SEATTLE (AP) — Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and two assists and the Seattle Kraken won for the first time this season, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4 on Thursday night.
Yanni Gourde, Jaden Schwartz and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored in a three-goal first period for the Kraken. Seattle was winless in its first four games, earning only one point in the standings.
The sluggish start was based around a lack of scoring as the Kraken managed just three goals through the first four games. But Seattle finally found some of the scoring depth that was at the foundation of its success last season with seven players scoring and 13 picking up at least a point.
Jared McCann and Tye Kartye scored 21 seconds apart midway through the third after Carolina pulled to 4-3. Bjorkstrand added an empty-netter with 3:09 left.
Gourde’s first of the season came at 7:16 as he redirected Andre Burakovsky’s shot. Schwartz scored his second of the season just six seconds into Seattle’s power play at 12:18, and Bellemare scored short-handed with 38 seconds left in the first period off the rebound from Dunn’s shot.
Dunn’s scored on the power play 2:38 into the second and Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour pulled starting goalie Antti Raanta after he have up four goals on 18 shots. Pyotr Kochetkov, recalled Wednesday, made 14 saves the rest of the way.
Carolina was without starting goalie Frederik Andersen after he left Tuesday’s win over San Jose in the first period after taking a shot off his mask.
After scoring four goals in the third period of their win over San Jose on Tuesday, the Hurricanes tried to post another third-period rally. Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored at 5:54 to pull the Hurricanes to 4-3 and Seth Jarvis’ second goal of the period on the power play at 15:54 pulled Carolina to 6-4. But Bjorkstrand’s goal sealed it.
Seattle goalie Joey Daccord was very good through two periods before running into trouble in the third. Daccord made 29 saves through the first two periods, the only goal coming when Jesper Fast scored for Carolina 19 seconds after Gourde’s goal.Daccord finished with 33 saves.
Carolina center Sebastian Aho missed his second straight game with an upper body injury. Aho was on the ice for morning skate but wasn’t ready to return. With Aho out, the Hurricanes went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
The Hurricanes play at Colorado on Saturday night.
