The Seattle Kraken are running out of runway in their bid to return to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.
Heading into their matchup on Saturday at the Buffalo Sabres, the Kraken are three points out of the second-wild card spot in the Western Conference with 11 games remaining.
Brandon Montour helped the Kraken (32-29-10, 74 points) end a four-game skid (0-3-1) by scoring in overtime on Thursday in a 4-3 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“We’re a desperate team right now, and we have to be engaged on every shift,” said Montour, who has two goals and two assists during a three-game point streak.
Ending the losing streak against the Lightning wasn’t easy, given that Tampa Bay is second in the Atlantic Division with the third-most points in the Eastern Conference (94).
“It’s a Stanley Cup champion hockey team over there (most recently in 2021), and they play the game any way you want to play it,” Seattle coach Lane Lambert said. “That’s where it’s a good experience for us. That’s where we have to get.”
Bobby McMann has six goals in seven games since the Kraken acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6, the most goals of any player dealt at this season’s trade deadline.
“It’s desperate measures,” Seattle forward Berkly Catton said. “We’ve got to be good every night here. We kind of did it (against Tampa Bay), and like I said, we’ve got to keep it going.”
The Sabres (44-21-8, 96 points) had a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with a win against the visiting Detroit Red Wings on Friday, but they surrendered three goals in the first period and never recovered in a 5-2 loss, their third defeat in a row (0-1-2).
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is expected to start in goal against the Kraken after Alex Lyon made 15 saves against the Red Wings. Luukkonen has helped the Sabres earn points in nine of his past 10 starts (8-1-1).
He and Lyon have been alternating starts since Feb. 5.
“We just feel that with the schedule the way it is, as many games as there is, it’s really hard with travel and back-to-back (games), it’s really hard to play one goalie,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said.
It helps that Luukkonen and Lyon also get along well.
“He’s a great guy,” Luukkonen said of Lyon. “He competes. He wants to get better every day. He’s intense when it comes to hockey. He’s intense when it comes to winning. … So he’s been a really great goalie partner this year. The rotation has been working.”
Lyon has been a part of a goalie tandem at other times in his nine-year NHL career and said he prefers the lighter workload.
“Your body feels pretty good,” Lyon, 33, said. “Your brain feels pretty good, and we’re just pushing each other, I think. It’s really been healthy in that way (competitive)-wise.”
Buffalo forward Noah Ostlund missed the Detroit game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
