Kraken clinch first playoff berth, beat Coyotes 4-2
Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle, third from left, celebrates his goal against the Arizona Coyotes with Vince Dunn (29), Jared McCann and Jamie Oleksiak (24) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson
SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken clinched the first playoff berth in franchise history and set an NHL record for victories in an expansion team's second season by beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 on Thursday night.
Jared McCann, Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers and Vince Dunn scored for the Kraken, who earned their 44th win — the most by a second-year NHL team since the Original Six era, which ended in 1968. It's a big turnaround for Seattle, which was 27-49-6 in its first season and finished last in the Pacific Division.
Phillip Grubauer had 27 saves for Seattle, which won its third straight game.
Barrett Hayton and Laurent Dauphin scored for Arizona, which has dropped nine in a row. Karel Vejmelka stopped 29 shots.
McCann, who also had two assists, scored his team-high 38th goal at 19:36 of the first period to put the Kraken ahead.
Dunn followed that up with a goal 28 seconds into the second period. Eberle sneaked one past Vejmelka at 5:52 to make it 3-0.
Hayton scored Arizona’s first goal at the 12-minute mark of the second.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn (29) scuffles with Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton, second from left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson
Beniers made it 4-1 at 16:09 of the third period with his 23rd goal of the season. Eberle had the second of his two assists on the goal.
NOTES: Eberle’s goal gave him scores in three straight games, his longest scoring streak since November 2021. ... Seattle’s win was its second home victory over the Coyotes in four days. The Kraken also defeated Arizona 8-1 on Monday. ... The Kraken and Coyotes will play again Monday in Arizona — their third meeting in the span of a week.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: Host Anaheim on Saturday.
Seattle Kraken fans pound the glass as they celebrate a goal by right wing Jordan Eberle against the Arizona Coyotes during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson
Kraken: Host Chicago on Saturday night.
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