Kaapo Kakko scored twice as the Seattle Kraken rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the host Buffalo Sabres 6-2 Saturday.
Oliver Bjorkstrand sparked Seattle, which was winless in its previous four games (0-3-1), with a rare fight and later scored the go-ahead goal. Ryker Evans, Andre Burakovsky and Brandon Tanev also tallied, and Chandler Stephenson, Josh Mahura and Jared McCann had two assists apiece.
Goaltender Joey Daccord, who was making his first start since Dec. 22 because of an upper-body injury, made 33 saves.
Sam Lafferty and Jack Quinn scored for Buffalo, which had won two straight and had points in six of its previous eight games (5-2-1). JJ Peterka had two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 of 29 shots.
Trailing 2-0, Bjorkstrand dropped the gloves with Buffalo’s Dennis Gilbert at 17:42 of the first period. It was just the third fight of Bjorkstrand’s 10-year career and his first since 2021.
After Seattle tied it in the second period, Bjorkstrand was credited with the go-ahead goal at 3:08 of the third. He collected a rebound just outside the top of the crease and put a shot on net that went off Luukkonen’s right arm, then deflected off defenseman Jacob Bryson before trickling over the goal line.
Kakko scored on a wrist shot from the high slot at 3:46, then tallied again on the power play at 5:26 as the Kraken pulled away. Tanev put the puck into an empty net at 16:25 to complete the scoring.
The Sabres outshot Seattle 15-7 in the first period in taking a 2-0 lead.
Lafferty opened the scoring at 2:37 on a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle. The puck deflected off defenseman Vince Dunn’s stick.
The Sabres doubled their advantage on the power play at 17:17 on Quinn’s one-timer from the bottom of the left faceoff circle.
The Kraken rallied to tie the score in the second period, in which they outshot Buffalo 14-9.
Evans, a defenseman, got Seattle on the board at 12:48 on a wrist shot from the high slot.
Seattle tied it at 2-2 at 19:12 as Burakovsky pounced on a rebound and lifted a backhander over Luukkonen.
–Field Level Media
