SEATTLE — In an exciting matchup on Monday, the Seattle Kraken displayed their strength by scoring three goals in the final period to secure a 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club.

Jaden Schwartz played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring the go-ahead goal with 12:38 left on the clock. Just a few moments after Schwartz’s goal, Matty Beniers added to the lead, netting his sixth goal of the season to make it 4-2. Jared McCann put the final touches on the game with an empty-net goal with 1:49 remaining, concluding a game filled with tension and aggressive play in the teams’ first encounter.

The game began with Logan Cooley giving Utah an early advantage, thanks to a power-play goal in the first period. However, the Kraken struck back, as Yanni Gourde managed to find the net with just 1:54 left in the period, leveling the score. Andre Burakovsky then gave Seattle the lead less than a minute later, scoring with only 51 seconds on the clock.

Utah managed to tie the game again in the second period when Alexander Kerfoot slipped a shot past Kraken goaltender Phillip Grubauer with just 59 seconds remaining, making the score 2-2 as the teams headed into the third. Grubauer finished the match with 28 saves, matching the performance of Utah’s Karel Vejmelka, who also registered 28 saves.

In his first home appearance for the Kraken, newly acquired player Kaapo Kakko contributed significantly by notching two assists.

Reflecting on the game, it’s clear that Utah’s offense has been challenged recently, managing to score two goals or fewer in each of their last three outings. So far this season, Utah has only achieved two victories when scoring less than three goals. Meanwhile, Seattle seemed to have discovered their late-game form, marking it as the second consecutive match where they scored three goals in the third period.

A notable moment came when Schwartz redeemed himself by scoring a goal in the third period that had previously been disallowed due to an offside infraction in the first. Had he scored then, it would have evened the game at 1-1. Instead, this moment proved to be a critical boost for the team later on.

In a standout performance, Schwartz produced a three-point night, registering his 12th goal of the season and assisting on both Gourde’s and Burakovsky’s goals. Remarkably, this marks his second three-point game of the season.

Looking ahead, Utah is set to face off against the Edmonton team on Tuesday, while the Kraken will take on the Vancouver squad on Thursday night.