Burakovsky Didn't Let His Broken Stick Interrupt Kraken Power Play

Hockey's frenetic pace means high-skill plays often get overlooked.

Seattle Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky authored one such sequence during Monday's game against the Buffalo Sabres at Climate Pledge Arena.

The fact it didn't result in a goal doesn't make Burakovsky's effort any less notable, including how the sequence started. With a broken stick.

Composite hockey sticks are made from graphite fibers bound together by polymer resin, which make them extremely light.

Their light weight and design also make them susceptible to breakage, like when Burakovsky wound up during a 2nd period power play.

From a USC engineering article : "Pre-loading is one of the most overlooked stages of the slap shot. The stick strikes the ice about a foot behind the puck before striking the puck. This is how the player is able to apply force to the stick and bend the shaft."

Or in this case, break it.

Granted, there's nothing remarkable about a hockey stick shattering - happens several times every game. But this is where the fun started.

Burakovsky had already scored power play goals in two of the Kraken's last three games, so he sure didn't want to leave the ice while Seattle had the extra man.

Good fortune is usually a part of such plays, and so it was here. In the 2nd period, the Kraken offensive zone is closest to their bench. Also, Burakovsky broke his stick on the side of the ice near that bench. So it took just a couple of strides to where the replacement sticks lived.

However, an on-the-fly baton handoff has been likened to a NASCAR pit road tire change. Max Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs described it to Sports Illustrated .

“Did the equipment guy see me? Does he have a stick out for me? Will he have a stick out by the time I get to the bench? How fast am I going? How fast do I need to be going? Or do I just grab another guy’s stick? Gotta make sure it’s a lefty, not a righty. Who’s got the shortest stick? Who’s got the curve that’s most similar to mine? All that stuff in three seconds.”

About the time Burakovsky got hold of a replacement twig, the puck found him too. Imagine the hand-eye coordination it takes to turn around, get a stick in position, and almost simultaneously play a puck you didn't know was coming.

Not only did Burakovsky prevent the biscuit from leaving the zone - a split-second hesitation and it would have - he worked himself free for a 40-foot wrist shot, directly on goal.