SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken handed the Vancouver Canucks their first loss below coach Rick Tocchet, 6-1 at Local weather Pledge Area on Wednesday.
Jared McCann had a purpose and two assists, Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, and Adam Larsson, Vince Dunn, Yanni Gourde and Jordan Eberle every had two assists for the Kraken (28-14-5), who’re 2-0-1 of their previous three video games. Martin Jones made 19 saves.
“We performed 60 minutes and made it arduous straight away from the beginning,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol stated. “We performed an actual direct sport, did every thing fairly fast. We sustained that via, for certain via the primary 40 minutes, and for almost all of the 60 minutes we did not surrender very a lot due to that.”
Video: VAN@SEA: Bjorkstrand buries rebound for a goal in 1st
Conor Garland scored, and Spencer Martin made 29 saves for the Canucks (19-26-3), who had been coming off a 5-2 win towards the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday in Tocchet’s debut.
“That is staff proper there,” Tocchet stated. “I assumed the nervousness caught up with a few of the guys, with the emotion of final week, however that was unhealthy. That was unhealthy. … Smooth. You hate to name your staff mushy, but it surely was mushy tonight. We did not take part within the wall battles, we did not get a rim out. We knew what they had been going to do. This can be a good staff. … Outdated habits got here.”
Bjorkstrand gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead at 7:57 of the primary interval on a rebound within the slot whereas falling backward.
“We needed to be prepared from the beginning,” Bjorkstrand stated. “I assumed we had been. They’re coming off a again to again. We hadn’t performed a sport for I feel three days (2-1 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday), so we ought to be recent, and I assumed we confirmed that we had been.”
Alex Wennberg made it 2-0 at 9:46 with a power-play purpose. He tapped within the puck close to the left put up after McCann’s shot deflected off the stick of Eberle.
McCann pushed it to 3-0 with one other power-play purpose at 5:55 of the second interval, ending a cross-ice cross from Eberle within the left face-off circle.
Video: VAN@SEA: McCann caps nice play for a PPG in the 2nd
Eeli Tolvanen made it 4-0 at 7:50 with a one-timer from the excessive slot, and Bjorkstrand prolonged it to 5-0 at 16:15 after he was left on their own in the precise circle.
Garland scored for Vancouver to make it 5-1 at 19:52.
“They transfer their ft properly. We acquired caught chasing all of them evening,” Canucks ahead Curtis Lazar stated. “That is an space we all know we have to work and enhance.”
Ryan Donato scored at 2:36 of the third interval when he lifted a backhand prime shelf from the underside of the precise circle for the 6-1 remaining. He has 4 targets throughout a three-game purpose streak.
“We’ve not preferred the outcomes, clearly (Seattle is 1-5-1 towards Vancouver in its historical past),” Hakstol stated. “I stated earlier than the sport the outcomes from final yr imply nothing to this group, I perhaps overstated that a bit bit. They’re the closest staff, however crucial factor is, that is sport three this yr, and we [hadn’t won]. We had one level up in Vancouver. These are a crucial two factors.”
Video: VAN@SEA: Donato pads lead in 3rd period
NOTES: Kraken ahead Matty Beniers (undisclosed) left at 5:23 of the second interval following successful by Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers, who was referred to as for interference on the play. There was no replace postgame. … Dunn has 36 factors (9 targets, 27 assists) this season, an NHL profession excessive.
