SEATTLE — The Kraken were rolling midway through the second period of their nationally televised season opener. A two-goal lead was hard-won but easily lost, as the St. Louis Blues scored three times in just over two minutes Tuesday afternoon at Climate Pledge Arena and rode that slim 3-2 advantage to the end.

Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn scored the first goal of the 2024-25 season, tapping his own rebound past Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington’s leg 27 seconds into the second period.

Returning Kraken scoring leader Jared McCann had found the net in all three previous season openers, and that streak would have probably continued had Dunn tapped it to him on the 2-on-1. But Dunn took it himself.

Dunn, who won a Stanley Cup in St. Louis, was in the middle of several disagreements Tuesday. After an apparent Kraken goal was immediately ruled offside, he got into a dustup right in front of the Blues bench and teammate Yanni Gourde joined in. Five-foot-nine Gourde locked limbs with 6-foot-6 St. Louis winger Alexey Toropchenko, somehow at the right height to whisper compliments in his ear. Both picked up fighting majors.

Dunn could also be found jawing with St. Louis’ Radek Faksa after Dunn’s defensive partner Adam Larsson was called for holding Faksa. Faksa took an unsportsmanlike penalty for holding a facemask, but Larsson tacked on a roughing penalty and St. Louis halved Seattle’s two-goal lead during the ensuing power play.

The Kraken had taken a log off the fire. On that first goal, Jordan Kyrou shrugged off Jamie Oleksiak and plowed toward the net, beating sliding goaltender Philipp Grubauer low. The next two St. Louis goals, from Philip Broberg and Kyrou again, were 20 seconds apart. Kyrou scored on a breakaway directly off a faceoff to give the Blues their first lead of the game.

The Kraken’s second goal was an Eeli Tolvanen spinning tip of a Ryker Evans shot.

Wearing his brand-new “A” for alternate captain, Matty Beniers blasted a point-blank shot into Binnington’s shoulder three and a half minutes into the game. Later in the game Binnington flashed his glove to rob Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Grubauer (22 saves) swatted away a point-blank chance as Gourde’s latest penalty expired early in the third period. Soon after that, the Bjorkstrand-Shane Wright-Tolvanen third line turned in a promising shift. But Seattle never recovered that third goal.

New coach Dan Bylsma’s tenure began with a loss. The Kraken travel to Minnesota for Game 2 on Saturday.

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