Motte, Canucks send Seattle Kraken to 4th straight loss, 5-2

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Tyler Motte had a goal and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 on Monday night.

Vancouver Canucks 5, Seattle Kraken 2: Box score

Travis Hamonic, Vasily Podkolzin, Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson also scored for the Canucks. Juho Lahmmikko, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each had two assists.

Jared McCann, who was playing in his 400th NHL game, and Mark Giordano scored for the Kraken, who lost their fourth straight game.

Vancouver, which was coming off a 7-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, is 6-3-1 in its last 10 games.

This is why you arrive early! pic.twitter.com/Y1r0Vaot0S

— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) February 22, 2022

Thatcher Demko stopped 25 of 27 shots for the Canucks. Kraken goalie Chris Driedger made a season-high 41 saves. Vancouver’s 46 shots was also a season high.

Pearson scored into an empty net with 92 seconds left. The goal drew chants of “Bruce, there it is!” from the crowd in tribute to Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Seattle got a chance to cut into the deficit late in the third period when Vancouver’s Matthew Highmore was called for interference. The best shot of the man advantage came from the Canucks when Motte picked off a pass, orchestrating a two-on-one with J.T. Miller. Driedger made a pad save on Miller’s shot.

Vancouver came into the final period on a power play after Alex Wennberg was called for slashing late in the second.

Horvat scored 35 seconds into the third. Miller sliced a pass to the Canucks captain from along the boards and Horvat sent a rocket past Driedger.

Vancouver was 1 for 4 with the man advantage. Seattle failed to score on four power plays.

The Canucks outshot the Kraken 18-4 in the second period.

Stationed at the side of the net, Podkolzin restored Vancouver’s lead 16:41 into the frame. Quinn Hughes’ initial shot hit Adam Larsson in the crease and Podkolzin quickly capitalized, batting in the lose puck to make it 3-2.

Hamonic scored his first goal of the season earlier in the period, the 200th point of his NHL career. The defenseman fired a shot between Driedger and the post to knot the score at 2-all.

Seattle took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission thanks to Giordano’s short-handed score.

things we love to SEA:

🗣 GIO SCORING A SHORTY pic.twitter.com/HmGyem1oOJ

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) February 22, 2022

With Vince Dunn in the box for interference, the veteran defenseman beat Pettersson to a pass in the Canucks end and zipped up the slot, sending a shot in over Demko’s stick 14:26 into the frame.

Fans were still filtering into Rogers Arena when Vancouver opened the scoring just 11 seconds into the game.

Lahmmikko picked up the puck behind Seattle’s net and fed Motte from below the goal line. He jammed a wrist shot past Driedger and put the Canucks up 1-0 with his sixth goal of the year.

Motte’s goal was the quickest an NHL player has scored this season, topping the tally L.A. Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson scored in 12 seconds against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 1.

The Kraken drew level 3:12 into the game off a two-on-one rush. Marcus Johansson carried the puck up the ice and dished it to McCann, who was waiting back door for the easy tap-in.

McCann’s 21st goal of the season came against the team that drafted him 24th overall back in 2014.

NOTES: Miller extended his point streak to four games, with seven points (two goals, five assists) across the stretch. … Giordano leads all active NHL defensemen in short-handed goals with 11 over his career. … Vancouver recalled defenseman Madison Bowey from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League on Monday. … Monday marked the Kraken’s first regular-season game in Vancouver.

UP NEXT

Seattle Kraken: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday night to open a two-game homestand.

Canucks: Host Calgary on Thursday night to finish a three-game homestand.

“It’s been a really good fit for me”: Vince Dunn thriving with Seattle Kraken