Kraken's Effort Falls Short Against Canadiens' Offensive Surge
The Seattle Kraken, with a record of 0-1, faced off against the Montreal Canadiens who improved to 1-0 after a decisive victory. The final score read 5-1 in favor of the visiting team.
In front of a packed house at Climate Pledge Arena, the Seattle Kraken struggled to find their rhythm against a relentless Montreal Canadiens offense. The Canadiens opened the scoring early and dominated the first period with four goals that set the tone for the rest of the match. Despite being on home ice, Seattle could not capitalize on their powerplay strength and failed to convert any of their four opportunities.
The Kraken's goaltender faced an onslaught from Montreal, saving only 12 out of 17 shots while his counterpart from Montreal delivered an impressive performance with 36 saves from 37 shots. This stark contrast in goaltending efficiency was one of many challenges that Seattle encountered throughout the game.
Seattle's lone goal came during even strength play in the second period which briefly injected hope into their fans. However, this was quickly overshadowed by another goal from Montreal within that same period. The Kraken did manage to out-hit their opponents with a total count of 21 hits compared to just 13 by Montreal but it wasn't enough to shift momentum back in their favor.
Montreal showcased superior puck control as evidenced by winning over half (53 percent) of faceoffs and blocking nearly as many shots (19) as they took (17). They also demonstrated discipline by only giving away four penalties throughout all three periods whereas Seattle gave away five.
Despite having more shots on goal at 37 attempts and taking nine takeaways compared to five by Montreal, accuracy eluded Seattle as they ended up with a mere three percent shooting percentage – starkly lower than Montreal’s efficient twenty-nine percent.
As for individual performances, no player stood out more than Carey Price for his near-perfect save percentage which ultimately earned him credit for his team’s win. On top of that, one shorthanded goal added insult to injury for Seattle who were unable to utilize their man advantage situations effectively.
Looking ahead after this tough loss at home, fans can catch The Kraken when they next hit the ice against Anaheim Ducks at Climate Pledge Arena on March 26th at around 7:00 PM PT. This upcoming game will be available across multiple networks including ESPN+, BSSC, BSSD and ROOT Sports NW where supporters can tune in live or stream online.