The Seattle Kraken, reaching the 100 point mark, top the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena Monday night
April 11, 2023
After snapping a nine-game losing streak with a win over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, the Arizona Coyotes were back at Mullett Arena on Monday night for their second of a three game homestand to close out the season.
Jared McCann scored his 40th goal of the season for the Kraken as they reached the 100-point mark beating the Coyotes 4-1.
Arizona’s losing streak spanned regulation and overtime losses, two of which were at the hands of the foe they drew Monday, the Seattle Kraken.
Phillip Grubauer was the starter in goal for the Kraken, as he was for the two meetings at Climate Pledge Arena, and the Coyotes went back to Ivan Prosvetov.
Prosvetov started the first of the teams three games on April 3, and allowed eight goals, on 32 shots, as the Kraken cruised past the Coyotes 8-1.
Prosvetov was tested early Monday as shot one of the Kraken’s 37 found its way to a pad save after Justin Schultz sent a slap shot toward the net, just two minutes into the game.
The Coyotes attempted to break the seal with early chances for JJ Moser and Lawson Crouse, even though Seattle was controlling the offensive zone for most of the game’s first five minutes.
Eventually, Jack McBain redirected a blue line shot by Liam O’Brien, and the Coyotes were first on the board, 1-0 Coyotes, with 10:38 to play in the period.
Seattle saw chances throughout the remainder of the period, as Jordan Eberle fed a pass to Jared McCann, who was looking for his third in three games against the Coyotes, couldn’t finish the feed, and Will Borgen whiffed on a shot as well with 8:35 to play in the period.
Just over two minutes later, the Kraken saw another chance on a weak slap shot by Coyotes defenseman Connor Mackey, and Alexander Wennberg carried the puck into the Kraken offensive zone, where Wennberg dealt to Borgen, who was stoned cold by Prosvetov.
The remainder of the first period came to a close, and the Coyotes carried a 1-0 lead into the second, despite being outshot 11-8.
Oliver Bjorkstrand put Seattle on the board 3:12 into the second period, as the Kraken capitalized on an early power play, after Barrett Hayton got caught high-sticking. Eeli Tolvanen and Wennberg assisted on the tying goal, 1-1.
The Kraken scored again just over 11 minutes later, as Schultz found a loose puck off the stick of the Coyotes’ Moser, who missed a redirected pass by Barrett Hayton, and the Kraken took the lead, 2-1 with just over five minutes remaining in the second period.
Matty Beniers, leading the National Hockey League in goals by rookies, as well as points by rookies, as he corralled a loose puck off a blocked pass from McCann, and off the stick of Moser, furthering his lead in the goals category, and getting the Kraken closer to their 100th point of the season with 3:50 to play in the middle frame, 3-1 Kraken.
The Coyotes saw a chance for Nick Schmaltz, on a pass up the right side boards by Travis Boyd, who stick handled around a diving Jaycob Megna, ultimately getting a shot off, that was gloved by Grubauer.
The third period opened with a chance for the Kraken by Tolvanen, after a feed from Yanni Gourde, that rang off the post of the Coyotes net.
The Coyotes handed the Kraken another power play chance after Schmaltz was called for hooking, and sat two minutes at 4:53 of the third period.
The Coyotes penalty kill prevailed, and the teams were back at even strength.
Jordan Eberle gifted the chance back to the Coyotes, allowing them a power play at 9:49 of the third period, which the Kraken killed off.
Clayton Keller was called for tripping behind the Coyotes net at 13:40 of the third, and the Kraken capitalized on the power play, as McCann landed his 40th of the season, on a pass from Justin Schultz at the Kraken blue line, 4-1.Keller’s two minute minor halted his search for point No. 86 on the season, a record held by Keith Tkachuk, set in the 1996-97 season.
However, the Coyotes were put back on the man advantage with under four minutes to go in the game, and Keller was sent out to start the power play.
The Coyotes were unable to capitalize, and Keller searches for point 86 in the season finale.
Carson Soucy and Jack McBain dropped the gloves with under two minutes to play, resulting in a slew of penalties, from a mix of scrums in the Coyotes defensive zone.
Soucy and McBain both were marked with the five minute majors for fighting, but McBain had an additional minor penalty for roughing. Gourde and Liam O’Brien started their own scrum, but were also marked for roughing minor penalties.
McBain chalked the scuffle up to a “build-up of frustrations. Tough game, tough loss,” during the media postgame.
Arizona State alumni Joey Daccord, who was called up by the Kraken earlier in the day on Monday, saw a minute of play time, and when his name was announced, Coyotes and Kraken fans alike cheered.
The Coyotes finish their season on Thursday, as the Vancouver Canucks roll into Tempe, for a second time on the season.