The Seattle Kraken showcased a strong performance as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in a thrilling match on Thursday night. Shane Wright shined with two impressive goals, contributing to the Kraken’s third consecutive victory.
Joining Wright on the scoring sheet were Brandon Montour and Matty Beniers, who both found the back of the net for Seattle. Goalkeeper Joey Daccord made 29 crucial saves to secure the win for the Kraken.
Toronto, on the other hand, struggled to maintain momentum, slipping to a 0-5-1 record in their last six games. Nicholas Robertson and Morgan Rielly managed to score for the Maple Leafs, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the determined Kraken.
Anthony Stolarz, in his second consecutive start after returning from injury, faced an early challenge but made 17 saves throughout the game.
Wright, the talented fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, ended his goal drought with a stellar performance, scoring his eighth and ninth goals of the season.
In a record-breaking moment, Beniers scored just over a minute into the first period, setting a franchise milestone with 10 goals in a single month. The game saw intense back-and-forth action, with Robertson tying the score for Toronto before Wright and Montour extended Seattle’s lead.
Despite a power-play goal from Rielly narrowing the gap, Wright’s resilient play sealed the victory with another goal in the third period. Jared McCann added an empty-net goal to secure the Kraken’s win.
A notable incident occurred when Berkly Catton, the Kraken’s rising star from the 2024 NHL draft, suffered a hard hit to the head in the first period, sidelining him for the remainder of the game.