The Avalanche douse the Kraken

Kiviranta strikes twice as a co-champion goes cold

Two champions, one flame

The 2023-24 Gauntlet ended with two clubs sharing it: the Colorado Avalanche and the Seattle Kraken. On qualification night at Climate Pledge Arena, the draw put those two candles side by side, and only one could leave still lit. Colorado had finished 8th of 32 last season and Seattle 25th, but a shared crown counted for nothing here. One loss and a champion's fire was gone.

Kiviranta lights the way

Joel Kiviranta struck first, snapping a wrist shot home at 18:32 of the 1st off a feed from Sam Malinski. Jared McCann answered alone, a backhand at 11:57 of the 2nd, 13:25 after the opener. The tie lasted 2:59. Kiviranta tipped in a Cale Makar shot, with Ivan Ivan also assisting, and Colorado led again.

Then Chandler Stephenson went off for tripping at 19:24. Nathan MacKinnon made Seattle pay with eight seconds left in the period: a power-play wrist shot, Makar and Casey Mittelstadt assisting. It stood as the winner.

Five seconds short

Justus Annunen stopped 25 of 27 shots for the Avalanche. Seattle pulled its goalie, and defenseman Ryker Evans scored a wrist shot with the extra attacker at 19:55, set up by Eeli Tolvanen and Andre Burakovsky. Five seconds remained. It wasn't enough. The Kraken went dark, and 21 flames still burn.