DENVER (AP) — Tye Kartye scored in his NHL debut and the Seattle Kraken moved a win away from clinching their first playoff collection after beating the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Wednesday night time.
The Kraken take a 3-2 lead within the first-round collection again residence to Seattle, the place they’ll advance Friday night time in entrance of their raucous residence followers.
Yanni Gourde and Morgan Geekie added targets for the Kraken, who’ve scored first in all 5 video games. Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 photographs towards his former workforce.
Nathan MacKinnon had a objective and Evan Rodrigues added one other to make it 3-2 with 3:37 remaining, however the Avs couldn’t tie it up.
The Kraken have been with out ahead Jared McCann, who was injured on successful from Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar in Recreation 4. Makar may solely watch as he drew a one-game suspension from the league. Makar was final 12 months’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner because the playoff MVP.
Alexandar Georgiev had 26 stops for Colorado.
Kartye turned the eighth participant since 1927 to notch a objective whereas making his NHL debut within the playoffs, in keeping with NHL Stats. Earlier than Kartye, the final to perform the feat was Makar in Recreation 3 of a first-round collection in 2019.
The objective by Kartye gave the Kraken a 2-1 lead within the second interval and got here moments after MacKinnon clipped skates with Will Borgen. MacKinnon was furious, too, and banged his stick on the glass because the Kraken headed down the ice. Jordan Eberle delivered a pinpoint move to Kartye, who made it a memorable night time.
Kartye, who turns 22 on Sunday, had 28 targets and 29 assists this season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL.
MacKinnon’s objective within the second interval tied the sport at 1. It was profession playoff level No. 98 for MacKinnon, which moved him simply two away from becoming a member of Joe Sakic (188) and Peter Forsberg (159) as the one gamers in franchise historical past to register 100 postseason factors.
Geekie opened the scoring by knocking in a unfastened puck early within the second interval. It’s been fairly a stretch for Geekie, who missed Recreation 3 to be together with his spouse for the beginning of their daughter.
MISSING MCCANN
McCann didn’t make the journey with the workforce. Lacking with him was management and a scoring risk (he had 40 targets within the common season).
“It sucks that he’s out,” Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn mentioned. “However we don’t need that to be a distraction in our locker room.”
MISSING VAL
Avalanche ahead Valeri Nichushkin missed his third straight recreation for a private purpose. Coach Jared Bednar had no updates however mentioned the workforce has been in touch with Nichushkin. Bednar mentioned there wasn’t a authorized situation surrounding the absence of Nichushkin.
Nichushkin had 9 targets and 15 factors in serving to the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup title final season.
THIS & THAT
The Avalanche proceed to battle on the facility play. They went 0 for two and drop to 1 for 12 within the collection. … D Josh Manson didn’t take a shift within the third interval.
