HOCKEY: Wild separate in 3rd period to prolong Kraken's losing streak

Eriksson Ek Leads Wild Past Kraken, 4-1. Joel Eriksson Ek recorded a goal and two assists as the Minnesota Wild defeated the host Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Monday night. Marcus Johansson, Kirill Kaprizov, and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored, while goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves. The Wild finished their four-game road trip with a 2-2-0 record.

Jordan Eberle scored for Seattle, which extended its losing streak to six games (0-5-1). Philipp Grubauer stopped 25 of 27 shots but suffered his first regulation loss of the season (4-1-1).

Johansson, who played with the Kraken during their inaugural 2021-22 season, scored the go-ahead goal at 8:12 of the third period in spectacular fashion. Eriksson Ek collected a loose puck on the right-wing boards and backhanded it toward the crease. Johansson jumped and redirected the puck between his own legs, sending it over Grubauer's shoulder into the far upper corner of the net.

Kaprizov and Tarasenko added empty-net goals at 18:45 and 19:00, respectively, securing the victory. Kaprizov’s goal was his team-leading 18th of the season.

Minnesota opened the scoring at 1:18 of the second period. Jacob Middleton kept the puck in the offensive zone while Matt Boldy drove it down the left-wing boards and behind the net. Eriksson Ek moved to the low slot, receiving a snap shot from Boldy that left Grubauer with little chance.

Seattle tied the game on a power-play goal at 6:48 of the period. After Chandler Stephenson won a faceoff in the offensive zone, Jared McCann passed the puck back to defenseman Vince Dunn at the left point, who returned it to McCann. McCann then sent a cross-ice pass to Stephenson, who had shifted from the left to the right faceoff circle, setting up Eberle for a tap-in. It marked Eberle’s team-leading ninth goal of the season.

Late in the first period, Dunn delivered a heavy shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Wild forward Mats Zuccarello at the blue line. Zuccarello fell hard, with his helmet bouncing off the ice, and did not return to the game. Minnesota’s Danila Yurov came to Zuccarello’s defense and received a double-minor for roughing in a brief altercation with Dunn, who was also penalized for roughing.

Seattle rookie Berkly Catton, a first-round pick in 2024, missed the game due to an upper-body injury and is considered week-to-week. Catton injured his hand while blocking a shot in the Kraken’s 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. -Field Level Media/ Reuters Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images