Kraken post 1st NHL victory, spoiling Preds’ opener 4-3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Seattle Kraken wound up having to wait longer to play their first regular-season game on home ice than they did their first victory.
Brandon Tanev scored his second goal into an empty net with 1:21 left, and the Kraken beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 Thursday night for the first victory in the expansion franchise’s second game.
“I think it’s phenomenal,” goalie Philipp Grubauer said. “It doesn’t only speak for the group, it speaks for the organization and rewards the people that put in the work for two years or longer.”
Alex Wennberg and Jared McCann each had a goal and an assist for Seattle, which is playing its first five games away from home while the final touches are put on the Kraken’s new arena.
The Kraken also became the latest expansion franchise to win its first game with the Predators, improving that mark to 3-1-1. They joined Columbus (Nov. 16, 2000) and Vegas (Dec. 8, 2017) in that group.
Coach Dave Hakstol said it was good to get the first win in franchise history.
“I think you saw a little bit of that stress in us in our play in the third period,” Hakstol said. “Guys were calm and pretty focused. I know guys were really excited to be able to get the first win, especially as it sinks in. It’s the first win in franchise history, that’s a big deal for everybody.”
Tanev’s second goal on Seattle’s lone shot in the third period was the winner. Mikael Granlund, who also had two assists, scored with 39.9 seconds left to pull Nashville within 4-3. The Predators couldn’t beat Grubauer again, even with goalie Juuse Saros still out for the extra attacker.
Grubauer made 12 saves in the third as Nashville outshot Seattle 30-26 in the game. The goalie credited the Kraken keeping it simple, even as they will need to quit giving up so many shots in the final period.
“Overall, we grinded it out,” Grubauer said. “It’s always difficult to get the first one out of the way, and we did.”
Wennberg said the Kraken took a bit of a step back in the third, trying to play safe protecting the lead. That’s not the tactic they’ll want in the future. He said getting that first franchise victory mattered more.
“We really wanted this win,” Wennberg said. “And sometimes at the end, it isn’t always pretty, but we’ve got to play that way to win and today we did whatever it takes.”
Roman Josi and Eeli Tolvanen scored for Nashville, and Filip Forsberg had two assists. The Predators came in with a .614 winning percentage in season openers, fourth-highest in NHL history for franchises with at least 10 such games. The Predators also had won seven of their last eight home openers and 11 of 14.
This time, Nashville had a pair of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans wide receivers waving the rally flag to help kick off the new season in Julio Jones and Chester Rogers.
Tolvanen scored on Nashville’s first shot, from the slot 3:18 into the game. The lead didn’t last as Nashville’s penalty kill woes continued into the new season.
Yakov Trenin picked up a roughing and a fighting major in the first fight in Seattle history with Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn. But the minor gave Seattle the man advantage, and McCann scored on a wrister at 15:27. Then Alexandre Carrier tripped Alex Barret-Boule, and Tanev scored with 2:27 left in the period for a 2-1 lead.
Josi tied it up on a 5-on-3 early in the second. But Wennberg had an easy tap-in into an open net behind Saros for another Seattle lead at 3-2 midway through the period.
Nashville coach John Hynes said the Predators didn’t get off to the start they wanted and the penalties didn’t help.
“Competitively we got better as the game went on,” Hynes said. “In the third period, we did a good job, but it wasn’t enough.”
VIDEO TRIBUTE
The Predators gave a video tribute early in the first period to Jeff Camelio, the Kraken’s head equipment manager. Camelio spent 15 seasons as Nashville’s assistant equipment manager with the 2019-20 season his last with the Predators.
Seattle also has a pair of former Predators in forward Calle Jarnkrok, picked in the expansion draft after eight seasons with Nashville. Jarnkrok was one of 13 skaters in Nashville history to play at least 500 games with the franchise. Forward Colin Blackwell made his NHL debut with Nashville in 2018-19.
Neither played Thursday night, with Jarnkrok in the COVID-19 protocol and Blackwell dealing with a lower-body injury.
FORSBERG’S STREAK
Predators forward Filip Forsberg had an assist on Josi’s goal, giving him at least a point in Nashville’s last five season openers. That’s the longest active scoring streak in the NHL in season openers, and he became the 12th player in NHL history to score in at least five straight openers.
Forsberg finished with one shot on goal. Linemates Ryan Johansen had one shot on goal, and Matt Duchene had four.
UP NEXT
The Kraken continue their franchise-opening road swing Saturday afternoon at Columbus.
Nashville hosts the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.
LIGHTNING 7, RED WINGS 6, OT
DETROIT — Ondrej Palat scored at 2:43 of overtime, lifting Tampa Bay past Detroit.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored a career-high four goals, including three in the second period, to help the Red Wings take a three-goal lead three times.
Tampa Bay came back from each time, including late in the third period when Ross Colton, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn scored in a four-minute span to make it 6-all.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, who were routed 6-2 in their opener by Pittsburgh, rallied to avoid opening a season with two losses for the first time since 2009.
Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 20 shots. Alex Nedeljkovic made 41 saves for the Red Wings.
Detroit sold out its home opener and gave its fans plenty of reason to cheer — until the collapse — and perhaps to be optimistic about a team that hasn’t earned a spot in the playoffs since 2016.
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored the game’s first goal early in the first period. Larkin’s night ended midway through the second period with a match penalty for retaliating to Mathieu Joseph’s check from behind into the boards by punching him in the face.
After Bertuzzi’s hat trick gave Detroit a three-goal lead in the second, Steven Stamkos scored twice in the period to cut Tampa Bay’s deficit to 4-3.
Bertuzzi scored his fourth goal early in the third and Vladislav Namestnikov had a goal midway through the period to give the Red Wings a three-goal cushion that wasn’t large enough.
STARS 3, RANGERS 2, OT
NEW YORK — Miro Heiskanen scored 1:38 into overtime and Dallas beat New York to spoil coach Gerard Gallant’s home debut.
Heiskanen took a pass from Jamie Benn, swooped in on goalie Igor Shesterkin and buried a high shot to give the Stars a victory in their first game of the season.
Jacob Peterson and Radek Faksa scored early for Dallas, and Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin combined to make 31 saves.
Adam Fox and Chris Kreider each had a goal for the Rangers. They lost their season opener Wednesday night at Washington.
SABRES 5, CANADIENS 1
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Victor Olofsson and Anders Bjork scored 2:01 apart in the second period and Buffalo beat injury-depleted Montreal.
Overcoming initial questions of lacking offense and leadership with deposed captain Jack Eichel’s future in Buffalo uncertain, assistant captains Kyle Okposo and Zemgus Girgensons stepped up to score Buffalo’s first two goals. Eichel was stripped of his captaincy last month and remains on injured reserve over a dispute with the team over how to treat a herniated disk which has sidelined him since March.
Forty-year-old Craig Anderson stopped 30 shots in his debut with his sixth NHL team. The Sabres converted three of six power-play opportunities, with Tage Thompson pushing Buffalo’s lead to 5-1 early in the third period.
Montreal was coming off a 2-1 season-opening loss at Toronto on Wednesday, and opened a season 0-2 for the first time since 2000. Chris Wideman scored for Montreal, and Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots in his Canadiens’ debut after being acquired off waivers from Florida two weeks ago. The Canadiens have eight players on IR, including captain Shea Weber and goalie Carey Price, who last week entered the NHL/NHL Players’ Association joint player assistance program.
HURRICANES 6, ISLANDERS 3
RALEIGH, N.C. — Andrei Svechnikov had two goals and an assist to help Carolina beat New York in the opener for both teams.
Teuvo Teravainen added a goal and an assist for Carolina, which featured a new-look roster in a matchup of Eastern Conference playoff contenders. Returnees Jesper Fast, Jordan Martinook and Nino Niederreiter also scored, and Frederick Andersen finished with 25 saves in his debut for the Hurricanes.
Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee scored goals for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves. The Islanders are opening with a 13-game trip while construction is completed on their new arena, with no home game until Nov. 20.
BLUE JACKETS 8, COYOTES 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals and two assists, Max Domi added a goal and two assists and Columbus routed Arizona to make Brad Larsen a winner in his coaching debut.
Alexandre Texier, Boone Jenner, Jake Bean, Zach Werenski and Gus Nyquist also scored for Columbus. Vladislav Gavrikov, Jakub Voracek and Jack Roslevic had two assists apiece as 13 Columbus players earned points in the opener.
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 36 shots in his first opening-night start.
Anton Stralman and Clayton Keller scored for Arizona. Carter Hutton stopped 18 shots in his first game since joining Arizona from Buffalo. New coach Andre Tourigny lost his first game with the Coyotes.
PANTHERS 5, PENGUINS 4, OT
SUNRISE, Fla. — Carter Verhaeghe scored his second goal of the night 1:37 into overtime and Florida overcame a late two-goal deficit to beat Pittsburgh.
Aaron Ekblad scored the two late goals to get Florida into overtime, and Verhaeghe finished it off moments after Sergei Bobrovsky stoned Evan Rodrigues on a breakaway. Bobrovsky made 43 saves for Florida, which also got a goal from Anthony Duclair.
Jeff Carter got the 400th goal of his career for Pittsburgh. Jake Guentzel scored from behind the net for Pittsburgh, which also got goals from Danton Heinen and Rodrigues along with 34 saves from Casey DeSmith.
SENATORS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2
OTTAWA, Ontario — Anton Forsberg made a career-high 46 saves and Ottawa scored three times in the first period in a season-opening victory over Toronto.
Playing hours after the Senators signed Brady Tkachuk to a seven-year contract extension, Tyler Ennis had a goal and an assist and Chris Tierney and Alex Formenton also scored. Forsberg started in goal with Matt Murray fighting a cold
Toronto goalie Peter Mrazek left the game after sustaining a groin injury on the final play of the second period. He made 23 saves, and Jack Campbell — the winner Wednesday night at home against Montreal — stopped 10 shots in the third. Former Ottawa captain Jason Spezza and William Nylander had power-play goals for Toronto.
The teams will meet again Saturday night in Toronto.
