Kraken drop 3rd straight in 5-2 loss to Blue Jackets

The Seattle Kraken gave up three first-period goals and suffered a 5-2 loss to the Blue Jackets that dropped them two points out of the final wild-card spot.

BY NICOLE KRAFT

Mar 21, 2026, 5:17 PM

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus scored three times in the first period and beat the Seattle Kraken 5-2 on Saturday, extending the Blue Jackets’ point streak to 12 games.

Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Seattle Kraken 2: Box score

Danton Heinen, Damon Severson and Mathieu Olivier scored in the opening frame, and Zach Werenski assisted on all three. Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists, Kent Johnson added a goal, and Elvis Merzlikins made 15 saves as Columbus won its fourth straight.

Kaapo Kakko had a goal and an assist, and Vince Dunn also scored for Seattle, which has lost three straight and fell two points behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Joey Daccord stopped 23 shots.

Heinen opened the scoring 2:48 into the game before Severson made it 2-0 at 8:58 with a shot from the left circle — the 52nd goal by a Blue Jackets defenseman this season, setting a franchise record.

Olivier pushed it to 3-0 at 15:16 of the first before Dunn cut it to 3-1 late in the period.

Kakko’s power-play goal at 8:31 of the second pulled Seattle within one, but Johnson answered 62 seconds later and snapped a 12-game goal drought. Adam Fantilli’s assist extended his point streak to six games.

Sillinger added an empty-net goal with 2:26 remaining.

Eeli Tolvanen added an assist in his return for Seattle after missing two games with an upper-body injury. Jared McCann was a late scratch with a lower-body injury.