Kraken fall 5-1 to Wild as Seattle’s offense goes quiet in second period

The Story

Minnesota took control early and then pulled away in the second period as the Seattle Kraken dropped their first loss of this homestand, 5-1, at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday night.

Kirill Kaprizov gave the Wild a fast start, scoring 26 seconds into the first period to put Minnesota ahead before Seattle had fully settled. The Kraken answered at 10:13 when Berkly Catton scored for his third goal of the season to tie the game 1-1.

The Wild regained the lead at 2:11 of the second period when Blake Coleman scored to make it 2-1. Olli Maatta extended Minnesota’s lead at 11:33, and Joel Erikson Ek added the fourth Wild goal at 13:00, building a three-goal cushion that carried into the third.

Seattle finished the game without a comeback as Minnesota’s second-period scoring created a deficit the Kraken couldn’t overcome.

Shot totals reflected Seattle’s trouble sustaining offensive pressure. The Kraken managed 14 shots on goal in the first period but managed just one in the second, while Minnesota produced 16 shots in the second and held a 23-15 advantage in shots on goal for the period.

Special teams also played a role. Seattle went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Minnesota went 0-for-2, and the Kraken couldn’t turn scoring opportunities into goals as the Wild tightened their grip on the match.

For Seattle, Catton’s third goal was an early bright spot, but Minnesota’s three unanswered second-period goals ultimately decided the game.