They did it! The Seattle Kraken have made history by securing their first-ever postseason victory against the defending champions, the Colorado Avalanche. In game one of their first-round series in Denver, the Kraken stunned the Avalanche with a 3-1 victory (AP News).
The Kraken started strong, with Alex Wennberg scoring their first-ever playoff goal in the second period with an assist from Marcus Johansson, who had two assists on the night. They then extended their lead with goals from Jamie Oleksiak and Jaden Schwartz in the third period, with Philipp Grubauer delivering 34 saves to keep the Avalanche at bay (The Rink Live).
The Kraken’s debut playoff win is no small feat, especially against the Avalanche, who were regarded as one of the top teams in the league. The win was even sweeter for the Kraken after being the underdogs going into the game, with many fans and commentators writing them off (Sportskeeda).
Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk, however, saw the Kraken’s victory coming and laid out his three keys to success ahead of the game. These included getting secondary scoring from their forwards, shutting down Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, and keeping the puck out of their own net (Seattle Sports).
Fortunately for the Kraken, they executed these keys to perfection, with contributions from all over the ice. In addition to Wennberg, other Kraken players who made an impact included Brandon Tanev, who led the team with six hits, and Mark Giordano, who logged 24:09 of ice time and made several key defensive plays (The Seattle Times).
The Kraken’s next game against the Avalanche will be a true test of their mettle, as the Avalanche will undoubtedly come out with a vengeance. The Kraken will need to continue playing with the same intensity and determination they showed in game one if they hope to continue their playoff run (DNVR). Fans of the Kraken, however, are already ecstatic, taking to social media to express their excitement and taunt the Avalanche fans with tweets like, “The Avs weren’t ready for ya” (Sportskeeda).
Regardless of what happens next, the Kraken have already made their mark in the NHL by securing their first-ever playoff win in franchise history. The team’s future looks bright, and fans can’t wait to see what they will do next (NHL.com).
