Kiviranta hat trick, Blackwood’s 17 saves, and more: 3 reasons why Colorado Avalanche won 5-2 over Seattle Kraken
The Colorado Avalanche notched a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday night at Ball Arena. The game was much closer than the score suggested, as the Avalanche ran away with the game after scoring two empty-netters.
Joel Kiviranta led the way with a hat trick. Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin got the other goals for the Colorado Avalanche. Meanwhile, newcomer Kaapo Kakko and Jared McCann scored for the Kraken.
So, here’s a look at the three main reasons why the Colorado Avalanche won over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday night.
3 reasons why Colorado Avalanche won over Seattle Kraken
#3 Avalanche power play got on the board
The Colorado Avalanche entered Sunday night’s game with a 24.1% power play rating, good for seventh in the league. That strong power play got on the board early as Cale Makar opened the scoring at 10:05 of the first period with his 11th of the season.
While the goal didn’t hold up for long, it was encouraging to see the Avalanche power play get going. It’s also worth pointing out the Avs stayed out of the box, killing off the lone Seattle power play opportunity of the game.
#2 Blackwood was solid
MacKenzie Blackwood continues to impress as he made 17 saves on the night. While he didn’t have to steal the game for the Avs, Blackwood was solid when he needed to.
Blackwood made a huge save on a breakaway by Jaden Schwartz in the third period with the score 3-2 in favor of the Avs.
Then, with a little over six minutes to go, Blackwood robbed Kakko in close on a rebound that looked like a sure goal. Had he scored, it would have been the equalizer. Instead, Blackwood shut the door and kept the Avs ahead heading into the final minutes of the game.
Since joining the Avs, Blackwood has provided the solid, reliable goaltending the club has needed. Blackwood gave the Avs a chance to win, and they did.
#1 Kiviranta’s hat trick
Joel Kiviranta notched his first career hat trick on the strength of two empty-net goals. His first of the night came on a nifty feed from Mikko Rantanen following a turnover that led to a 2-on-1 midway through the second period.
Then, coach Jared Bednar entrusted Kiviranta with holding down the lead down the stretch as the Kraken pushed. Kiviranta rewarded his coach’s trust by nailing two more goals to ice the game.
For Kiviranta, he’s now set a career-high in goals. His highest total came while playing with the Dallas Stars in 2022-23, notching eight in 70 games. This season, Kiviranta has scored 10 in 36 contests, making it his most successful campaign thus far.
The Colorado Avalanche head into the Christmas break on a high note. The club will hit the ice again on December 27 with a tilt against the Utah Hockey Club.