It was a night of offensive fireworks and missed opportunities for the Seattle Kraken, who fell 5-4 to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday despite a strong push in the final period.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the star of the night for Edmonton, recording a hat trick in nearly every fashion—scoring at even strength, on the power play, and short-handed. His third goal, an empty-netter late in the third, ultimately proved to be the difference. It was his fourth career hat trick and a reminder that the Oilers’ scoring depth runs deep, even with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out of the lineup.
A night of milestones and momentum shifts
Seattle battled hard and showed resilience after falling behind twice in the first 30 minutes of play. Kaapo Kakko continued his late-season surge with two goals—his 12th and 13th of the season—and is now just one point shy of matching his career-high of 40 points, set during the 2022-23 campaign with the Rangers.
The Kraken also got a bright performance from rookie Jani Nyman, who recorded the first two assists of his NHL career. Elevated to the top line in just his sixth NHL appearance, the 20-year-old Finnish winger showed flashes of his offensive upside, feeding Kakko on both of his goals.
Andre Burakovsky brought Seattle back within one early in the third period with his seventh goal of the year, assisted by Jared McCann, who added two helpers on the night. With time running out, Seattle made a bold move—pulling Joey Daccord for a two-man advantage while on the power play. But Nugent-Hopkins made them pay with a 200-foot empty-net goal to complete his hat trick. Jaden Schwartz answered with a power-play goal just 14 seconds later, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deficit.
Edmonton’s grip on the series continues
Joey Daccord made 24 saves on 28 shots, but the Kraken were chasing the game for most of the night after allowing four goals through two periods. Despite another multi-goal game from their younger core, the loss marks Seattle’s ninth straight defeat to the Oilers, a matchup that continues to haunt the Kraken.
While the final score stings, there are positives to build on. Kakko's continued growth, Nyman’s emergence, and Burakovsky's offensive presence all stand out in what has become a developmental stretch for Seattle down the final 12 games.
The Kraken won’t have much time to dwell—they’ll head to Calgary for a Tuesday night matchup, looking to regroup and snap a short skid before returning home to get one more crack at the Oilers on Thursday night.