Wild Face Kraken Showdown: Game Preview
The Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken faced off in three exciting games last season. The Wild managed to outplay the Kraken, recording a 2-0-1 record against them. Seattle began the series with a nail-biting victory in a shootout, winning 5-4 in Saint Paul on October 12. However, Minnesota rebounded in their next two encounters.
Game Highlights
In their second matchup, held at Climate Pledge Arena on March 4, the Wild edged out the Kraken with a 4-3 win. Minnesota dominated the series finale, securing a decisive 4-0 victory at home.
Key Player Performances
Several players stood out during these matchups:
- Matt Boldy had an impressive series for Minnesota, leading the way with five points (3 goals, 2 assists).
- Mats Zuccarello contributed four points (2 goals, 2 assists).
- Ryan Hartman, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jared Spurgeon each tallied three points (2 goals, 1 assist for Hartman; 1 goal, 2 assists for Kaprizov and Spurgeon).
- Filip Gustavsson was stellar in goal for Minnesota, winning both starts with a 1.50 goals-against average (GAA), .957 save percentage (SV%), and one shutout.
- Marc-André Fleury made 30 saves on 34 shots in the first game.
Seattle Kraken Standouts
From the Kraken, notable performances included:
- Jordan Eberle led Seattle with three points (2 goals, 1 assist).
- Kaapo Kakko, Jared McCann, and Brandon Montour each had two points (Kakko and McCann with 2 assists; Montour with 1 goal and 1 assist).
- Joey Daccord recorded a 1-1-0 record with a 3.92 GAA and .862 SV% across two games.
- Philipp Grubauer played in one game, saving 24 of 27 shots on goal.
Conclusion
The Minnesota Wild showcased their skill and teamwork in last season’s encounters against the Seattle Kraken. With strong performances from various players, the Wild established themselves as the team to beat in this matchup.
