In less than 24 hours after skating to a 5–2 win in Vancouver behind Bobby McMann’s historic debut performance; the Seattle Kraken return to Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday to open a two‑game homestand against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Kraken looks to build on a 5‑2‑1 all‑time record versus Florida, in their first meeting of the season between the clubs— and the first of two matchups in a nine‑day span.
The acquisition of Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leaf, is already paying dividends. As McMann became the first player in franchise history to score multiple goals in his debut, as he continues a campaign that includes his second straight 20‑goal season. With Kaapo Kakko one tally shy of matching last year’s total and Jordan Eberle leading all active Kraken skaters in career production against Florida, Seattle aims to carry Saturday’s momentum into a pivotal home stand before embarking on a six‑game road trip.
“He came in and injected some life into us,” coach Lambert, “They did a good job, from a leadership standpoint, of some soul searching after the four games we’ve lost here. They’ve done a good job of regaining that. At the end of the day, all you can do is put you best foot forward, and that’s what we’ve talked about and their playing with more swagger and execution right now.”
The Kraken were able to carry the momentum from their win last night in Vancouver into their match with the Panthers, as they jumped on them quickly in Sunday’s match. Ben Meyers opened the scoring at 13:24 with a deft deflection, but the period truly ignited midway through when Berkly Catton buried a wrist shot off feeds from Kaapo Kakko and Jamie Oleksiak, only for the Panthers to answer seconds later on Vinnie Hinostroza’s equalizer. The Kraken steadied the frame late, killing off a holding penalty to Ryan Lindgren before Ryan Winterton batted home a go‑ahead goal in the final minute, giving the Kraken a 3–1 edge despite being outdrawn in the circle and narrowly trailing in hits.
The second period opened with a flurry of whistles as both teams piled up penalties—Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson on high‑sticking calls and Luke Kunin for roughing—forcing Seattle to navigate extended shorthanded stretches while Florida continued to control the faceoff dot. Despite the imbalance, the Kraken generated the period’s biggest moment when Kaapo Kakko snapped home his 10th of the season off a clean setup from Vince Dunn and Berkly Catton, pushing the Kraken ahead while the Panthers’ pressure mounted. By the late stages, the Kraken held an 18–17 edge in shots and a 4–1 advantage in takeaways, even as the Panthers’ physicality and possession numbers tilted the ice.
The third period unfolded with the same volatility that defined the night, as both teams traded penalties and momentum before the Kraken finally broke through. After Anton Lundell’s interference call gave the Kraken a window, Bobby McMann continued his scorching start with a wired wrist shot for his 22nd of the season, set up by Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen. Florida’s discipline unraveled further with back‑to‑back infractions, and the Kraken capitalized again when Jamie Oleksiak jumped into the rush and buried his fifth of the year off a slick feed from McMann. The Panthers answered quickly through Eetu Luostarinen to tighten the score, but Seattle’s structure held firm down the stretch, finishing even in shots while winning the takeaway battle and absorbing Florida’s edge in hits and faceoffs to close out a hard‑fought final frame.
“Bobby releases the puck well,” coach Lambert said of Bobby McMann’s initial goal. “That’s a goal scorers goal right there. No matter which way you slice it and dice it; this is a huge win for our hockey team,”
The Kraken will travel Sunrise, FL, to face the Panthers on March 24th in the third game of their upcoming six-game road trip. As the Panthers will head to Vancouver to play the Canuck’s on March 17th, as part of their four-game road trip.
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