Brandon Tanev broke a 1-1 tie in the second period as the Seattle Kraken picked up their first win of the season, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 at the Staples Center.
Alex Wennberg scored and Jaden Schwartz added a power-play goal as Seattle recovered after blowing a two-goal lead last night in Vancouver. Martin Jones stopped 26 shots.
"In six periods of hockey, we played five and half good periods", Schwartz said. "There are a lot of good things to build on."
Alex Iafallo had Los Angeles' only goal while Jonathan Quick made 21 saves as the Kings lost for the second straight game.
"We have some work to do", center Phillip Danault said. "We're not playing a full 60 minutes. We're kind of sloppy with a couple of passes, and little details we haven't capitalized as well.
"I mean, it's not that we're not trying. We tried really hard, but it wasn't enough."
All-around solid game propels Kraken to first win
Seattle took the lead 5:21 into the game. Quick saved a shot by Jordan Eberle, but Schwartz was on hand to backhand in the rebound. The Kraken scored once on six power-play chances.
"You have to work for your chances. Special teams gave us a lot of momentum", Schwartz said.
The Kings were sloppy early on, whistled for too many men on the ice and Blake Lizotte tripped Jared McCann in the offensive zone.
"Game management", coach Todd McLellan observed. "Three O-zone penalties tonight, game management. It's something we've been harping and harping on, and those are essentially impossible situations to practice so they've got to take care of it."
Iafallo tied things up, intercepting a pass behind the Kraken net scoring on a wraparound between Jones' legs four seconds into a power play.
Seattle had a goal disallowed with seven seconds left in the opening period as Matty Beniers tipped in Justin Schultz's pass at the blue line. Video review showed Beniers for a high stick.
Tanev dug out a puck from the corner and beat Quick at the near post into the top netting to put the Kraken ahead for good a little more than six minutes into the second period.
Wennberg made it 3-1, scoring between Quick's legs at the edge of the crease and Adam Larsson added an empty netter shorthanded with 1:01 left to play.
"They play a difficult system and a trap that's tough to break. But I think when the simplicity of the game of getting pucks in, forechecking and being physical makes it easier", Tanev said.
"I think when you're out there with guys that understand the way we need to play it makes the game easier, and you just read off each other and communicate try to make things easier."