Second period surge propels Kraken to victory over Columbus

The Kraken treated fans to a rollercoaster night at Climate Pledge Arena, rallying from a rough start to take down the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. It was truly a game of highs and lows, as the Kraken shook off a lackluster first period, hit their stride with a dominant second, and coasted to victory in the third.

The game didn’t start as planned for Seattle. By the end of the first period, they found themselves in a 2-0 hole after a pair of quick goals from Sean Kuraly and Zachary Aston-Reese just 22 seconds apart. With a slow, disjointed offense, the Kraken’s consistency issues seemed to resurface.

But the second period saw an entirely different Kraken team take the ice. Tye Kartye fired up the crowd with a goal just under three minutes in, cutting the deficit in half. Less than five minutes later, Brandon Tanev stunned the Blue Jackets on a breakaway to tie it, and just ten seconds after that, Eeli Tolvanen buried a power play goal to put Seattle ahead, assisted by Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann.

Will Borgen, who had been at fault on Columbus’s goals, redeemed himself by adding to Seattle’s lead with his first goal of the season, assisted by Oliver Bjorkstrand, putting the Kraken up 4-2 by the end of the period.

Sealing the win and achieving milestones

In the third, the Kraken held control and put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal from McCann in the final minutes, marking his 201st career point. McCann had already celebrated his 200th career point earlier in the game with his assist on Tolvanen’s power-play goal. This milestone solidifies McCann’s status as the Kraken’s all-time points leader, with nearly 40 more points than Eberle. Meanwhile, veteran Jaden Schwartz is on the verge of his own major milestone, as he closes in on his 200th career goal — adding even more anticipation to his impressive career.

Joey Daccord was stellar between the pipes, stopping 38 shots to keep Columbus at bay, especially in the tense third period. Daccord continues to prove himself a reliable anchor for Seattle. 

Depth scoring was key to the Kraken’s success, with ten players registering points. Once again, the fourth line was a game-changer, with Kartye and Tanev’s goals setting the tone for Seattle’s comeback.

With consistency still a goal, this victory highlights Seattle’s resilience and offensive depth. With McCann setting new franchise records and Schwartz on the brink of history, the Kraken are proving they have the firepower to claw back and make a mark this season.