Moving on: Kraken beat Avs in Game 7 to make more history
Apr 30, 2023, 9:17 PM | Updated: 10:10 pm
The Kraken's Oliver Bjorkstrand fires a shot against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken made history on their way to their first Stanley Cup Playoffs berth. But they didn’t make it this far just to make it this far.
The Kraken made more history on Sunday night as they pulled out a pressure-packed 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 to clinch their first-round series.
Seattle Kraken 2, Colorado Avalanche 1: Stats
With the series victory, the Kraken become the first team in NHL history to knock out the defending Stanley Cup champion in its first-ever playoff series.
History for the @SeattleKraken! đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/rziwc3MbWn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 1, 2023
That pairs nicely with the other thing the Kraken did this season to etch their name in the record books, which was pull off the biggest turnaround in the standings ever by a second-year franchise in the league. The Kraken finished the regular season with a 46-28-8 record for 100 points in the standings, a 40-point improvement on their inaugural season in 2021-22. That smashed the previous second-year turnaround record of a 26-point improvement, which was shared by the 1973-74 New York Islanders and 1925-26 Boston Bruins.
The Kraken pulled off quite the upset as the Avalanche not only won the whole thing last year but came into the postseason the Central Division champs with a 51-24-7 record. The Kraken are a wild card in the postseason after finishing fourth in the Pacific Division.
Seattle missed a chance to clinch at home Friday night, losing to the Avs 4-1 at Climate Pledge Arena. Instead, the Kraken took care of business Sunday night at Colorado’s Ball Arena led by a two-goal effort from Oliver Bjorkstrand and yet another sterling performance in goal by Philipp Grubauer, a former Avalanche goaltender who frustrated his old team throughout the series.
From Denver Sports: After choking with Avs, Grubauer robs them in Game 7
Seattle also came up with a huge offsides challenge that reversed what would have been a game-tying goal early in the third period by Colorado.
The League's newest franchise and the defending #StanleyCup champions. 🤝
Who knew we were in for a series like that? #HockeyHandshakes pic.twitter.com/2X7t14CiD0
— NHL (@NHL) May 1, 2023
Next up for the Seattle Kraken in a Western Conference semifinals matchup of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the Dallas Stars, who beat the Minnesota Wild four games to two in the first round.
For more on the Game 7 win, click the link below to read the recap story complete with video highlights and a photo gallery.
Recap: Seattle Kraken hang on in Game 7 to knock out defending champs
