Jordan Eberle scored a power-play goal three minutes into overtime as the Seattle Kraken defeated the visiting Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Monday night to even their first-round Western Conference playoff series at two games apiece.
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Denver.
Daniel Sprong had a goal and an assist for Seattle, which also got a goal from Will Borgen. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 20 saves.
Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 40 of 43 shots.
Colorado’s Josh Manson was called for tripping 1:59 into overtime. Jaden Schwartz’s shot from the slot went off a defenseman’s skate and the puck fell to Eberle just outside the left post. Eberle then lifted it over a sprawling Georgiev for the winner.
Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first period, outshooting Colorado 18-8.
Borgen opened the scoring at 3:56 on a one-timer from the top of the left faceoff circle after taking a pass from Adam Larsson. Brandon Tanev also got an assist.
Sprong doubled the advantage on the power play at 10:09, whipping a shot from the high slot off the right post and into the net after a pass from Justin Schultz.
The power-play goal came with Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar in the penalty box for interference after riding Seattle’s Jared McCann into the boards following a breakaway attempt.
Makar was originally assessed a five-minute major, but it was reduced to a two-minute minor following a video review. McCann, who led the Kraken with 40 goals in the regular season, didn’t return. Seattle fans booed Makar every time he touched the puck the rest of the night.
Despite being outshot 12-6 in the second, the Avalanche drew even at 2-2 on a pair of goals by Rantanen.
The first came at 14:08 on a three-on-two rush. Nathan MacKinnon carried the puck down the left wing and made a centering pass to Rantanen, who pulled the puck to his forehand and put a shot under Grubauer’s blocker.
Rantanen leveled the game on the power play at 19:10, putting a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle past a screened Grubauer.
Seattle outshot Colorado 9-7 in a scoreless third as the teams went to OT for the first time in the series.
–Field Level Media
