Kraken's Road Trip Starts in the Worst Way: Nashville Hands Seattle a Playoff Spot Scare
The Kraken's six-game road swing opened with exactly the result they didn't need. Nashville dominated, winning 3-1, and in doing so, tied up the playoff picture in the West in a way that should have every Seattle fan biting their nails. The Predators jumped into a three-way tie with the Kraken and the Los Angeles Kings, which means the margin for error just got razor thin. Seattle does have a tiebreaker advantage over both teams thanks to regulation wins, but they needed the Kings to lose to Philadelphia in regulation later Thursday just to finish the night clinging to a playoff spot. That's not the position you want to be in when you're fighting for your playoff life. This is now the Kraken's second straight loss.
Gaudreau's Goal Wasn't Enough
Freddy Gaudreau scored Seattle's only goal, and it came late in the first period after he made a move that showed some real hands. Draped in Predators defenders, Gaudreau protected the puck crossing the blue line and found Chandler Stephenson. Stephenson fired it right back, and Gaudreau buried it for his fifth of the season and his first since January 5th. For a moment, it felt like the Kraken might grab something from this game. That moment didn't last long. Fourteen seconds into a Jamie Oleksiak interference penalty, Ryan O'Reilly tucked home a Filip Forsberg rebound to make it 2-1 for Nashville, and the Predators held that lead through most of the next two periods. Forsberg iced it with an empty netter.
McMann Runs Into Bad Luck, Roster Scramble
Bobby McMann came this close to extending his goal streak to four games, but he hit the left goalpost just 20 seconds into the second period. That inch made all the difference. His three-game point streak since joining the Kraken at the trade deadline from Toronto ended without a goal. The Kraken had to get creative with injuries and illness. Eeli Tolvanen missed the game with an upper-body injury, and Ryan Winterton sat out due to illness. Seattle recalled Jani Nyman from Coachella Valley on an emergency basis, giving the 21-year-old winger his first NHL action since December 22nd. Nyman started the season with the Kraken in 24 games before getting sent down, and his production has picked up with the Firebirds. He's tied for fourth in points and third in goals across half the Firebirds' games this season. But coach Lane Lambert didn't lean on him much, limiting Nyman to just one third-period shift as Seattle searched for the equalizer.
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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.