McMann Scores Again, But It's Not Enough as Lightning Run Wild on Kraken
The Kraken spotted Tampa Bay a three goal lead on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge Arena, then remembered they're clinging to a playoff spot and desperately need wins. Bobby McMann and Jared McCann got them back within one, but the Lightning just pulled away and cruised to a 6-2 victory. Nikita Kucherov's third goal was an empty netter, and unlike some recent hat tricks in Seattle, this one actually counted. The Lightning are now 8-0-1 all-time against the Kraken and have never lost in this building.
McMann's Hot Streak Continues
Here's the thing about McMann: he hasn't played a single Kraken game without scoring. Seriously. After getting acquired at the trade deadline from Toronto, he's got four goals and six points in just three games. On Tuesday, Matty Beniers made an absolutely ridiculous play, leaping like a center fielder to keep the puck in the zone before falling and tapping it directly to his linemate. McMann didn't miss, whipping a shot into the top-right corner to make it 3-1. The kid is on fire.
Beniers still holds the Kraken record for the longest goal streak, scoring in five straight games back in January 2023. The only active guys with longer streaks to start their tenure with a franchise are Evgeni Malkin with six and Anthony Mantha with four. Not bad company.
Catastrophic Mistakes in a Game That Got Away Fast
McCann also scored in the second period, but that's when things fell apart. Anthony Cirelli added another goal, then Brandon Hagel buried it on a late power play, and Kucherov capped it off. Coach Lane Lambert didn't mince words after the game: "For the most part, it was a fairly even game. Our mistakes were really catastrophic." Forward Ben Meyers echoed that sentiment: "Just kind of gave them the first three goals. Got behind against a really good team."
The breakdowns were brutal. Meyers lost an edge in front and the Lightning turned it into a quick 2-on-1, with Kucherov finishing at the back door to make it 2-0. The third goal was worse, with Adam Larsson tangling with Kucherov in front and the Lightning star shaking loose for an easy tap-in. Lambert said he'd never seen so many "tic-tac-toe goals in an NHL hockey game before." That's the kind of criticism that stings.
Gourde Returns, Wright Blocks, and Bad Penalty Luck
Former Kraken captain Yanni Gourde got into it with Ben Meyers in his first game back at Climate Pledge Arena since being traded to Tampa Bay last year. Meyers took exception to a Gourde open-ice hit and they dropped the gloves in the third period. Earlier, Shane Wright surprised Gourde with a welcome-home embrace that the refs read as holding, sending Wright to the box for two minutes. Seven seconds away from killing it, Ryker Evans tripped Hagel and extended the man advantage. Wright made up for it by blocking what would have been a sure goal on that kill.
Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand, the former All-Star, were both honored on the video boards. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves in a losing effort.
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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.