Kraken use response goals from unlikely sources to take down Sabres

Tim Booth, The Seattle Times on Jan 20, 2025

Published in Hockey

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SEATTLE — For all the times this season where the Kraken have done a poor job of handling bad bounces, a soft goal or a defensive breakdown, it’s notable when they provide an immediate response.

The Kraken did just that on Monday in a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres for their third win in the past four games. Three times the Kraken scored within a minute of Buffalo scoring — the first time erasing an early deficit and the second time taking a lead Seattle would not relinquish.

The Kraken also hit their magic number of four goals. Starting with its 4-2 win at Carolina on Dec. 3, Seattle is 10-0-0 when scoring at least four goals and 0-11-2 in the games it doesn’t.

Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist and Matty Beniers continued his recent surge scoring for the third time in the past five games.

But the two most important goals of this win belonged by a couple of unheralded and unexpected scorers: fourth-line forward John Hayden and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak.

Hayden scored his first of the year early in the first period finishing a rebound after Ryker Evans’ shot from the blue line was initially saved by Buffalo goalie Devon Levi. Hayden’s goal was an immediate response and came just 27 seconds after the Sabres took a 1-0 lead.

The response on Oleksiak’s goal took a little bit longer — 56 seconds — but was just as important. Buffalo’s Tage Thompson made a skilled play to avoid losing the puck to Jaden Schwartz at the blue line, faked a pass and then beat Joey Daccord with a wrist shot at 15:38 of the second period as the Sabres turned a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 game.

Less than a minute later, the Kraken were back in front as Oleksiak finished off a play started by the good work behind the goal by Jared McCann and Shane Wright. McCann won a puck away from Buffalo’s Owen Power along the boards, passed to Wright and the young center found Oleksiak flashing between the circles for his fourth goal.

The final response goal by Seattle came from McCann with 1:04 left into an empty Buffalo net. Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres with 1:21 left to pull within 5-4, but McCann hit the empty net almost immediately after the ensuing faceoff to complete a three-point day.

It was McCann’s first three-point game since Oct. 17.

Stephenson scored late in the first period to give the Kraken a 2-1 lead and Beniers’ goal on the power play in the second made it 3-1. Adam Larsson provided some cushion midway through the third period when his slap shot beat Levi with 9:27 left.

Daccord made 25 saves and two of the four goals allowed came off wicked deflections. Jack Quinn scored five minutes in on a shot that ricocheted off bodies in front of the net. Dylan Cozens scored on the power play in the second period, tipping Rasmus Dahlin’s shot from the blue line.

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