The Kraken Just Got Embarrassed in Columbus, and the Playoff Spot Slipped Away
Well, that was ugly. The Seattle Kraken got absolutely demolished by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, falling 5-2 in a game that felt over after one period. And here's the kicker: the loss dropped the Kraken two points behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. This team is in serious trouble right now.
Columbus Came Out Swinging and Never Let Up
The Blue Jackets scored three goals in the opening frame and essentially put this game on ice before the second period even started. Danton Heinen got things going just 2:48 into the game, then Damon Severson made it 2-0 at 8:58 with a shot from the left circle. That goal was historic for Columbus, too. It was the 52nd goal by a Blue Jackets defenseman this season, setting a franchise record. Mathieu Olivier pushed it to 3-0 at 15:16 of the first, and yeah, the Kraken were basically done. Vince Dunn scored late in the period to cut it to 3-1, but the damage was already done. Zach Werenski assisted on all three of those opening-frame goals.
The Kraken Fought Back, But It Wasn't Enough
Seattle did make a push in the second period. Kaapo Kakko's power-play goal at 8:31 of the second pulled the Kraken within one at 3-2, and for a second it felt like maybe they could make a game of it. Nope. Kent Johnson answered just 62 seconds later and snapped a 12-game goal drought. Cole Sillinger added an empty-netter with 2:26 left to seal the 5-2 final. Joey Daccord made 23 saves for Seattle, but even a great performance from him couldn't salvage this one. Elvis Merzlikins stopped just 15 shots for Columbus, which won its fourth straight game and extended its point streak to 12 games. Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists in the win, and Adam Fantilli's assist extended his point streak to six games.
The Damage Report and What's Next
The Kraken have now lost three straight, and Jared McCann was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. Eeli Tolvanen returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury and added an assist. The team sits at 31-29-9 on the season, and with Nashville pulling away, the playoff picture just got a whole lot tighter.
Seattle heads to Florida on Tuesday to take on the Panthers. This team needs to respond fast, or the Emerald City faithful are going to be watching the playoffs from their couches.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.