Kucherov Goes Nuclear: Hat Trick and 2 Assists Sink Kraken 6-2
The Seattle Kraken came into Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night hoping to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff hunt. Instead, they ran headlong into Nikita Kucherov playing like a man possessed, and the Tampa Bay Lightning walked out with a 6-2 win that left the home crowd of 17,151 frustrated. Kucherov's six-goal performance, including his sixth career hat trick and two assists, was just too much for the Kraken to handle.
Kucherov's Masterclass
The Tampa Bay lightning's six-time All-Star came into the game tied for 10th in the NHL in goals, and he made his statement early. Kucherov scored 1:11 into the first period to get the Lightning rolling. Then, less than a minute into the second, he made it 3-0, and he added his hat trick goal into an empty net with 2:44 left in the third to finish with 37 goals on the season. It was his seventh multigoal game of the season and his second in March alone. For the Lightning, Brandon Hagel chipped in a goal and three assists, while Anthony Cirelli added a goal and two assists. Gage Goncalves rounded out the scoring with a goal and an assist.
The Kraken Fight Back (Briefly)
Seattle came out flat early, but fought back in the second period. Bobby McMann, recently acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline, scored his fourth goal in three games with the Kraken. McCann followed with a slick move on goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and scored over his left shoulder to cut it to 3-2. The Kraken had won back-to-back games last weekend, but they couldn't sustain the momentum. Cirelli put Tampa up 4-2 on a wraparound early in the third, and Hagel's power play goal at 16:54 put the game out of reach. Goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 19 shots for Seattle, while Vasilevskiy made 16 saves for the Lightning.
The Playoff Picture Gets Tighter
The loss stings because the Kraken are now tied with Los Angeles at 71 points for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Tampa Bay remains four points behind first-place Buffalo in the Atlantic Division at 86 points. The Kraken have made one playoff appearance in franchise history, back in 2023. Both teams head out Thursday night, with Tampa heading to Vancouver while Seattle travels to Nashville. This is the type of game the Kraken can't afford to lose when they're this tight with the Kings for a playoff spot.
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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.