After losing to the Winnipeg Jets 8-1 on Tuesday (Dec. 10), the Boston Bruins had a chance to face a relatively easy opponent again on Thursday (Dec. 12) as they visited the Seattle Kraken. However, life for the Bruins in 2024-25 continues to challenge them, as the Kraken secured home ice with a 5-1 win.
Seattle Strikes Early
Seattle isn't a club that jumps to the start very often, but this proved to be an exception to the rule. Boston was sent to the sin bin 24 seconds into the contest when David Pastrnak was called for too much sticking. The Kraken won a faceoff in Bruins territory. This allowed Matty Beniers to skate around the left boards for a few seconds before sending the puck into the crease, where Oliver Bjorkstrand scored for a 1-0 lead.
The Kraken was never finished. At 5:14, Jaden Schwartz made it 2-0 again on a nice effort to the right by Boston's Joonas Korpisalo. Skating on the goal line, he saved the shelf above the shoulders of many of the net.
Boston would not get back into the game until the second period. Thanks in part to a defensive effort to close the lockdown and more moxie on offense, the Bruins have been given a lifeline. Seattle's Brandon Montour thought he made a great defensive play when he dove on Philipp Grubauer to try to clear the loose puck. However, his effort also caused him to block the puck. That's a no-no in the NHL rulebook. As such, Brad Marchand was awarded a penalty, and it paid off for the Kraken.
Luck favors the Kraken
Sometimes, to be good, you just need to be lucky. Then again, the team can make their own luck.
It was the same in the third period. With Seattle hoping to create distance between themselves and Boston, Jared McCann's burst into space deflected a Bruins defender in the air. Vince Dunn happened to come through and tap the puck in the air into the net to make it 3-1 at 3:07.
The Kraken's fourth marker was a payoff with good puck movement between Eeli Tolvanen, Shane Wright and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who fired a shot from the slot past a tested Korpisalo. Home fans can taste victory now.
Jared McCann would put the puck into an open net at 18:06 – with no effort, though – for the proverbial icing on the cake en route to a 5-1 final score.
This was one of the best efforts of the season by Seattle crease goalkeeper Grubauer. The German saved 33 of the 34 shots he faced.
Seattle will be sitting in the Climate Pledge Arena for their next game. That's Saturday (Dec. 14) when the Tampa Bay Lightning are in town. The Bruins also play on Saturday. Their trip out West takes them to Vancouver to meet the Canucks.
Source link
