The Kraken Did the Impossible and Still Lost: How Seattle Blew a Chance to Stay Alive
Down three goals with less than eight minutes left, the Kraken mounted an absolutely insane comeback Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers. Matty Beniers got it started, then Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann scored on unassisted breakaways just 14 seconds apart to force overtime. It was electric. It was everything you want to see from a team fighting for its playoff life. And then they lost anyway, 5-4 in the shootout.
Yeah, you read that right. The Kraken clawed all the way back from a three-goal hole with under eight minutes to play, tied it up, and still walked out of Florida with nothing to show for it. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (22 saves) stopped Eberle, McMann, and Freddy Gaudreau in the shootout, and Vinnie Hinostroza buried the winner for the two-time defending champs.
This Should Have Been an Easy One
Here's what makes this sting even more: Seattle beat the Panthers 6-2 at Climate Pledge Arena on March 15. That remains the Kraken's most recent win. Florida has fallen out of the playoff picture entirely. This was supposed to be the easiest game of a six-game road trip. Instead, it's a missed opportunity that Seattle can't afford right now with 12 games left to play.
"It's really coming down to the end of season here. We've got to make sure we're playing with that urgency all the time," McMann said after the game. "So it's really good that we found it, but we've got to play with that from the drop of the puck."
McMann, acquired at the deadline from Toronto, has been the team's hottest player. He just picked up his fifth goal and seventh point in six Kraken games. But his shootout attempt? Stopped by Bobrovsky.
The Setup Was Weird, and So Was the Strategy
Coach Lane Lambert was dealing with some roster constraints. Jared McCann missed his second straight game due to injury, and Ryan Winterton is taking a temporary leave of absence. So Lambert got creative, scratching AHL call-up Jani Nyman and doing something uncommon for this franchise: sending out seven defensemen instead of four full forward lines. Defenseman Cale Fleury got his first game action in over two weeks.
Beniers had to shoulder the load, playing 22:52, the most among Kraken forwards. It wasn't pretty early. Sixteen minutes into the game, shots were only 3-2 Seattle. The first period ended scoreless, but then Florida woke up and took control, going up 3-0 before Seattle could find any rhythm.
Adam Larsson, who picked up an assist on Beniers' pivotal goal, made history by appearing in his 1,000th NHL game. He's now the 423rd player ever to reach that milestone and just the 23rd from Sweden. Not bad for a night that ended in heartbreak.
The Shootout Collapse
Seattle is now 1-5 in shootouts this season and 9-17 all-time. They sent out their best options: Gaudreau first, then McMann. But Bobrovsky stopped them both. Captain Eberle, the obvious choice for the star turn, missed too. He's now 0-5 in shootouts this season.
The Kraken needed OT constantly early in the season, but they've been chasing games way too much lately. And that's not a winning formula down the stretch. They've got to figure it out fast, or this comeback night will just be another painful "what if" moment.
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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.