4/12/2025
(Seattle, WA)
The Seattle Kraken outlasted the St. Louis Blues thanks to withstanding a wild third period and seven round shootout in a 4-3 win.
Jaden Schwartz, Michael Eyssimont, and Shane Wright tallied goals for Seattle, with Chandler Stephenson scoring the eventual shootout winning goal. The Blues scored all three goals in the third period with tallies from; Radek Faksa, Colton Parayko, and Nick Leddy.
Seattle came off a five game road trip that began with three consecutive wins before two straight losses. The Kraken started Philipp Grubauer with his fifth start since his stint with Coachella Valley. St. Louis started Jordan Binnington between the pipes, with the Blues aiming on wrapping a playoff spot that at one time seemed inconceivable. With St. Louis riding in with plenty of momentum, it would take a good effort to beat the red hot Blues.
The first period saw Seattle lead St. Louis in shots on goal 5-3, but no scoring through 20 minutes.
Seattle found their breakthrough early in the second. Former Blue Jaden Schwartz drove down the right side and roofed a shot by Jordan Binnington to put the Kraken on the board. The goal came at 3:34 of the middle frame.
Seattle went into the dressing room with the Schwartz goal the lone tally. The chances came few and sparingly through the game’s first forty minutes, with Schwartz’s goal the only time lamp was lit. No one could anticipate the storm the final 20 minutes would provide.
St. Louis jumped out of the gate with a Radek Faksa scoring in a net mouth scramble. The goal came 1:06 into the third, with Faksa backhanding a loose rebound into the net. Michael Eyssimont ended the deadlock at 6:44 with a wrist off a Tye Kartye pass to put Seattle back in the lead.
The Blues countered. At 7:21, Colton Parayko, marked his return from injury with a backhander on an offensive rush. The Kraken lead lasted all of 37 seconds. 13 seconds after St. Louis tied the game, they captured the lead. Nick Leddy slapped a one timer from the high slot to put the Blues in front 3-2. 50 seconds after the Kraken claimed the lead, they trailed for the first time. 2:19 later at 9:53, even terms were restored again. Shane Wright being in the right place at the right time proved to be what the Kraken needed. Jamie Oleksiak’s centering pass for Wright went off the Kraken center and into the net. Four goals in 3:09, exemplified the roller coaster that was the third period.
After the crazy span of several minutes, overtime was necessary to decide a winner. Both St. Louis and Seattle sought to play keep away, with Seattle mustering the only two shots on goal in overtime. The shootout was needed to decide the winner. Seattle shot first with Eeli Tolvanen scoring to set the tone for the Kraken. Jake Neighbours promptly scored for St. Louis on the next shot. The Blues’ Robert Thomas scored on St. Louis’s second shot. It was up to Kappo Kakko to save the game for Seattle, he did. The shootout was even again. Philipp Grubauer made four more saves in the skills competition to keep the Kraken in it.
Chandler Stephenson wristed a shot in the seventh round of the shootout that eventually resulted in a Kraken win. Philipp Grubauer made 20 saves in the win.
Up Next: The Kraken close out the 2024-25 campaign Tuesday night hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Climate Pledge Arena.
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