Kraken edge Predators to end seven-game skid

[March 03, 2022] Colin Blackwell and Calle Jarnkrok scored against their former team as the Seattle Kraken snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory against the visiting Nashville Predators on Wednesday.
 

Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) moves the puck against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Wennberg and Yanni Gourde also scored for Seattle, which rallied from a two-goal deficit, and Chris Driedger made 19 saves. Blackwell and Gourde added one assist apiece.

Matt Duchene scored twice for Nashville and Roman Josi had two assists. Philip Tomasino also tallied, and Juuse Saros stopped 27 of 31 shots as the Predators lost for the sixth time in eight games.

With the score tied at 3-3, the Predators went on the power play early in the third period.

Blackwell sent a clearing pass down the ice from his own zone and followed the play as Gourde outmuscled Filip Forsberg for the puck behind the Nashville net. Gourde fed Blackwell out front, and he twice tried to jam the puck past Saros at the right post before his third try slid under the goalie's pads and over the goal line.

The Predators opened the scoring at 13:13 of the first period. Tomasino chipped the puck over Driedger from the top of the crease after taking a pass from Michael McCarron, who was behind the net.

It remained 1-0 until the Predators tallied on a power play at 6:54 of the second period. Duchene skated down the left wing and beat Driedger with a high shot just inside the near post.

The Kraken answered with three goals in a span of 2:39 to take the lead.

Wennberg scored at 7:23 of the middle period, taking a backhanded pass from Marcus Johansson on a two-on-one break and redirecting the puck past Saros from the top of the crease.

The Kraken tied it at 8:58, as Morgan Geekie poked a loose puck behind the net and Jordan Eberle fed Jarnkrok out front. Jarnkrok scored on a one-timer from the low slot while falling to the ice.

Seattle capped the outburst at 10:02, as Blackwell drove down the left wing on a three-on-two break and fed Gourde for a one-timer from the slot.

The third Seattle goal prompted Predators coach John Hynes to call a timeout to settle his squad.

The move worked, as Duchene scored his second on a backhander at 14:36 of the second period to tie the score at 3.

Seattle outshot Nashville 31-22, including 15-3 in the third period.

--Field Level Media

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