BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Seattle Kraken showcased their resilience by turning around a challenging game against the Buffalo Sabres, eventually securing a 6-2 victory on Saturday night. Kaapo Kakko was pivotal in this performance, netting two crucial goals in the final period. Joey Daccord stood tall in net for Seattle, making an impressive 33 saves throughout the match.
The turning point for the Kraken came early in the third period when Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the first of six unanswered goals, putting Seattle ahead at 3:08. Just 38 seconds later, Kakko struck, and he followed that up with another goal on a power play just 1:40 after his first. In addition to Kakko and Bjorkstrand, goals from Andre Burakovsky, Ryker Evans, and Brandon Tanev contributed to Seattle snapping a four-game losing streak. Meanwhile, Chandler Stephenson, Joshua Mahura, and Jared McCann each provided two assists to fuel the offensive surge.
The Kraken initially found themselves in a tough spot, falling behind 2-0 in the first period after goals from Sam Lafferty and Jack Quinn. Despite this setback, the team quickly bounced back, scoring six consecutive goals and showcasing their ability to overcome a multi-goal deficit—marking the sixth such instance this season, a record among NHL teams. This performance was especially significant following a recent 6-2 defeat to Columbus just two nights earlier.
On the flip side, frustrations were palpable among Sabres fans, who expressed their discontent with general manager Kevyn Adams and team owner Terry Pegula after witnessing the team’s 15th blown lead of the season.
One notable moment in the game was a pivotal play in the third period, where a shot from Burakovsky was initially saved by Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. However, the rebound came off the goalie’s pad and inadvertently traveled into the net after deflecting off the glove of defender Jacob Bryson, cementing Seattle’s dominant performance.
Statistically, the Kraken have proven to be a formidable opponent in Buffalo, maintaining a perfect record of 4-0-0 in their history at this venue, with a striking 22-11 goal differential.
Looking ahead, Seattle will continue its five-game road trip, heading to Detroit for their next game on Sunday, while Buffalo will take a short break before facing Carolina on Wednesday night.
