The Seattle Kraken continued their cross-country trip on Friday night to face the New Jersey Devils. Both teams were behind the 8-ball, as the Kraken were on a back-to-back, but the Devils had struggled at home. The Devils were the ones to come out victorious as Jacob Markstrom made 17 stops in a 3-2 victory. They’re now 18-9-2; the Kraken fell to 13-14-1.
In the first period, the Kraken struck first – the eighth time in the last nine games that the Devils gave up the first goal. Andre Burakovsky went end-to-end, getting past Luke Hughes who was caught in between. But a little over two minutes later, the youngest Hughes made up for it by sniping one past Philipp Grubauer for his first of the season.
“I think he wants to defend that first goal a little bit differently, a little bit better, but he responds…I’ve been really impressed with Luke’s game…for it not to go his way early but then tonight’s the game he gets one in, it’s fitting,” head coach Sheldon Keefe told The Hockey Writers.
The Kraken answered back to start the second, as Shane Wright cashed in on the power play. But the Devils answered back again, this time Jesper Bratt off a strange deflection. The Devils controlled the pace for the rest of the period, but Grubauer stood tall to keep it tied at two.
Then Vince Dunn had a moment he’ll want to forget. He lost control of the puck on a rebound and put it off the post, giving Timo Meier the easiest goal he’ll ever score. The hockey gods continued to haunt the Kraken when Brandon Montour had a breakaway, faked out Markstrom, and missed a wide-open cage.
Right Place. Right (Timo) Time. pic.twitter.com/cx8cySGaeE
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 7, 2024
The Devils were able to hang on during the extra attacker scenario and that was that. They’re now 13-5-0 in their last 18.
They will be in action again at home on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche; the Kraken will take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
