Jordan Eberle OT goal gives Kraken 3-2 win in Game 4 to even series with Avalanche
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 24: Jordan Eberle #7 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates his overtime-winning goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on April 24, 2023 in S
SEATTLE - Jaden Schwartz earned a power play on a trip from Josh Manson two minutes into overtime and Jordan Eberle scored a minute later to give the Seattle Kraken a 3-2 victory in Game 4 to tie their series with the Colorado Avalanche at two games a piece.
The Kraken overcame the loss of leading scorer Jared McCann to injury in the first period to earn their first home playoff win in team history. Seattle scored twice on the power play with Eberle's game-winner sending the series back to Denver level.
"It was awesome. Tough to put into words," Schwartz said of the win. "Obviously overtimes are exciting and to be on the right side of them is a lot of fun and to tie the series up is big and get the first playoff win at home. So great finish."
After the Avalanche controlled the opening 90 seconds of overtime, Schwartz started a breakout out of the Kraken zone. Brandon Tanev then hit a streaking Schwartz as Manson was caught out of position at the blue line and had to result to a diving stop on Schwartz to disrupt a clean look at net. Schwartz got the shot away that was saved by Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, but Manson was sent to the box to give Seattle their fifth power play chance of the night.
"You've seen a lot of the OT goals in the playoffs, a lot of of them, especially early on have been on the power play," Eberle said. You know, it's kind of been a sore spot for us in the series so far as producing with the man advantage. I know we got one late last game and maybe that kickstarted us a bit. We get one early in the game and then obviously the winner."
Daniel Sprong worked the puck down the right flank and had his shot blocked by Cale Makar. However, the loose puck found Eberle. Eberle tried to pass to Schwartz only to have it bounce back to his stick as he snapped it by Makar and Georgiev to send Climate Pledge Arena into a frenzy.
This is exactly the type of game and series that could cement hockey's place in the Seattle sports landscape for good. Some bad blood, an overtime victory, a villain in Cale Makar, and a budding rivalry from a terrific playoff series with the Avalanche.
"You kind of want to make this a hockey town and have people love going to Kraken games and enjoy the product of playoff hockey, which is obviously why we play the game. It's enjoyable. I mean, you hear it out there. It's unbelievable. So I mean that's hat we're trying to do," Eberle said.
The Kraken came out firing yet again and controlled the early play in pressuring the Avalanche. Seattle had seven shots in the first three minutes of the game before Will Borgen slapped a one-timer by Alexandar Georgiev to give the Kraken a 1-0 lead for the fourth straight game.
Makar then decided to make himself Public Enemy No. 1 in Seattle.
With the Avalanche on a power play for a Yanni Gourde roughing penalty, Matty Beniers won a puck battle and hit a streaking Jared McCann for a breakaway chance. Georgiev shouldered McCann's shot away and Makar blasted McCann into the boards in the corner as McCann crumpled to the ice.
McCann remained on the ice for several minutes as he was attended to by trainers before retreating to the locker room with assistance. Makar was initially assessed a five-minute major call for interference before having it revised to a two-minute minor upon review.
McCann didn't return to the ice the rest of the night for Seattle. Makar was then booed relentlessly every time he touched the puck for the remainder of the game. Head coach Dave Hakstol said McCann won't be available for Game 5 and probably longer due to his injury.
Featured
Kraken's Jared McCann out for at least Game 5 after hit from Cale Makar
Seattle Kraken leading scorer Jared McCann will miss at least Game 5 of the first round series with the Colorado Avalanche after a late hit from defenseman Cale Makar in the first period of Seattle's 3-2 overtime win on Monday night.
Then with Makar in the penalty box, the Kraken's power play broke through. Sprong fired a laser off that slammed off the right post and into the net behind Georgiev for a 2-0 lead. It was the second power play goal of the series for Seattle after a late goal in garbage time during Game 3 from Schwartz.
It was a dominant first period effort from the Kraken as they out-shot the Avalanche by an 18-8 margin the opening frame.
But the defending Stanley Cup champions found a way to battle back into the game in the second period.
With Colorado struggling to create any offense, the Avalanche decided to pair up Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon again on the same line hoping to spark an attack.
It worked.
Colorado found a three-on-two break chance after an extended offensive zone shift for Seattle as Rantanen took a pass from MacKinnon, maneuvered around Alex Wennberg and beat Grubauer through the legs to cut the lead to 2-1.
Then it was time for the Avalanche to deliver on the power play for the first time in the series. Late in the advantage, Rantanen worked around Oleksiak and beat Grubauer through a screen to tie the game up with 49 seconds left in the second period.
Rantanen has scored four goals in the last two games for Colorado. The Kraken had killed off their first eight penalties of the series successfully before the late second period goal.
"That didn't knock us off our game tonight," Hakstol said. "We just stayed with it all the way through and that's about the guys in the dressing room."
Seattle appeared as though they may have scored the go-ahead goal with just under nine minutes left to play. Schwartz hammered at a puck in front of Georgiev that amounted to a dog pile in front of the net. The puck came out of the backside of the net and replays showed it had entirely crossed the goal line under Georgiev's skate.
However, the officials ruled that the puck had been frozen and the play blown dead before the puck had entered the goal.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 24: The puck goes into the net as it dislodges, which was ruled not a goal, during the third period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Seattle Kraken and the Colorado Avalanche at
A great chance from Vince Dunn sailed wide of the net moments later. Then with 2:25 left a prime chance for J.T. Compher sailed wide of Grubauer's net. Gourde gave the puck away inside the defensive zone in the final minute as well only to recover and save a prime chance from heading Grubauer's way.
Seattle held a 39-21 advantage in shots at the end of regulation. The Kraken then out-shot Colorado 4-1 in overtime with Eberle's game-winner sending the team home happy.
"Tonight's a critical game for us to be able to come back and play well and push back and knot the series up," Hakstol said.
Georgiev made 40 saves on 43 shots for the Avalanche. Grubauer had 20 saves on 22 shots.