SUNRISE, Fla. — Jared McCann netted the decisive goal early in the third period, leading the Seattle Kraken to a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.
Kaapo Kakko also contributed a goal, while Joey Daccord made 26 saves in the net for Seattle. The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Kraken, allowing them to split the season series against the top team in the Atlantic Division.
Florida managed to score with Eetu Luostarinen finding the net, but the team was without star player Matthew Tkachuk, who is sidelined with a lower body injury he sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off while playing for the United States.
The game’s action heated up when the score was tied at 1. Shane Wright maneuvered into Florida’s zone and made a crucial pass to Adam Larsson. Larsson then set up McCann on the left wing, allowing him to fire a shot past goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at the 7:03 mark, giving the Kraken the lead.
Seattle opened the scoring early with Kakko’s power-play goal at 6:32 in the first period. Kakko received a pass from Matty Beniers while positioned near the left circle and skated closer to the crease, managing to beat Bobrovsky on the short side for his 10th goal of the season.
Luostarinen responded for Florida in the second period, leveling the score with assistance from Anton Lundell midway through.
Notable moments included the return of forward Jordan Eberle to the Kraken lineup after a 39-game absence due to a pelvic injury sustained against Chicago back in November. Eberle logged 14:03 of ice time across 16 shifts.
The defeat for Florida ended a five-game winning streak at home and came after a successful run where they had claimed nine of their previous twelve games leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred when the Kraken successfully contested a goal by Mackie Samoskevich of the Panthers in the latter portion of the second period, leading to its review and ultimate reversal due to goaltender interference involving Evan Rodrigues.
In terms of statistics, in addition to Daccord’s impressive 26 saves, the Kraken collectively blocked 15 shots. Notably, Brandon Montour, a former defenseman for the Panthers, recorded three blocks in his first game back in Florida after joining Seattle as a free agent in the offseason.
Looking ahead, the Kraken are set to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, while the Panthers will travel to Nashville for their next game on Tuesday.