This Loss Might Be Worse Than the Score: Kraken Fall to 5-2, Slip Further Back in Wild Card Race
The Kraken got absolutely torched on Saturday night in Columbus, dropping a 5-2 decision to the Blue Jackets and watching their playoff hopes take another hit. This wasn't close. Columbus scored three goals in the first period alone and cruised to their fourth straight win, extending their point streak to an incredible 12 games. Meanwhile, Seattle is now on a three-game losing streak and has fallen two points behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Not ideal when every game matters this much.
The First Period Was a Disaster
Here's the thing: the game was essentially decided in the opening 16 minutes. Danton Heinen got Columbus rolling just 2:48 into the game, then Damon Severson made it 2-0 at 8:58 with a shot from the left circle. That Severson goal? It was the 52nd goal by a Blue Jackets defenseman this season, setting a franchise record. Zach Werenski was doing the setup work on all three of those early Columbus tallies. Mathieu Olivier pushed it to 3-0 at 15:16 before Vince Dunn finally got Seattle on the board late in the period to make it 3-1. But the damage was already done.
Seattle Scratched and Clawed, But It Wasn't Enough
Kaapo Kakko pulled the Kraken within one with a power-play goal at 8:31 of the second, which felt like a spark. But Kent Johnson answered back just 62 seconds later and snapped a 12-game goal drought to make it 4-2. That pretty much sealed it. Cole Sillinger added an empty-netter with 2:26 left for the final 5-2 margin. Joey Daccord stopped 23 shots in the loss, but when your team can't stop the bleeding early, even solid goaltending isn't enough. On the bright side, Eeli Tolvanen returned for Seattle after missing two games with an upper-body injury, and Jared McCann was a late scratch with a lower-body injury.
The Kraken head to Florida on Tuesday looking to snap this losing streak before things get even worse in the standings. With Nashville breathing down Seattle's neck, this one stings.
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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.