Berkly Catton's Miracle Bounce Just Kept the Kraken's Season Alive and It's Going Down to the Wire

The Seattle Kraken are still breathing. Barely. After rallying from down 3-1 Thursday night to stun Vegas 4-3 in a shootout, they're eight points back of Los Angeles for the final wild-card spot with four games left to play. One more slip-up, or one more point for the Kings or Nashville, and the Kraken are done for the third straight year. But not yet.

How a Bouncy Puck Saved the Season

You couldn't write what happened in the third period if you tried. Trailing 3-1, Adam Larsson dumped the puck deep and it took a weird ricochet off a stanchion, bouncing straight in front of the crease. Berkly Catton, pressing hard on the forecheck, buried it at 6:11 of the third. His first goal since March 15. Jared McCann tied it up midway through, and when the shootout came around, Catton buried the winner. Joey Daccord stopped 31 shots plus four of five shootout attempts to seal it.

"It's crazy how that works," Catton said after the game. "I've had a lot of good looks that haven't gone in. And then, I get a really good bounce with an open net. So, that one really felt good."

The Grind Continues Saturday

Lane Lambert knew what this win meant. "It's been a hard grind. A lot of disappointment, I guess you can say. So, to get one like that and do it in comeback fashion, that mentality was better," the Kraken coach said. Now they head into Saturday's matchup with the visiting Flames knowing the calendar is working against them. Calgary's already done, eliminated Tuesday. They're just playing out the string. But the Kraken? They're fighting for their playoff life, and eight points with four games left means every single one matters.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.