grubauer again against Columbus, and he made 23 stops for a .920 save percentage. Grubauer also held Columbus scoreless through two periods.
But after Seattle entered the third with a 1-0 lead thanks to Tanev, Eric Robinson tied the score with a goal midway through the period. Patrik Laine then snuck the puck past Grubauer to secure the victory in overtime.
3. Still on the road
The Kraken lost two of their first three games to start the season but still picked up three points in three games on the road. While Seattle would certainly like to return to friendlier confines, it isn’t time to open Climate Pledge Arena just yet.
The Kraken will play two more games on the road — Monday at Philadelphia and Tuesday at New Jersey — before finally returning to Seattle. They’ll play their home opener against Vancouver on Saturday.
This story was originally published October 16, 2021 at 7:08 PM.
