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

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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