On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the Seattle Kraken hosted the San Jose Sharks for their first matchup of the season. The Sharks took an early lead, scoring in the first minute of the game. The Kraken came back with a goal late in the first, but it was the only one they scored. The Sharks answered back just two minutes later, then went on to score one goal in the second period and three in the third. Ultimately, the Sharks won 6-1.
Winterton Scores First NHL Goal
While the Kraken only scored one goal last night, it was a milestone one for Ryan Winterton.
With three minutes and change left on the clock, Winterton picked up a loose puck in the middle of the neutral zone. He skated it up to the net with speed and took a shot, but Yaroslav Askarov blocked it. Shane Wright was behind him and picked up the rebound. He looked around and tried to pass it to Winterton, but it found Ryan Lindgren at the blue line. His shot was blocked by the Sharks in front of the net, but Winterton picked it up. He took a second shot to score his first NHL goal.
Seattle Kraken center Ryan Winterton celebrates with goaltender Joey Daccord after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks (Steven Bisig-Imagn Images)
It took him 34 games before he scored his first NHL goal. He played in nine games in the 2023-24 season, making his NHL debut almost exactly two years ago on Nov. 9. Last season, Winterton played in 12 games and recorded his first assist on Dec. 3.
For the rest of these two seasons, he played in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. As for this season, Winterton has played in all 13 games, with his only point prior to this goal being an assist tallied on Oct. 25. Just four games later, he now has his first goal in the NHL.
Winterton has been a great addition to the fourth line this season. Originally, it was made up of Frederick Gaudreau and Tye Kartye, but since Gaudreau’s injury, the lines have been changed up a little. Last night, Meyers centered the fourth line. Although the line was made up of younger players, it was the only one to find success at the net.
Kraken Need to Utilize Their Three GoaltendersÂ
Just like on Oct. 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Joey Daccord had a less-than-stellar performance in the net. He allowed five goals on 20 shots, earning a save percentage (SV%) of .750. This marks his lowest SV% of the season; the previous low of .762 was recorded in Philadelphia.
There is no denying that Daccord is a great goaltender; he has kept the Kraken in numerous games throughout his five seasons with the team. However, the Kraken tend to overutilize him. As mentioned above, they have played 13 games this season; Daccord has played in 11 of them. There is no reason to put so much pressure on him this early in the season, especially when Seattle is carrying three goaltenders on their roster.
Related: Seattle Kraken Should Carry 3 Goalies on Their Roster
The Kraken also have Matt Murray and Philipp Grubauer on the roster. They have options as to who could defend the crease. However, head coach Lane Lambert continues to push Daccord to his limit, evident in last night’s game. He eventually pulled Daccord after the fifth goal, and Murray entered the crease. There is no reason why Murray couldn’t have played the entire 60 minutes of this game.
The Kraken are about to play their second back-to-back of the season this weekend. Of course, Daccord cannot play both games. Murray or Grubauer should get the start in St. Louis on Saturday against the Blues. After that, they head to Dallas, where they will take on the Stars. Once again, Lambert should decide between Murray and Grubauer to get the start. Last season, the Kraken overplayed Daccord, and it began to show as the season went on. They cannot perpetuate the same problem for a second season in a row.
Kraken are Hitting the Road
The Kraken will head to Missouri to take on the Blues on Saturday, Nov. 8. This game will be the Kraken’s first road game in 16 days.
There will be two more games in the season series against the Sharks. The Kraken will host the Sharks again on Nov. 15. The series will conclude in San Jose on Dec. 20.
