Kraken rout Panthers to move past Sharks into playoff position

Kaapo Kakko had a goal and two assists and Bobby McMann added one of each in his home debut as the Seattle Kraken routed the Florida Panthers 6-2 Sunday night.

Berkly Catton, Ben Meyers, Ryan Winterton and Jamie Oleksiak had a goal and an assist apiece and goaltender Joey Daccord made 23 saves for Seattle, which won its second game in a row. The Kraken moved past San Jose and into the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, although the Sharks have a game in hand.

Vinnie Hinostroza and Eetu Luostarinen scored for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Goalie Daniil Tarasov stopped 19 of 25 shots.

The Kraken, who snapped a four-game skid with a 5-2 victory Saturday in Vancouver as McMann tallied twice in his first game since being acquired from Toronto, outshot Florida 13-10 in the first period while taking a 3-1 lead.

Seattle opened the scoring at 5:28, with Freddie Gaudreau's shot from the top of the right faceoff circle deflecting off Meyers at the far post and over the goal line.

Catton made it 2-0 at 11:52, lifting a rebound over a fallen Tarasov after he saved Kakko's initial attempt. It snapped an 11-game goalless drought for Catton, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft.

The Panthers got on the board just 15 seconds later as Hinostroza and Luke Kunin passed the puck back and forth on a 2-on-1 rush before Hinostroza beat Daccord before the goalie could get across the crease.

The Kraken restored their two-goal lead at 18:24 as Meyers' shot from the slot ricocheted off the right post, hit Winterton in the chest and the puck fell to the ice just outside the left post, where Winterton batted it in.

Kakko scored at 3:20 of the second to make it 4-1. He took a pass at the goal line on the right wing, wheeled around the top of the crease and stuffed the puck part Tarasov without being challenged.

McMann scored a power-play goal on a wrist shot from the slot at 10:07 of the third after taking a pass from Kakko.

McMann set up Oleksiak for a tip-in at 14:37 to make it 6-1.

Luostarinen scored on a rebound at 19:58 to complete the scoring.

Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who scored the overtime winner Thursday in a 2-1 victory against visiting Columbus, didn't make the trip due to an undisclosed injury.

--Field Level Media