Seattle, WA

Oliver Bjorkstrand scores twice, Philipp Grubauer strong in 5-1 Seattle Kraken win over Bruins

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2024

Oliver Bjorkstrand scores twice, Philipp Grubauer strong in 5-1 Seattle Kraken win over Bruins

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 12: Oliver Bjorkstrand #22 of the Seattle Kraken shoots the puck wide of the net during the first period of a game against the Boston Bruins at Climate Pledge Arena on December 12, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by (Christopher Mast / NHLI / Getty Images)

SEATTLE – Oliver Bjorkstrand scored a pair of goals to tie the team lead with 11, and Philipp Grubauer had a 33-save performance he desperately needed in a 5-1 Seattle Kraken victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

Jared McCann had a goal and an assist, and Shane Wright added a pair of assists as the Kraken’s strong play continued.

It’s the second two-goal game for Bjorkstrand in his last three contests for Seattle, which ties him with McCann for best on the team.

“We’ve played some really good teams, and we’ve played some really good hockey, so I think we continue this run, we try to figure it out each game,” Grubauer said.

Grubauer’s .971 save percentage for the night was clearly his best of the year. He’d only had a .900 save percentage in four of his 10 starts made on the year entering Thursday night, with a .917 against New Jersey last week his prior best this season.

It helped that Grubauer was able to play with a lead almost instantly. The most penalized team in the NHL in the Bruins gifted the Kraken the early lead on a silver platter with three penalties in the first three minutes of the game. A double-minor to David Pastrňák for a high-stick that cut open the lip of defenseman Jamie Oleksiak gave Seattle consecutive power plays just 16 seconds into the game.

It took the Kraken just eight seconds to cash in on the advantage for a 1-0 lead. After a face-off win by Chandler Stephenson, Bjorkstrand drove to the net front and posted up in front of Boston defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Bjorkstrand cleanly redirected a hard shot-pass from Matty Beniers through the legs of goaltender Joonas Korpisalo just 24 seconds into the contest.

Zadorov’s efforts on the second penalty kept the Kraken from further extending the lead. Zadorov managed to clear the puck out of the crease after it got behind Korpisalo, thwarting a rebound chance from Jaden Schwartz on a tip-in chance to keep the deficit at one.

But Tyler Johnson took a third penalty by tripping Will Borgen less than a minute later to again send the Kraken to the power play. Schwartz found his goal after all, tossing a backhand chance over the right shoulder of Korpisalo into the top left corner of the net from a tight angle on the goal line for a 2-0 lead just after the penalty expired.

While it wasn’t officially a power play goal, Johnson hadn’t been able to get involved in the play after exiting the box.

“It wasn’t a power play goal, but you know, you’re only going to get so many opportunities in the power play in a game, and I count that one also as a power play goal too even though in being after,” Bylsma said. “But I thought it was huge for the power play to get us two there early on in the game to set the tone.”

Grubauer faced an onslaught of shots the remainder of the period, facing 14 in total as Seattle took a 2-0 lead into the break.

Boston continued its control of play throughout the second period, getting many dangerous chances against Grubauer. A wild sequence led to a Brad Marchand penalty shot that got the Bruins on the board.

A John Beecher shot leaked through Grubauer and came to rest on the goal line against the left post. Brandon Montour dove onto the puck as Marchand chased a tap-in to keep the puck from crossing the line, raking it out of the goal with his glove.

The play was reviewed to ensure the puck didn’t cross the goal line, but it did result in a penalty shot for Boston for covering the puck in the crease. Marchand slipped the puck through Grubauer’s legs on a nifty move to make it a 2-1 game midway through the period.

“Just turned around and saw Monty like Superman dived on the goal and saved my ass,” Grubauer said. “Didn’t make the stop on the Marchand (goal). Really nice move from him.”

“It’s just an example of a guy laying it all out there regardless of the situation, whatever it is. He’s diving, throwing his body in there, diving on the puck and doing it with a smile,” Bylsma added of the effort.

It was the only goal that would get by Grubauer on the night for Seattle. The offensive support also helped as Grubauer had been 0-6 in games he’d allowed three goals or fewer this season prior to Thursday.

“Really solid, really good,” Bylsma said of Grubauer. “A prettier description, probably his best outing of the year I would say. He was challenged a few times the penalty kill for us in particular. There in the first period, the couple one-timers that we know are dangerous from Pastrňák that he is over on real solid and they didn’t look like they had a chance to go in. He was so good on them. So it was really solid, really good game from Grubi. And finally, we got him some run support to make that pay off.”

Vince Dunn extended the lead to 3-1 just three minutes into the third period as he swatted a fluttering puck out of the air behind Korpisalo. That play also required a review to determine if Dunn had played the puck with a high-stick, but the call on the ice stood.

Wright, Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen then combined to deliver a decisive blow. On a hard forecheck against Parker Wotherspoon behind the Boston net, Wright gained control and found Bjorkstrand open for a snap wrist shot from the high slot that rang off the right post into the net for a 4-1 lead.

Wright has 11 points with six goals and five assists over his last 10 games played since returning from a three-game stint as a healthy scratch.

“He’s playing with speed. He’s playing with skill. He’s playing with aggression,” Bylsma said of Wright. He’s on the forecheck, he’s winning pucks, he’s skating with speed in the neutral zone. And you know, with his line, he’s been able to create offense on the rush, offense on the power play, offense in the offensive zone with those other two (Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen). So it’s, you know, I’m not going to say this too loud, but I think we’re seeing the improving version of Shane Wright.”

Korpisalo left for the bench with four minutes left as Boston chased a comeback. Two minutes into the 6-on-5 stretch, McCann and Brandon Tanev cleared the Seattle zone as McCann split Wotherspoon and Jordan Oesterle. McCann was tripped by Oesterle but managed to stick with the puck and sweep it into the net for the final blow.

Bjorkstrand doesn’t have a hat trick in the NHL, but came inches away from potentially having his first against Boston. He also had a shot off the post in the first period.

“It definitely helps getting one early so you build momentum off of it, and start the game off in a good way. So it’s huge. But, I mean, they had a push back. It wasn’t by no means easy tonight. We had to battle for it,” Bjorkstrand said.

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Seattle, WA

Paul Arriola, Pedro de la Vega and the Seattle Sounders return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Published

3 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Paul Arriola, Pedro de la Vega and the Seattle Sounders return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Forgotten. Absent. Inconsistently healthy. Weights of expectation.

These heroes offered glimpses and scenes of their greatness in 2025.

Paul Arriola, X Man

Paul Arriola gave us a glimpse of his former greatness before his injury. Once a DP, once the highest value transfer within MLS, once recruited to skip MLS entirely for what was at the time a much better league, Arriola’s all comps contributions per 90 would compare to wingback style players Jordi Alba and the now-gone Ali Ahmed.

Arriola slides right in that space, with his 0.57. Now, a discerning reader such as yourself will imagine small sample sizes and opponent quality. You would be correct. But Paul also put up similar numbers in MLS in 2018, 2021 and 2022. His time in MLS as a whole is .40/90 (in the realm of last season’s Christian Espinoza).

Defining Arriola’s role is always going to be hard. He’s played as many wide roles as exist in the modern game. With Seattle, he could be a left or right winger in a four-front if they choose to run a 3-2-4-1, or a wingback in a 3-4-2-1 or a conventional winger in a 4-2-3-1. No matter his role, he’s been strong. His calls to the US National Team ran every year from age 20-27, when he put up better numbers there than he did in league play. He’s now 30.

Pedro de la Vega, the injury saga

Sounders fans know how bright Pedro can burn. So do, Lanus fans, Argentina fans, Cruz Azul fans, Santos Laguna fans, Tijuana fans, Puebla, Galaxy, Inter Messi and a smattering of other MLS teams. The Leagues Cup player of the year and wonder goal nominee is absolutely thrilling, when available.

Lanus, Argentina and Seattle also know his history of injuries. Injuries are why he’s in Seattle.

PdlV only played 41% of available minutes in all competitions. A healthy winger of his quality should be around 66% or so. His absolutely stellar all comps performance of 0.72 is on par with Hany Mukhtar, at 20th in MLS play. Pedro is ahead of Diego Rossi, Djordje Mihailovic, and Dejan Joveljić.

When you think about how the Seattle Sounders will make up ground for the inevitable decline of Danny Musovski the names Arriola and de la Vega should be bandied about.

They weren’t merely better than the people who replaced them on the Sounders – they’re better than the majority of high-profile players in the league.

In 2025 Craig Waibel raised the floor and the peak. Injuries gave us only a few glimpses of that peak.

2026 is when the multi-competition heroic Sounders can once again show their prowess and why their presence as a top tier club is eternal.

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Catching up on Sounder at Heart

Here’s what you missed on the site this week.

Sounders

Next match: Sunday, February 22, 2026 v. the Colorado Rapids | 6 p.m. PT | Apple TV/FS1

Reign

Schedule to come next week.

Defiance

Schedule to come.

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Seattle, WA

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Here’s why the Blue Angels in Seattle on Monday

SEATTLE – Known for their high-flying skills above the skies during air shows, the Blue Angels will be in Seattle once again on Monday.

But with Seafair not until the summer, many are wondering why the Navy pilots are in the Emerald City ahead of schedule.

Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets are flying The Diamond Roll (four planes in formation), doing a 360-degree roll as one unit, flying at 400 mph over Lake Washington for the Seafair weekend in Seattle. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Keep reading to find out why the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in Seattle on Jan. 12.

Why are the Blue Angels in Seattle now?

The Blue Angels returned to Seattle on Monday to begin preseason planning for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show.

Pilots will assess airshow locations, scouting the skies and getting familiar with the landscape ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, when they perform in three separate air shows. Their visit brings the iconic Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets to the city, the aircraft pilots use during the air show.

Blue Angels pilots plan to stay in Seattle until Tuesday, coordinating with Seafair event organizers. Last year, only two Blue Angels pilots were in Seattle for preseason planning, instead of the entire squadron.

When are the Blue Angels coming back to Seattle?

The Blue Angels will fly back to western Washington for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show, on Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.

They’ll also be in town for two practice runs on Thursday, July 30.

When is the 2026 Seafair Air Show?

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform in three air shows throughout Seafair weekend. They’re happening each afternoon on July 31 through Aug. 2 on Lake Washington and at Genesee Park.

The multi-day Seafair Weekend Festival also includes the Apollo Mechanical Cup Hydroplane Races, along with live entertainment, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. Tickets for the festival go on sale in February.

Who are the Blue Angels?

The Blue Angels is a team of elite Navy flight demonstrators, showcasing their aviation skills in high-speed, precision aerobatic performances.

They perform in air shows across the U.S. each year, with the goal of inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country, displaying the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Formed in 1946, this year marks the 80th year of the Blue Angels. They take pride in performing for audiences both at home and abroad, showcasing the excitement, precision, and power of Naval aviation.

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The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Seafair, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks land 2 players on list of potential salary cap cuts in 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks land 2 players on list of potential salary cap cuts in 2026

No matter how the playoffs go for the Seatte Seahawks, general manager John Schneider and his team are looking at a very busy offseason ahead.

In addition to their usual preparations for the 2026 NFL draft, Seattle has a ton of important players who are about to become unrestricted free agents. That list includes special teams superstar Rashid Shaheed, running back Ken Walker and defensive standouts Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant.

It’s going to be really difficult to keep that entire group together, even with a lot of cap space projected to be open in 2026. The Seahawks may have to create room with some salary cap casualties after the season is over.

On that note, Over the Cap has listed a pair of Seattle players as potential cap casualties. Let’s review both of them.

OLB Uchenna Nwosu

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) dives for a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) in the second half at Lumen Field. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Coming in at No. 46 on OTC’s list is veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu, who has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit just over $20 million. Nwosu has been valuable when he’s on the field but he’s also missed a ton of time due to injuries and it will be difficult to justify his cap hit with so many other players to pay.

Seattle can save a little over $11.5 million if they cut Nwosu, before June 1 or after. However, they would also take on a dead money hit north of $8.5 million, which takes a lot of the flavor out of those cap savings.

In 45 games with the Seahawks, Nwosu has tallied 19.5 sacks, 52 QB hits, 24 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles and eight pass breakups.

That’s a lot of good production across the board as an all-around defender, but he’ll turn 30 years old before next season is over and there are a lot of mouths to feed for Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Over the Cap projects there’s a 58.5% chance that the Seahawks will wind up cutting him. Our best guess is that will be the case, especially if they want to pursue someone like Maxx Crosby on the trade market.

K Jason Myers

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) kicks a field goal against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi’s Stadium. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The only other Seahawks player who made the list (at No. 77) was placekicker Jason Myers, where the team has an interesting choice to make.

Myers has been around since the 2019 season and he’s come through for them more often than not. In 117 games he’s converted 200 of 232 field goal attempts, coming out to 86.2%. On extra point attempts he’s gone 292/307 for 95.1%.

Those are very solid numbers for an NFL kicker, and when you have a solid option at this position you don’t mess with it.

Another factor working in Myers’ favor is that Seattle really can’t save all that much money by cutting him. According to OTC’s numbers the Seahawks would create $5.1 million in cap room by cutting him, with a dead money hit of $1,875,000.

Five million might get Seattle a decent backup for their interior offensive line, or another contributor to Mike Macdonald’s defense. It’s not enough to really move the needle for this roster, though.

OTC gives it a 52.5% chance that Myers will get cut, but we don’t see that happening. If they want to lower his cap hit, the Seahawks can create a little over $3 million for 2026 with an extension. That’s the only move they should be looking to make at this spot.