EDMONTON – One night after the Kraken didn’t bring energy and pace right from puck drop in a 4-1 loss in Calgary, Wednesday night’s split-squad group relentlessly disrupted an Edmonton lineup that marked the return of super-scorers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The result was a 3-1 victory that no doubt pleased head coach Lane Lambert and the large contingent of Kraken hockey operations brass and staff making the out-and-back round trip.

If you are looking for standouts, you can start with Matty Beniers flashing an array of pro details ranging from drawing a key penalty, setting up the game’s first goal and staying deep in the Kraken zone as needed when the star Oilers were on the ice. The Shane Wright line, with veterans Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz, was hunting pucks and second- and third-efforting any EDM rushes. Schwartz gets extra credit for assisting on the third goal to get Seattle back to a two-goal lead with eight minutes left.

Joey Daccord faced a relatively low 16 shots in two periods but came up with big saves to keep it 1-0 after the first 20 minutes and 2-0 at the second intermission. Plus, Daccord looked in mid-season form with his stick play, setting up the Kraken’s first goal with the sort of “third” assist we see regularly from the hockey-smart and aforementioned Schwartz. One more positive: The first-D pair of Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura was solid all game, with Oleksiak breaking up a good half-dozen threatening plays in the Kraken zone before any shot developed.

The third period loomed as maybe the time to kick things into productive gear for the Oilers. They started on the power play with Daccord done for the night, subbed with 2024-25 AHL All-Rookie Team goalie Nikke Kokko in net. But over the first five minutes, Kokko held serve with three solid in-close saves and poised positioning to freeze pucks during a couple of net-front scrums. A pair of shifts later, the Oilers looked on the brink of scoring on a 3-on-1 break, but AHL standout defenseman Ty Nelson broke up the passing sequence to quiet the home crowd.

Nine minutes into the period, Edmonton finally dented the Kraken goal on a second-effort rebound goal by veteran Andrew Mangiapane, who stepped on Jamie Oleksiak. But Seattle quickly regained the two-goal advantage with a slick behind-the-net pass from Schwartz to the stick of NHL-tested Ben Meyers for the third goal. Kokko finished with 8 saves to seal the victory.

The game was sealed when Jani Nyman fired a puck from his own end into the empty Edmonton net to mark his third tally of the preseason.

Beniers Works for Power Play, Then Delivers Assist

After an uneventful power play early in this preseason road game, Matty Beniers drew an interference penalty late first period by hustling in pursuit of a loose puck in the Edmonton zone. It’s one of those small details new coach Lane Lambert has been emphasizing all camp: “Be good without the puck.” In this case, Beniers wasn’t allowing an easy exit for the Oilers, and it paid off with two minutes of man-advantage.

Seattle didn’t need the full power play time. On the ensuing power play, goaltender Joey Daccord skated out past his left faceoff circle to send the cleared puck up ice to Beniers, poised to enter the Oilers. Funny enough, it was almost the exact place of the interference call. Beniers held the puck that extra beat or two for his teammates to flood the offensive zone. The 22-year-old captain fed a pass to 2022 second-rounder (35th) Jagger Firkus, who quickly slipped the puck to frequent AHL Firebirds linemate Logan Morrison.

Morrison quick-released a shot that veteran goalie Stuart Skinner stopped but without controlling the rebound. By then, Firkus, not the biggest player, stood his ground net-front and slapped in the first goal of the game on what was just the third Kraken shot of goal in the opening frame. The second, of course, was Morrison’s last-minute-of-the-period shot. Firkus, it should be noted, looked significantly more in flow compared to last Sunday’s preseason opener and was handling the physically of NHL-level play.

Beniers started the game with Jani Nyman and Kaapo Kakko on his wings for the second straight appearance, but Kakko left the game with an upper-body injury less than seven minutes into the game and did not return.

How Low Can the Shot Totals Go?

Despite the added firepower of stars Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard in the Edmonton lineup, the first period here in Alberta was a workmanlike effort for the Kraken squad. While only managing three shots at the Oilers’ end, Seattle held Edmonton to just five shots on goal. Most of the attempts were outside the danger areas of the high slot and the net front. Bouchard had the best scoring chance on an in-close shot batted down by starter Joey Daccord. The second period started with more of the same, though two of Edmonton’s required grade-A stops by Joey Daccord.

The shot count was nine-to-six Oilers when a home-team power play started mid-second period. The Kraken penalty killers snuffed out the man-advantage with good work by veteran Jared Schwartz and 20-year-old Oscar Fisker Molgaard, among others. With six minutes left in the middle frame, the shot count was 12-6. After 40 minutes, the Oilers totaled 16 while Seattle reached its double-digits with 10 SOG. But you have to appreciate that the Kraken whipped two of those shots across the goal line.