Game Recap: Jets @ Kraken

The Winnipeg Jets were hoping to keep their hot streak going for a seventh straight game, while the Seattle Kraken were itching to be the franchise that knocks off the NHL’s last undefeated squad. Lets find out how it played out…..

Here is the lineup the Jets opted to go with for Thursday’s contest:

GAME RECAP

The hometown Kraken came out of the gate flying and really dominated the puck possession in the opening frame. Seattle was able to take advantage of that when Matty Beniers unleashed a perfect shot to beat Connor Hellebuyck.

The Jets picked up the pace in the 2nd period and were able to level the playing field, helping them to take the lead on Nino Niederreiter’s 3rd goal of the season and Gabriel Vilardi’s 1st. When the middle frame ended, the teams were deadlocked on the shot counter (22-22), but the Kraken had the edge in high danger scoring chances (6-4).

After a failed powerplay chance early in the 3rd, Winnipeg extended their lead when Cole Perfetti skated up the left wing to gain the offensive zone before sending a perfect cross-ice pass to Niederreiter for his second marker of the game. Seattle was able to close the gap when they capitalized on a Jets’ miscue on a defensive zone exit…leaving Jordan Eberle all alone in front of Bucky for a 5-hole goal. The Kraken wouldn’t quit and when a Brendan Montour point shot was deflected by Beniers for his 2nd of the game, the match was all knotted up with 3:22 to play. But the franchises couldn’t decide things in that limited time, so it was off to overtime.

Seattle won the opening draw, but when a low grade shot was handled by Hellebuyck, it was time for Winnipeg to go on the attack. They controlled the puck for the next minute while they stormed the Kraken’s zone, coming close a couple times with scoring chances that were just off-target. The Jets continued to cycle the perimeter and Neal Pionk was tripped up by a Seattle forward, allowing Bucky to go to the bench for the extra attacker. Coach Scott Arniel smartly decided to put Nikolaj Ehlers on the ice and the speedy Dane quickly joined the attack. Kyle Connor held onto the puck to allow Fly to get into the high slot, then hit him with a quick pass for a 1 timer. The Kraken’s Joey Daccord got a large chunk of the puck, but momentum kept the biscuit trickling towards the goalline and had just enough power to cross that blue line. The Winnipeg Jets improved to a perfect 7-0-0 record on their 3rd…