Bjorkstrand scores 2nd goal with 32 seconds remaining to lift Kraken past Avalanche, 4-3
DENVER (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his second goal of the game with 32 seconds remaining and the Seattle Kraken beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Thursday night after squandering a two-goal lead.
Bjorkstrand knocked in a shot off a rebound.
Jaden Schwartz and Matty Beniers also scored to help the Kraken handed the Avalanche their first home loss in five games this season.
Philipp Grubauer had 23 saves against his former team. He also helped knock off Colorado last season in the first round of the playoffs.
Bowen Byram, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin scored for Colorado in the second of three meetings with the Kraken. The Avalanche won 4-1 on Oct. 17 in Seattle. Backup goaltender Ivan Prosvetov had 19 saves in his third appearance for Colorado since being acquired on waivers.
Seattle threatened to run away, leading 2-0 and 3-1 in the second. The Avalanche tied it on Nichushkin’s tip-in goal with 7:45 remaining.
There was a scary moment midway through the second period when Colorado forward Artturi Lehkonen took a bump from defenseman Jamie Oleksiak and slid head-first into the boards. Lehkonen was helped to the locker room and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. The team said he was “alert, responsive and has full movement.”
Beniers gave Seattle a 3-1 lead midway through the second period with a power-play goal. It was his first goal of the season. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie last season with 24 goals and 57 points.
Seattle was without Jordan Eberle after the the forward suffered a cut to his leg from a skate blade during practice Wednesday. He’s listed as day-to-day.
Kraken forward Ryan Winterton was called up from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League and made his NHL debut. He had one shot in just over seven minutes.
As part of the annual “Hockey Fights Cancer” night, the Avalanche held a dedication ceremony in the first period for the late Peter McNab, who died last November after losing his fight with cancer. The broadcast booth was named in honor of the longtime NHL player/analyst.
UP NEXT
Kraken: Host Edmonton on Saturday.
Colorado: Wrap up a three-game homestand Saturday against St. Louis.
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