There was a quest for redemption on the minds of Kraken defensemen Saturday night, coming just 48 hours after they’d put on a porous display in yielding a franchise record nine goals.
So, it was fitting that when the Kraken initially fell behind twice against the Detroit Red Wings at Climate Pledge Arena, the equalizers each time came from defenseman Brandon Montour and fellow blueliner Adam Larsson. But it wasn’t enough as the teams traded goals again ahead of Patrick Kane handing the Kraken their fifth consecutive defeat, 4-3, with a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Joey Daccord to snap the tie with 2:29 to go in regulation time.
The 37-year-old Kane took a pass and held the puck just long enough for Daccord to go down early before beating him high to the glove side.
The Kraken began the day with a decision to make defenseman Jamie Oleksiak a seemingly healthy scratch in favor of Josh Mahura. Kraken head coach Lane Lambert declined at the time to answer a question about the type of message he hoped to send with the move.
Oleksiak and Ryker Evans both struggled against the Oilers, while blueliner Vince Dunn also allowed Matt Savoie to sneak in behind him for a shorthanded breakaway goal that helped decisively tilt the contest in Edmonton’s favor.
Dunn fared better in this game, drawing the primary assist on Larsson’s earlier goal for the 300th point of his NHL career. And Larsson would collect his second point of the night when his shot was redirected by Chandler Stephenson for a goal that put the Kraken ahead with under seven minutes to go in the middle frame.
But the Red Wings would tie it up 3-3 with 38 seconds to go in the second after a rare Kraken defensive lapse led to a 2-on-1 break with James van Reimsdyk beating Daccord to the far side.
Otherwise, the defense was stingier at even-strength and certainly sharper than during the shellacking they took in Edmonton. Detroit’s initial goal at even strength by Andrew Copp didn’t even initially count as play continued for another half-minute early in the second period. But after a whistle, the officiating crew immediately initiated a video review that showed Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren swatting the puck out of the net after it had briefly crossed the goal line.
But the lead didn’t last as Larsson would then score on a long wrist shot from the right point through a screen supplied by Ryan Winterton to draw the Kraken even just 93 seconds after falling behind.
Emmitt Finnie had opened the scoring for Detroit on a first period power play that saw the Red Wings first hit the post and then get a clear-cut breakaway chance stopped by Daccord. But there was little Daccord could do on the ensuing goal by an uncovered Finnie, a one-timer from the right circle into a vacated side of the net after a series of Detroit passes had the Kraken running around in their own end.
