Kraken vs. Islanders 1st Period Recap

Grubauer last played on Dec. 9 (photo at left), hurt while stretching for a puck in a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Since then, Joey Daccord has started 22 of the next 24 Kraken games, with Chris Drieger (now back in Coachella Valley) handling the other two.

Grubauer got to "feel" the puck, making a relatively routine save on Oliver Wahlstrom 40 seconds in.

Matty Beniers takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

New York's Ryan Pulock crumples Beniers with a hit that appears to leave him woozy. The puck heads down ice, but when Jared McCann lugs it back, there's Matty up and open on the right wing. He zings the puck past Isles goalie Illya Sorokin for a 1-0 Seattle lead at 5:27.

The game within the game: Jordan Eberle engages with Pulock in response to the hit. This may have delayed the NY defenseman getting back into the play. Also, Beniers being slow to rise left him up-ice and ready to receive Eberle's pass for his 7th goal.

The Kraken, not looking like a team on the 2nd of back-to-back games, have an early 14-4 advantage in shot attempts. Sorokin goes post-to-post to keep the Kraken from doubling their lead.

Grubauer makes confident-looking saves on Brock Nelson and Oliver Wahlstrom.

To make life more interesting, Andre Burakovsky takes a high-sticking double minor. Showing the same energy they've exhibited all period, Seattle kills all four minutes against the Islanders' 12th ranked PP. Grubauer makes three saves, and his defenders make four blocks in front of him.

Shots are 9-7 NY in the first, built largely on the double minor to Burakovsky.