Oleksiak Hurt, Kraken Filleted 6-2 By Sabres Behind Skinner Hat Trick

The Seattle Kraken started their most recent homestand with 28 victories. Five games later, they finished with the same number.

It's overwrought to say the visiting Buffalo Sabres plunged a dagger into Kraken playoff hopes, because they were already pretty much gone.

But their 6-2 victory Monday at Climate Pledge Arena removed any doubt.

The first of three Jeff Skinner goals helped chase Seattle goalie Joey Daccord less than six minutes into the game, and Buffalo cruised the rest of the way with four players earning multiple points.

Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers had the Seattle goals.

The Kraken leave for road games Thursday in Las Vegas and Friday in Arizona, before returning home Sunday against Montreal.

1st Period

Joey Daccord starts in goal for the Kraken - and leaves six minutes later.

The Kraken, who had scored just one goal prior to the 3rd period on this five game homestand, get one 24 seconds into the game. Jordan Eberle, his 15th of the season, stakes the home team to a 1-0 lead.

Seattle enjoys its lead for 25 seconds, until Tage Thompson evens things up.

Seattle enjoys a tie game for 3:07, until Jeff Skinner gives the Sabres a 2-1 lead.

Alex Tuch ends Daccord's evening early at 5:41, recording his 300th career point.

One save on four Sabres shots for Daccord. Now it'll be Philipp Grubauer's job to hold the fort while the Kraken attempt a comeback.

Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak is felled blocking a Dylan Cozens shot. Of immediate concern, the whistle fails to blow while the Sabres retain possession in the offensive zone. Yanni Gourde berates the officials when play is eventually called.

Of more important concern, Oleksiak remains down, pounding the ice with his glove in pain and frustration. He has to be aided off the ice; the Kraken have to hope the situation isn't as bad as it looks.

More injury added to insult: Oliver Bjorkstrand crumples when Peyton Krebs irresponsibly skates by with a stick into the All-Star's face.

When Krebs exits with a four minute double minor, the Kraken don't get mad, they get a power play goal. Eeli Tolvanen shoots, and Matty Beniers finds the lose puck in the Buffalo crease before Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can.

Beniers' 10th narrows the Kraken deficit to 3-2 at 14:36.

Buffalo survives the back end of the double minor to escape the 1st period with a 3-2 lead.

Tolvanen took a tripping penalty at 19:30, so the Kraken will have 90 seconds of PK duty to start the 2nd period. Shots in the frame were 10-9 Sabres.

2nd Period

Grubauer gloves Thompson's left circle laser, and the Kraken kill off the Tolvanen penalty.

The Kraken goalie likes the waffle: Grubauer makes blocker saves on Victor Olofsson and then Tuch. Idle thought: Tuch wears #89, which should be off-limits to honor the Sabre great Alex Mogilny.

Scoring note: three Sabres already have multi-point games; Tuch and Thompson, one goal and one assist, and Zemgus Girgensons, two assists.

Two quick strikes by the Sabres 40 seconds apart may have put this game out of reach. Grubauer gets a very temporary reprieve when Dylan Cozens deflects JJ Peterka's shot off the right post, but Owen Power won't be denied on the rebound at 10:36.

Skinner piles on with his second of the night, 23rd of the season at 11:16.

Not long after the expiration of a Seattle power play, Buffalo's Luukkonen makes his finest save on a Tye Kartye grade-A chance. Kart y e has been shifted to the Kraken's new "Why" line with Y anni Gourde and Kailer Y amamoto.

2nd period shots were 12-7 Buffalo, 22-16 through 40.

3rd Period

Backhands are tricky for goaltenders. Tomas Tatar sends a wicked backhand goalward, but Luukkonen stays with it.

On a 2-on-1, Kartye needs arms (or a stick) about six inches longer to reach Brandon Tanev's centering pass. Then Burakovsky, open in the right circle, misses the net. Luukkonen makes another save off his mask.

All this Kraken pressure results in Seattle's fifth power play, looking for their second PP goal. They don't score in the period at all, despite an 18-8 edge in 3rd period shots.

Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson returned to the Kraken bench, a good sign that his shot block didn't result in significant injury. Even better, he's taking defensive shifts.

With the pain he must be in, and given the game situation and lack of playoff implications, it speaks well of the commitment from the "Big Rig."

That's about the only good sign in a 6-2 Buffalo final. Skinner completed his hat trick at 18:01.