Kraken vs. Penguins 1st Period Recap

A heavyweight Western Hockey League showdown will take place Friday night in Everett. The Silvertips, 4th in the 22-team WHL, will host the 5th-place Moose Jaw Warriors.

Saturday, the Warriors visit the Seattle Thunderbirds.

In advance of those games, Moose Jaw players are being hosted tonight by the Kraken.

Among the Warriors in attendance is Kraken 2022 2nd round draft choice Jagger Firkus. Through 53 games, Firkus has 46 goals and 101 points.

Pittsburgh's Kris Letang hammers a slapshot into Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, one of six saves in the game's first five minutes. Seattle doesn't have a SOG yet.

Eight minutes in, shots attempts are Pittsburgh 17, Seattle 2. The Kraken have made seven blocks.

Grubauer's best save so far comes from Jeff Carter's wide open blast from the right circle.

Jordan Eberle winds up inside Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry's net. Like any good pro wrestler, Jarry drops an elbow into Eberle before the referee encourages him to cut it out.

Oliver Bjorkstrand breaks the ice for the Kraken at 12:25. Will Borgen's blueline shot is deflected into a pop fly. Bjorkstrand bats it out of the air past Jarry.

It's the All-Star's 15th of the season and second in two periods dating back to the Boston game.

Neither team scores on a late period power play. How a Penguins PP with Letang, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin - and having added Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson in the off-season - can be 28th in the NHL is beyond comprehension.

1st period shots favored Pittsburgh 18-7. 1st period first star: Philipp Grubauer.