Vince Dunn and Jared McCann each post a goal and a helper, Philipp Grubauer robs 24 shots, and Seattle buries the first-infallible-Islanders to reboot a playoff push that looked dead in the water 60 minutes earlier.
Dunn’s Statement Shot Re-anchors the Blue Line
Down 1-0 after Anthony Duclair’s fifth goal in five games, Seattle needed a catalyst. Vince Dunn answered twice—first with a seeing-eye wrister at 13:37 of the second that whistled past Ilya Sorokin’s glove, then by springing Jared McCann for the empty-net dagger. The defenseman now has seven goals in 41 games, matching his total from last season with 30 contests still to play.
More important: the goal ended Seattle’s streak of seven consecutive games allowing the opening marker, a psychological albatross that had the Kraken chasing from puck-drop nearly every night.
McCann’s Silent 17-Game Point Streak Roars Loudly
While national cameras focus on bigger-market stars, Jared McCann keeps padding a resume that screams All-Star snub. Wednesday’s primary helper on Dunn’s go-ahead tally extended his point run to 17 appearances in 25 games this season. Only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid have longer active per-game point rates among players with 20-plus outings.
Special-Teams Chess Match Flips the Script
Seattle entered ranked 22nd on the power play but cashed in when it mattered. Matty Beniers’ tip on a five-on-three at 10:40 of the first period knotted the game and forced New York into chase mode. The Islanders’ sixth-ranked penalty kill had surrendered only one goal in its previous 15 shorthanded situations; the Kraken dented it twice on the same sequence.
- Islanders: 1-for-4 on the man-advantage, Duclair’s early PPG their only offense.
- Kraken: 1-for-3, plus a shorthanded look that produced three shot attempts and 1:18 of zone time.
Grubauer’s Quiet Dominance Yields Loud Results
Forget the highlight reels—Philipp Grubauer’s positioning was the story. The German stopped 24 of 25, including a sequence of three consecutive high-danger stops on Brock Nelson during a third-period push that could have trimmed the lead to one. His secondary assist on McCann’s empty-netter was Seattle’s first goalie point of 2025-26 and only the fourth in franchise history.
Islanders’ Road Marathon Ends with Whimper
New York closes a seven-game, 12-day trip at 3-3-1, bleeding 4.14 goals per game over the final five stops. Sorokin’s seasonal save percentage dipped to .905, and the club’s once-airtight structure allowed 33 shots or more in four straight contests. With Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck banged up, the fourth line generated zero shot attempts at 5-on-5, a troubling sign ahead of Saturday’s date with red-hot Buffalo.
What It Means for the Standings
The victory vaults Seattle to 48 points, leap-frog distance from Calgary and Vancouver in the wild-card chase. More critical: the Kraken own three games in hand on the Flames and a 16-10-4 home record that ranks fifth in the West. Climate Pledge Arena is officially a fortress again (9-2-1 in the last 12), and the schedule ahead—Anaheim, Chicago, San Jose—is a soft underbelly GM Ron Francis must exploit before the March trade deadline.
Fan Thread: Is Dunn the Trade Chip or the Cornerstone?
Social channels exploded when Dunn’s name surfaced in off-season trade rumors. Wednesday’s two-point showcase reminded the front office what he brings: a 25-minute nightly workload, quarterbacked power-play looks, and a left shot coveted across the league. With Shane Wright and Jagger Firkus nearing NHL readiness, Seattle could dangle Dunn for a top-six winger—or double-down on a blue line that already features Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak locked in long term.
Quick-Hit Numbers
- Seattle’s four-goal outburst matched a season high set Nov. 15 vs. Nashville.
- McCann’s 25 points in 25 games projects to an 82-point pace—by far a career best.
- The Kraken have allowed the first goal in 31 of 46 games, yet own a 20-19-7 record, testament to third-period resilience.
- Islanders fall to 1-5-1 when trailing after 40 minutes, exposing a comeback flaw that could haunt them in April.
Up Next
New York lands at UBS Arena Saturday to face a Sabres squad that has won six of seven. Seattle stays home Friday to greet Pacific-bottom Anaheim, the soft launch of a six-game residency that could define their playoff fate.
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