The Kraken extinguish the Oilers

Eberle strikes twice and the Oilers go dark

Twenty-seventh against ninth

Last season the Seattle Kraken finished 27th of 32. The Edmonton Oilers finished 9th. In the Round of 16 that gap counted for nothing: one game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, and the loser's candle went dark. Both clubs had already snuffed a neighbor on qualification night, the Oilers the Canucks and the Kraken the Golden Knights.

Seattle came in as a club that had shared the Gauntlet in 2023-24. Edmonton had fallen on qualification night in each of the last two Gauntlets and wanted to burn deeper this time.

Eberle lights it early

Jordan Eberle needed only 1:23. He beat Stuart Skinner with a wrist shot off feeds from Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton. That lead stood for 25:12, until Tye Kartye wristed home the second goal at 6:35 of the second, set up by Ryan Winterton and Ben Meyers.

Edmonton answered on the power play with Adam Larsson off for tripping. Evan Bouchard, a defenseman, slapped one in at 15:39, with Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins assisting.

Daccord holds the wick

Then came 16:32 without a goal. Eberle broke the silence at 12:11 of the third, again with a wrist shot and again with Beniers assisting, and it stood up as the winner. Darnell Nurse tipped one in 2:24 later from Mattias Ekholm and Draisaitl. Nothing else got past Joey Daccord, who stopped 31 of 33. Outshot 33 to 23, the Kraken burned on as one of 11 flames still lit. The Oilers' candle went cold.