The (32-31-11) Seattle Kraken opens the final month of the regular season with a two‑game homestand at Climate Pledge Arena, beginning with the (39-30-6) Utah Mammoth in the clubs’ last meeting of the year. The Mammoth carries a 2–0 lead in the season series after winning both matchups in Salt Lake City, though the Kraken were a perfect 2–0–0 all‑time against the Mammoth at home, until Thursday night when they suffered a 6-2 loss in downtown Seattle.
On the night when the Kraken celebrated Adam Larsson for skating in his 1,000th NHL game on March 24th. Became the 23rd Swedish player and 419th skater in league history to do so. Matty Beniers enters the matchup one goal shy of his third 20‑goal season, while the Kraken’s penalty kill has surged since Feb. 28, operating at 84.4% (27‑for‑32), the third‑best mark in the league over that span.
The Kraken opened the night with a strong pace and early execution, striking first when Jordan Eberle buried his 24th of the season off feeds from Adam Larsson and Jared McCann less than a minute into the game. The Kraken carried the early shot advantage and traded matching minors midway through the frame, but continued to generate the better looks. Bobby McMann extended the lead at 6:15 with a slick backhand—his eighth goal in nine games—before Utah answered late on a Logan Cooley snapshot. Despite the Mammoth closing the shot gap and pushing back physically, Seattle held a 2–1 edge after a fast, competitive opening period.
“We had a good push when the score was two to two,” Kraken head coach Lane Lambert said. “We just for whatever reason couldn’t find the back of the net.”
The second period tilted in the Mammoth’s favor as they controlled possession and zone time, steadily widening their edge in shots, faceoffs, and takeaways. Seattle survived an early goaltender‑interference challenge, but Logan Cooley broke through at 9:48 with his second of the night to put Utah ahead. A double‑minor high‑sticking call against Berkly Catton left the Kraken shorthanded for an extended stretch, and the Mammoth capitalized again when Nick Schmaltz snapped home his 28th to make it 3–2. Despite pushing back late and closing the shot gap, Seattle carried a heavy penalty burden through the frame and trailed heading into the third.
The Mammoth took full control in the final frame, piling on six unanswered goals to put the game out of reach. JJ Peterka opened the period with a wrist shot that extended Utah’s lead, and Dylan Guenther followed at 12:33 off a setup from Logan Cooley as the shot gap widened and Seattle struggled to generate sustained pressure. The Kraken’s penalty issues resurfaced with a late double‑minor to Jordan Eberle, and Utah capitalized again when Nick Schmaltz buried his second of the night to cap the surge. Despite winning more battles physically and adding to their hit total, Seattle couldn’t slow Utah’s momentum and saw the deficit grow in the closing minutes, as they scored six unanswered goals in this match.
“We certainly found ways to beat ourselves at times tonight,” Kraken head coach Lambert also mentioned. “The special teams were poor tonight. Our Power play was not good, and in the penalty kill, we let in three goals for the first time in how don’t know how long?”
The Kraken will attempt to break their three-game losing streak when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to CPA on Saturday night. The Blackhawks, also burdened by a five-game losing streak, will be coming into the match against the Kraken, on the second game of their third game in their final road trip of the season. This will be another critical game for the Kraken’s faint playoff hopes.
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