According to AP Sports Writer Tim Booth:

SEATTLE

The Seattle Kraken defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the NHL Winter Classic on Monday, with Joey Daccord earning his second career shutout and Eeli Tolvanen contributing a goal and an assist. Daccord recorded 35 saves in the game.

47,313 fans were in attendance at T-Mobile Park to witness the Kraken’s victory over the current Stanley Cup champions. This game marked a face-off between the two most recent expansion teams in the league. With this win, Seattle extended their unbeaten streak to 7-0-2 and strengthened their chances of making it to the playoffs, despite a rough start to the season.

Tolvanen netted his 10th goal of the season by deflecting a shot from Vince Dunn at the blue line in the first period. He also recorded an assist on Will Borgen’s slap shot, which found the back of the net against Vegas goalie Logan Thompson in the second period.

At the 2:10 mark of the third period, Yanni Gourde extended Seattle’s lead to 3-0 with a determined play. He seized the puck from Paul Cotter at the blue line and managed to poke it into the net while Thompson’s attempt to clear it away fell short.

However, the most significant progress for Seattle during this game and recent weeks has been made by Daccord, who appears to be solidifying his position as the top goaltender for Seattle.

Daccord achieved a milestone by recording the first shutout in a Winter Classic and his fifth shutout in the NHL’s 39 outdoor games since 2003. The Kraken have been dominant in Daccord’s last eight starts with a record of 6-0-2, and he recently achieved his second shutout in the past three weeks by blanking Florida on Dec. 12.

Daccord effortlessly handled the simple saves and remained resilient when the Golden Knights posed a threat. In the first period, Jack Eichel had a prime chance to score after Brian Dumoulin’s mistake, but Daccord confidently blocked the shot with his left pad.

Mark Stone’s redirected shot hit the post in the latter part of the second period. Eichel’s shot hit the crossbar with only seven minutes remaining in the game, and shortly after, he was denied a goal by Daccord’s impressive glove save.

The Kraken put on a fantastic show for a sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Park. The weather was almost perfect, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40s. The retractable roof was also open, adding to the excitement. This was one of their best performances of the season.

Tolvanen scored 4:50 into the game, redirecting Vince Dunn’s shot past Thompson. Seattle made it 2-0 when Borgen scored his first since Game 4 of last season’s first-round playoff series against Colorado.

The Kraken’s current nine-game point streak in Seattle is the longest ever recorded in the franchise’s history, surpassing their previous record of eight consecutive wins from last season.

Las Vegas suffered their fifth loss in the last six games and had difficulty creating quality scoring opportunities against Seattle.

The Golden Knights showed up at the game dressed as Elvis, but their performance did not have the same flair as “The King.”

The spotlight of this afternoon was captured by Seattle’s youthful goalie.

UP NEXT

The Golden Knights will face off against Florida on Thursday, in a repeat of last year’s Stanley Cup final.

The Ottawa Senators will host the Kraken on Thursday.

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NHL News by AP: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Source: wralsportsfan.com