Kraken clinch playoff berth, beat Coyotes 4-2

SEATTLE - The Seattle Kraken are officially headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann each had a goal and two assists, and Matty Beniers scored a goal with an assist as well as the Kraken cruised to a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes to punch their ticket into the postseason.

"You look at the leap that we've made, I mean, it's special," Eberle said. "We've got a special group here, I think. You know, from day one, I think a lot of people have written us off and to get to this point is obviously an accomplishment. But I think this group feels that we're not done. You look at the Stanley Cup playoffs, that's why it's the funnest thing to play in, I mean, everyone has a chance. So this is only half the battle and now it's time that the real work begins."

The Kraken have sent NHL records for the largest jump in points and wins from year one to year two of a franchise's existence. After finishing with just 27 wins and 60 points last season, the Kraken collected their 44th win and hit 96 points with the win over the Coyotes. A 100-point season still remains in reach over the final four games of the regular season.

"It feels great," head coach Dave Hakstol said. "Day one, that's what you want to work towards and be part of. The group in the room here earned it. They earned it from day one and all the way through tonight finishing off the two points tonight that solidifies it for us. Speaks to, you know, everybody and the character and the work ethic in the dressing room."

Seattle's top line delivered an eight-point night to emphatically carry the Kraken to their first playoff appearance. Philipp Grubauer also made 27 saves on 29 shots in a strong performance in net for Seattle.

The Kraken needed a victory to clinch a spot Thursday night. The Nashville Predators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 earlier in the night to take any chance of clinching a playoff spot with only a single point off the table. While Seattle was a bit scattered over the opening 15 minutes of play, they ultimately put the hammer down and emphatically sealed their postseason spot.

"It's special," McCann said. "Very thankful to be part of a group of guys like this. We battled all year and even when people told us that, you know, it's kind of going to be the same as last year, especially at the beginning of the season, right. So, you know, it's just a great thing to build on. We're excited but job's not done."

The upcoming playoff series for the Kraken will be the first seven-game postseason series for a Seattle sports team since the 2004-05 Seattle Supersonics lost 4-2 to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

The line of McCann, Beniers and Eberle has played nearly 500 minutes together this season, by far the most of any offensive unit on the team. The trio came through with a massive night to carry the team into the playoffs with their production against the Coyotes.

"They've done it on and off throughout the year, for sure," Hakstol said. "We've talked about, you know, different lines contributing and different lines being the driver on any given night, but, you know, that line has been a driver for us here over the last three nights for sure. And they were again tonight, they had the production to show for tonight in a critical game so I think that says all it needs to say about those guys."

Seattle had to shake off some early shaky play that led to some loose passes and inability to get the puck clear of their own zone. But the Kraken broke through late in the first period and never looked back.

Beniers won the puck off Nick Schmaltz behind the Arizona net and shuffled it to Eberle in front of the net. The puck went from Eberle to McCann on the back door for the finish and his 38th goal of the season for a 1-0 Kraken lead with just 23.5 seconds left in the opening period.

Seattle extended the lead just 28 seconds into the second period. Like Beniers, Yanni Gourde won a forecheck behind the net and found a lane to Vince Dunn at the top of the circles and his shot slipped through Arizona goaltender Karel Vejmeka. Patrik Nemeth was unable to swat the puck away from the goal line as Dunn netted his 14th of the year.

Beniers then delivered a hard forecheck on Nemeth and J.J. Moser that spit the puck free to McCann as he found Eberle wide open in front. Eberle dangled the puck and beat Vejmelka for a 3-0 Seattle lead just shy of six minutes into the period.

"I think we're trying to be able to create. I think off the rush we're a good line but down low in the offensive zone we're trying to do more. So you know, I think for me, it's easy to put those two," Eberle said. 

"McCann with his speed and obviously his shot, you find him and he generally puts it in and Matty, he's just such a smart player down the middle especially at such a young age. The biggest thing for me is, you know, you see the skill, you see skating, but the way he thinks the game and even just the way he goes about his day-to-day at a young age is impressive."

Arizona got one back with eight minutes remaining in the second period. A 3-on-1 break out of the neutral zone for the Coyotes led to Barrett Hayton shooting around an inadvertent screen from Jamie Oleksiak and beat Grubauer to cut the Seattle lead to 3-1.

Beniers was then rewarded for his hard work with a goal of his own. McCann picked off a pass from Juuso Välimäki as Beniers sprung for a breakaway. Beniers snapped a wrist shot off the post past Vejmelka for a 4-1 Kraken lead.

After scoring his goal, Beniers skated back to the Kraken bench and – depending on your view – either shushed the Coyotes bench or mimed blowing out a pistol after a shot.

"I don't know if I did that. Did I?" Beniers said. "Emotions are high... yeah, I don't know. I don't even remember doing that."

Beniers said that he remembers telling Eberle at the end of last season that the Kraken would make the playoffs this year.

"Yeah, actually, I said it last year. I said we're going to make playoffs last year to Ebs," Beniers said, recalling a ride on a shuttle at Chambers Bay for a round of golf after the season ended. "But, you know, there was a lot that went on this year and every guy was huge in this and it's been so fun."

The closing minutes were marred by a pair of brawls with the Coyotes getting blown out by Seattle for the second time in four days. 

Brandon Tanev and Miloš Kelemen dropped the gloves behind the Arizona net after Kelemen hit Morgan Geekie from behind and Tanev took offense. It came shortly after a big hit of Laurent Dauphin into the boards by Will Borgen moments earlier.

Then Välimäki delivered a big open ice hit on Eeli Tolvanen that irked Gourde as he got into Välimäki's face. All 10 players converged on the glass as Liam O'Brien tried to get at Gourde in retaliation. Borgen then took offense to O'Brien as the pair came out of the scrum exchanging blows.

Kelemen and O'Brien each received 17 minutes in penalties for their actions. Kelemen for fighting roughing and a 10-minute misconduct, O'Brien for fighting with an instigator and a 10-minute misconduct.

Dauhpin scored with 39.5 seconds left to cut the final deficit, but it wasn't enough to blunt the Kraken's excitement.

"For me it took me six years to finally get there and, you know, once you get there the game just elevates, everyone ups their focus," Eberle said of the playoffs. "And it's just intense. I mean, every mistake, it seems like ends up in the back of your net and vice versa. So, you know, it's why you play this game is to get to that point. And I think for this group, it's good that not only I think that we're going to gain experience from that, but I think the way that we play I think hopefully we can surprise some teams."

Notes:

– Kraken first-round pick Shane Wright saw his junior hockey season come to an end on Thursday night as his top-seeded Windsor Spitfires were swept in four games by the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.

With his junior season over, Wright is now eligible to join the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL, the Kraken's minor league affiliate. He could also return to the Kraken if the team wants to bring him back to Seattle. However, Wright can only play in one more NHL game before this season would count as the first year of his entry-level contract. He could re-join the team to be a part of practices, but ultimately not play in games as well. And yes, playoff games would count against the total.

Wright hasn't played in an NHL game since Dec. 6 when he scored his first career goal against the Montreal Canadiens.

– Alex Wennberg had a puck catch him in the head shortly after Beniers' goal that cut his head open. Wennberg immediately left the ice and retreating to the locker room as blood was visible on the ice. He did not return to the game.

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