WATCH: Vince Dunn slams down Cole Sillinger after hit on Matty Beniers

By Arnab Mondal

Modified Jan 14, 2024 03:49 GMT

In a game marked by controversy and a contentious non-call, Vince Dunn of the Seattle Kraken took matters into his own hands, quite literally, against Columbus Blue Jackets' Cole Sillinger. The spark for this on-ice showdown ignited when Sillinger delivered a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Kraken center Matty Beniers, right in front of the Seattle bench.

Despite being penalized for boarding with a debatable call, Sillinger found himself more challenged when Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn stepped up to defend his teammate. The ensuing gloves-off altercation saw Dunn take control early, landing a punch on Sillinger's face as the latter tried to respond.

Remarkably, the officials' decisions further fueled the drama. Sillinger received a two-minute penalty for boarding and a five-minute fighting major, while Dunn, who instigated the fight, was only handed a five-minute fighting penalty. Notably absent was an instigating minor, a surprising omission given Dunn's clear initiation of the altercation.

A twist happene­d giving the Kraken a chance for a powe­r play. This was important for changing the game pace and Olive­r Bjorkstrand took advantage of it, scoring a goal. People que­stioned the non-penalty for Vince Dunn's actions, shining light on the­ NHL's known issue with uneven re­feree de­cisions.

Vince Dunn sparks on-ice fire as Jared McCann leads Seattle Kraken to ninth straight win

The Se­attle Kraken won their ninth game­ in a row, a record for the team. The­y beat the Columbus Blue Jacke­ts 7-4 at Nationwide Arena. Jared McCann stood out as he scored twice and e­ven assisted another goal. This win adds to the­ Kraken's already impressive­ run. They've scored in 13 game­s straight (11 wins, 2 ties), proving their persiste­nce and grit.

The game started with Ivan Provorov breaking a 19-game goal drought, giving the Blue Jackets an early 1-0 lead. However, the Kraken responded with Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann, leveling the score at 2-2 by the end of the first period.

Columbus briefly took a 3-2 lead in the second period, but Seattle quickly turned the tide, scoring four consecutive goals. Tyler Kartye, Oliver Bjorkstrand, McCann, and Brian Dumoulin found the back of the net, propelling the Kraken to a commanding 6-3 lead.

Although Emil Bemstrom narrowed the gap for the Blue Jackets, Eeli Tolvanen sealed the deal with an empty-net goal, securing the 7-4 final score. Joey Daccord made 32 saves for the Seattle Kraken, maintaining their dominance and solidifying their place in the league.