The Seattle Kraken are certainly getting used to overtime games.
With each of their last four games going to extra time, the Kraken would love to post a 60-minute victory Monday when they continue their road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Every game Seattle has played on its current six-game road trip has gone to overtime. The team fell to the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in overtime and then dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Ottawa Senators before edging the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in OT its last time out.
“It’s obviously huge, with going into the overtime tonight,” Kraken defenseman Josh Mahura said after scoring the game-winner against the Maple Leafs. “We knew we were in this position the last two games as well and wanted to come out of it with the extra point tonight.”
The Kraken have held a third-period lead in each of their five games. In the last four, Seattle has allowed its opponent to tie it up.
“We’re in tight hockey games,” Kraken head coach Lane Lambert said. “It’s the way it is. It’s the fourth overtime game in a row. So, we expect to be in tight hockey games for the most part and we have to be comfortable playing in those games.”
Vince Dunn, Jani Nyman and Shane Wright also scored for Seattle, while Mason Marchment and Chandler Stephenson racked up two assists apiece.
“I think we’re just playing hard,” Mahura said. “We’re trying to establish that mentality of being a tough team to play against every night. We’re only five games in, but we like the way it’s trending.”
Meanwhile, Philadelphia got a taste of OT as well in its most recent contest. Noah Cates provided the decisive tally for the Flyers in their 2-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday — his first career overtime goal.
“I had that shot two or three times,” Cates said. “Hit his knob once, low blocker the other time. So I just stuck with it. Just happy we stuck with it, I stuck with it, and just found the back of the net there in overtime.”
Owen Tippett scored the other goal for the Flyers and finished with a season-best five shots on goal.
“He’s giving us some energy,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “He’s been our most dynamic, driving-play guy. … It seems like when I moved him around, he helped whoever he was playing with.”
Dan Vladar, who has been alternating in net with Samuel Ersson, made 15 saves to earn the victory.
“The energy he brings every day in the locker room … I’ve never really seen a goalie do it,” Cates said of Vladar. “He has great energy and picks us up. You don’t see that from a goalie.”
Philadelphia would like to see more offensive production out of Travis Konecny, who is searching for his first goal of the season, and Matvei Michkov, who has one goal and no assists through five games.
Seattle has won five of the last six meetings between the teams. The Kraken scored 10 goals in winning the two matchups last season.
