Red-hot Canucks hand reeling Kraken 5th consecutive loss
Podkolzin, Hoglander, Motte, Garland, and Pearson all score in Vancouver win
After a day full of obstacles — including traveling the morning of the game and a series of false positive COVID-19 tests — the Vancouver Canucks savoured getting the best of their new Pacific Northwest rivals again.
Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander scored first-period goals, Tyler Motte and Conor Garland scored in the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks stayed hot with a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night in Seattle.
The Canucks travelled to Seattle on Saturday morning, but had a handful of players return positive COVID-19 tests. After a series of retests, it was determined they were false positives and the Canucks were cleared to play.
"The whole day was crazy. I used to always put my lineup together in the morning and when you have so many changes potentially to make, it gets a little wild," Vancouver coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Tanner Pearson added an empty-net goal in the closing minutes and Vancouver improved to 8-0-1 since Boudreau took over as coach last month.
The Canucks have won both games in Seattle against its new Pacific Northwest rival this season. The Kraken were scheduled to play in Vancouver earlier this week, but that game was postponed.
Pearson had a fight in the first period, and a goal and assist in the third to cap the long and stressful day.
"It's definitely a mental grind ..." Pearson said. "They want to get games in, but personally you don't know if you're going to test positive or not."
The Kraken lost their fifth straight and eighth in the past nine games. Seattle also has not won at home since Dec. 3 when it beat Edmonton.
"You've gotta keep battling," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "That's the bottom line. We were our worst enemy in a couple of areas tonight."
Canucks take advantage of early lead
Podkolzin scored at 8:53 to give the Canucks an early lead, followed by Hoglander's power-play goal later in the period for a 2-0 advantage.
Thatcher Demko was terrific on Oct. 23 when the Canucks beat the Kraken in their first home game in franchise history. He made 30 saves this time, and Vancouver's defence limited the number of dangerous chances for Seattle.
"It was the the best first period I think we've had since I've been here," Boudreau said. "So it makes life a lot easier when you get lead on a team that hasn't come back too often."
Calle Jarnkrok scored midway through the second period for Seattle and Borgen scored his first NHL goal midway through the third to pull Seattle within one. Jordan Eberle beat Demko but hit the crossbar on a late power play for Seattle.
One of Seattle's problems was defensive mistakes, and the Canucks capitalized on them. The goals by Podkolzin and Motte both came off turnovers by Borgen in Seattle's defensive zone. Garland's goal came less than a minute after Borgen scored in part because Mark Giordano lost his stick after colliding with teammate Jamie Oleksiak behind the Seattle goal.
Philipp Grubauer made 30 saves for Seattle.
