Matt Duchene and Philip Tomasino scored in the shootout as the Nashville Predators defeated the visiting Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Thursday night.
Kiefer Sherwood scored in regulation for the Predators (36-26-8, 80 points), who won their second consecutive game as they try to track down Seattle and others for a Western Conference wild-card playoff berth. Goaltender Juuse Saros made 27 saves.
Daniel Sprong tallied for Seattle, which tied an NHL record for the greatest second-season turnaround by an expansion franchise. The Kraken (39-24-8, 86 points) have made a 26-point improvement from their inaugural campaign, equaling the mark set by the 1925-26 Boston Bruins and matched by the 1973-74 New York Islanders.
Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord stopped 23 of 24 shots. He was making his second consecutive start since being recalled on an emergency basis from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League, with Kraken starter Philipp Grubauer out with a non-COVID illness.
Duchene opened the shootout by slipping a wrist shot between Daccord’s pads. After Seattle’s Jared McCann hit the left post, Nashville’s Luke Evangelista was stopped by Daccord and Seattle’s Jordan Eberle was stopped by Saros’ blocker save, Tomasino went five-hole for the winner.
The Kraken opened the scoring at 2:28 of the first period. Vince Dunn sent a pass up the left wing to Morgan Geekie to start a breakout. Geekie skated over the blue line and to the top of the faceoff circle before sending a backhanded pass to Sprong near the far post. Sprong started to skate the puck behind the net before swiveling and putting a shot off the back of Saros’ right leg and the puck deflected into the net.
Nashville tied it 1-1 at 14:01 of the second. Tommy Novak forced a turnover at center ice and passed ahead to Sherwood on the left wing. Sherwood sent a back pass to Tyson Barrie for a slap shot from the high slot. Daccord made the save, but the rebound bounced all the way to the left faceoff dot, where Sherwood put a one-timer into the open side of the net.
–Field Level Media
