McMann and Ottavainen give Kraken the start they need in 3-2 tiebreak win over Flyers

Two clean finishes put Seattle in front

The Kraken’s best work came before the game turned into a scramble. McMann opened the scoring at 7:57 of the first period, finishing a wrist shot off a setup from Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle to give Seattle a 1-0 lead.

That advantage doubled at 8:54 of the second. Ottavainen snapped home his first goal of the season, with Mackie Samoskevich and Joshua Mahura collecting the assists, and suddenly Seattle had the kind of margin that should have allowed for a calmer finish.

Just as important, Seattle owned the small special-teams edge that separated the teams on the stat sheet. The Kraken converted once in two power-play chances, while Philadelphia went 0-for-2. In a game that finished level through regulation and overtime, that one extra power-play strike mattered.

Philadelphia’s push erased the cushion

The Flyers did not go away quietly. After managing no scoring in the first two periods, they struck twice in the third to wipe out the 2-0 deficit and force extra time. Without the details of those goals on the official scoring summary, the broader point still stands: Philadelphia found enough offence late to turn a controlled Seattle night into a test of nerve.

That recovery was supported by the rest of Philadelphia’s numbers. The Flyers finished with a 53.1 per cent edge on faceoffs and outhit Seattle 17-10, signs of a team that kept leaning on the game even after the early damage. Dan Vladar’s 29 saves and .935 save percentage also gave the comeback room to happen; without that work, the third-period push would have arrived too late.

Overtime settled nothing, so the game moved to a deciding fifth period. Seattle claimed the only goal there, enough to restore the result it had once looked capable of sealing much earlier.

Our take: a useful win, but not a clean one

There is value in Seattle’s result because the Kraken did enough in the opening 40 minutes to deserve control and enough at the end to recover it. McMann’s first-period finish and Ottavainen’s second-period strike gave the game shape, and the power-play margin backed it up. When two teams each get only two man-advantage chances, winning that battle is often the simplest path to the extra goal.

Still, this was not a perfect Seattle performance. A 2-0 lead became a tie by the end of regulation, and that should temper any glow around the final score. The Kraken were also slightly behind at the faceoff dot, winning 46.9 per cent, and they will know that closing games gets easier when draws and puck management hold up a little better. Seattle did protect the puck more cleanly than Philadelphia, finishing with four giveaways to the Flyers’ seven, and that is one detail worth keeping.

For Philadelphia, the frustration is obvious but so is the blueprint. The Flyers proved they could drag the game back with a stronger third period, and their goaltending gave them every chance to finish the comeback. The next step is turning that push into a complete night. Falling behind by two left them chasing the game, and an 0-for-2 power play meant the rally had no margin for error once overtime arrived. Against an opponent that needed only a slim special-teams edge, that was the gap that lasted.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 7:57

   Bobby McMann Goal (3) Wrist Shot, assists: Vince Dunn (5), Jordan Eberle (3)

2. 2nd · 8:54

   Ville Ottavainen Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Mackie Samoskevich (1), Josh Mahura (2)