McMann Scores Again, But It's Not Enough as Lightning Breeze Past Kraken
Bobby McMann scored his fourth goal in three games since joining the Kraken, but it wasn't nearly enough to stop Tampa Bay's steamroll through Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night. The Lightning walked out with a 6-2 victory, extending their all-time dominance over Seattle to 8-0-1 and remaining undefeated in the Emerald City. The Kraken are sitting right on the playoff cutoff and desperately need wins. This wasn't one of them.
McMann's Streak Continues, But the Defense Falls Apart
McMann extended his incredible streak to every single game he's played as a Kraken. Matty Beniers made a diving play in the offensive zone, tipping the puck directly to his linemate, and McMann ripped a shot into the top-right corner to cut Tampa's lead to 3-1. McMann has now posted four goals and six points in just three games since being acquired at the trade deadline from Toronto. It's an electric start to his Seattle tenure. Beniers still holds the franchise record for the longest goal streak, scoring in five straight games from January 3-10, 2023. But even Beniers' brilliance couldn't mask the defensive meltdown that killed the Kraken.
Jared McCann also found the back of the net in the second period, pulling Seattle closer. Then everything fell apart. Nikita Kucherov scored twice, including an empty netter to cap off his night. Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel added goals to put the game out of reach. Coach Lane Lambert didn't mince words after the loss: "Our mistakes were really catastrophic." Forward Ben Meyers put it bluntly: "Just kind of gave them the first three goals."
Gourde Returns, Wright Fights, and Defensive Breakdowns Define the Night
Yanni Gourde, the former Kraken alternate captain traded to Tampa Bay last year, got a video board tribute on his return to Climate Pledge Arena. He also got into a third period fight with Ben Meyers after an open-ice hit. The intensity was there. The execution wasn't. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves, but the damage was already done by then. The Kraken were caught flat-footed defensively throughout. Adam Larsson tangled with Kucherov on Tampa's third goal, and the result was an embarrassing tap-in. Ryan Lindgren's tripping penalty in the first period extended a Lightning power play that shouldn't have been extended. Lambert said he'd rarely seen so many "tic-tac-toe goals in an NHL hockey game before." Seattle needs to tighten up fast.
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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.