Beniers earns the Kraken a point in Tampa. The mistakes still cost them two.

The Kraken kept something from a difficult night in Tampa, but left with a clear list of things to correct. Seattle lost 4–3 in overtime to the Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Thursday, October 15, after twice pulling level during the third period.

Victor Hedman supplied the winner. The result moved Seattle to 5–2–1 and left its five-game road trip at 3–0–1 with one stop remaining. That is a productive position. It also leaves room to ask why another recovery became necessary.

The deciding passages

Ryan Winterton opened the scoring after Freddy Gaudreau’s pressure behind the net created an opportunity. Brandon Hagel answered and then scored again to put Tampa Bay ahead. Seattle’s response came through Jared McCann on the power play, with Jordan Eberle supplying the pass.

Ilya Mikheyev restored the Lightning’s lead after a dangerous puck-handling sequence around Seattle’s crease. Matty Beniers then redirected Vince Dunn’s shot with 4:19 left in regulation. It was the play that secured overtime and Beniers’ 200th NHL point, giving his individual milestone an immediate team consequence.

Hedman ended the contest 2:07 into overtime. Philipp Grubauer finished with 31 saves, while Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 shots. Seattle had enough offense to answer twice; it could not turn the extra session into a second standings point.

The current position

Glenn Dreyfuss’ October 15 Pacific North Hockey account emphasizes both the comeback and Grubauer’s work under sustained pressure. That is the useful balance for evaluating this result: the point mattered, but so did the amount of defensive work needed to keep it available.

Our analysis is that a team can value its resilience without building its expectations around recovery. Coming from behind demonstrates a useful capability. Reducing the situations that require a comeback is how that capability becomes an advantage rather than a routine necessity.

What needs to improve

Darren Brown’s Sound Of Hockey review identifies preventable mistakes in Seattle’s defensive coverage, its handling of the puck near its own net, and the space conceded to Hedman in overtime. Those are different situations with a shared requirement: the next action needs to be simple enough for teammates to anticipate.

Our recommendation is to prioritize clear support positions and safer exits when the direct route is crowded. A difficult puck does not have to become an ambitious puck. Moving danger away from the crease can be more useful than trying to retain possession through the most congested space.

That recommendation also applies when protecting the middle in overtime. Three-on-three hockey rewards aggression, but it punishes disconnected positioning. The goal is to challenge the puck while retaining a second layer, rather than allowing one successful move to remove every defender.

What the documented reaction says

Brown reported Lane Lambert’s concern that Seattle was not skating or moving the puck quickly enough, alongside the coach’s acknowledgment of fatigue deep into the trip. Lambert also valued the point gained from a third-period deficit. Those observations explain the mixed assessment without treating the result as either a collapse or an unqualified success.

Injury watch and what comes next

Montour left with a lower-body injury. The official Kraken recap confirms that designation; no return timetable is established here. His availability deserves attention before the road finale, without assuming either a long absence or a quick return.

Seattle finishes the trip against Florida on Saturday, October 17. The immediate standard is a more connected performance from the start, with the same willingness to respond if the game turns. Banking points and improving the method remain compatible goals.

Rain City Sports editorial desk. Game recap with editorial analysis; published October 16, 2026.

Sources

• Seattle Kraken — Official Tampa Bay recap, October 16 (checked 2026-10-16)
• NHL — Official final game summary, October 15 (checked 2026-10-16)
• Glenn Dreyfuss, Pacific North Hockey — October 15 recap (checked 2026-10-16)
• Darren Brown, Sound Of Hockey — October 15 takeaways (checked 2026-10-16)

Analysis and recommendations are the editorial desk’s interpretation. Reporting and attributed perspectives are linked above. Information is current as of the publication date.