Wow.
After being manhandled in Game 3 by the Avalanche, the Kraken came out and did everything fans hoped they would in the first period of Game 4. Before we break down the goals, I think it's important to point out that Seattle won off of three players each scoring their first goal of the post-season. Meanwhile it was Rantanen with his 4th and 5th goals of the season in the loss by the Avalanche. Depth matters and every night the Kraken seem to have a new player ready to step up and produce. That could be the difference maker in this series.
Seattle dominated in both shots and scoring chances in the first period. Scoring chances were 9-3 in favor of the Kraken after the first period. The Kraken were buzzing in the first few minutes of the game and it was Borgen who fired an absolute laser past Georgiev to get Seattle on the board first.
Later in the first came something that we will watch how it continues to develop.
Jared McCann comes in on a partial breakaway and fires a shot at Georgiev that is deflected up. The puck is very much not in his possession after that shot. As he goes around the boards, Cale Makar absolutely levels him into the boards with a high hit where the impact begins on his shoulder but follows up to his head. McCann falls backwards, hitting the back of his head on the ice as he does and lays there motionless as the trainers get onto the ice.
Jared McCann went straight to the locker room after being interfered with by Cale Makar in the corner#SeaKraken | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/NJTVhUFpAC
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) April 25, 2023
I like Makar as a player but that was an incredibly dirty hit and I am shocked that after review it was deemed to be only a two minute call and not a 5 minute major. Makar does have a hearing scheduled for today and seeing how the Bunting suspension went, I would be surprised if he doesn't get at least 3 games. Get him out of there for the rest of the series, no place for that kind of hit in the game.
McCann would miss the remainder of the game and it appears that he will miss at bare minimum Game 5 if not the remainder of the series or more. The Kraken made the Avalanche pay for it on the ensuing 2 minute powerplay as Sprong would notch his first of the post-season.
While the Kraken continued to push play in the second, the Avalanche were opportunistic in their chances. Wennberg struggled to pick up Rantanen in the zone who wired a shot past Grubauer and then in the final minute of play Rantanen would score once again on the powerplay. Despite controlling play at 5 on 5 again it seemed like Game 2 was about to repeat itself.
The third period remained scoreless and it didn't take long in OT for Jordan Eberle to score arguably the biggest goal of his career. Jaden Schwartz took the original shot which found it's way to Eberle. If I said it didn't feel sweet for Eberle to score that goal as a floundering Makar tried to go back to cover I would be lying.
The series is tied at two once more heading back to Colorado for Game 5. Losing McCann hurts but I thought the team as a whole really came together and stepped up in his absence. Seattle needs to find a way to harness that emotion and energy and come out the exact same way in Game 5 against an Avalanche team that should be without it's top defenseman.
Thanks for reading!