On Monday, April 13, the Seattle Kraken hosted the Los Angeles Kings for their last home game of the season. The two teams had already played against each other three times this season, with the Kraken winning all three.
The first period kicked off with an early goal from the Kings’ Quinton Byfield, with a second one quick to follow in the same period. The second period saw another goal from the Kings, and they took a commanding 3-0 lead after 40 minutes.
One minute into the third period, the Kraken were on the board. Seattle scored a second goal eight minutes in, but the Kings scored again shortly after. The Kraken got to within one a second time, but an empty-net goal secured the 5-3 win for Los Angeles. Seattle at least won the season series.
Kraken Made a Comeback
Heading into the final frame, the Kraken were down by three goals. This didn’t stop them from still trying to pull out the win. Just a minute and change into the last 20 minutes, Jaden Schwartz took a shot, but it was thwarted by Anton Forsberg. Matty Beniers picked up the rebound and passed it down to Adam Larsson at the blue line. He skated up and found an open lane. Larsson took the shot and scored the Kraken’s first goal of the night.
Seven minutes later, the Kraken brought the Kings within one. Kaapo Kakko dished a pass across the ice to Frederick Gaudreau, and he sent the puck into the net. The Kings scored again four minutes later to give Los Angeles the lead again.
With Nikke Kokko out of the net, the Kraken had a chance to even the score once more. Brandon Montour took a one-timer, and Forsberg made the save. Chandler Stephenson picked up the rebound and passed it to Beniers. He sent it down to Bobby McMann, who again brought the Kraken within one.
The Kraken had a full team effort to try to even the score within the third period. Unfortunately, the result might have been different if they had played within the full 60 minutes instead of just the last 20.
Catton Had a Great Game
Although rookie Berkly Catton didn’t get his name on the score sheet, he played as though he should have. He took 18 shifts and played for a total of 11:20 and recorded one block. He took several shots on net, but unfortunately, none were close enough to record an actual shot.
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Catton currently has 17 points in 64 games for his rookie season. He has been making a valiant effort to prove his worth to the team and has done a great job of that throughout the season. Although he doesn’t get the chance to experience the postseason, he is sure to work on his skills throughout the offseason and prepare to make an impact in Seattle in 2026-27.
Kraken’s Defense Struggled
The Kraken defense left young goaltender Kokko out to dry a fair amount in this game. For the Kings’ fourth goal, they picked up a loose puck off Eeli Tolvanen’s missed shot. A three-on-one broke out, with only Ryker Evans defending the three players. He allowed too much space to properly defend Anze Kopitar, who passed the puck to Adrian Kempe. Evans was also too far from Kempe, and he had an easy chance to score.
The play beforehand should have resulted in a penalty for Jaden Schwartz, but the referee didn’t call it. The Kings were clearly upset, but in the end, it resulted in them scoring an insurance goal to keep their lead strong.
Kraken Head to Vegas
The Kraken will head to Nevada to take on the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, April 15.
