Kraken beat Utah 5–3, but another lost lead keeps closing problems in focus

Rain City Sports editorial desk | October 23, 2026 | Game played October 22.

A late answer after another reset

Seattle beat the Utah Mammoth 5–3 at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday, getting the deciding goal from Mackie Samoskevich with 5:25 remaining. The Kraken improved to 7–3–1 after allowing a two-goal third-period advantage to disappear. A win that rewarded their scoring depth also left a familiar problem unresolved.

Jordan Eberle and Brandon Montour each contributed a goal and an assist. Matty Beniers scored, and Frederick Gaudreau added an empty-net goal with a minute left, his sixth of the season. Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 shots. Utah received two goals from Logan Cooley and one from Vincent Trocheck.

How the advantage was built

Eberle opened the scoring on an unusual bounce off the end boards and Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. Trocheck tied the game late in the first period, but Beniers restored Seattle’s lead just 26 seconds later. Montour’s power-play goal early in the second made it 3–1.

Special teams helped both clubs. Seattle converted twice in four power plays; Utah scored twice in three. Analysis: those totals explain why an early advantage never became security. The Kraken’s man advantage supplied offense, while penalties gave a dangerous opponent a route back into the game.

Cooley scored 27 seconds into the third and again at 7:42. Both teams subsequently had apparent goals removed by successful offside challenges. Seattle finally found the goal that counted when Bobby McMann located Samoskevich near the net. The finish restored an advantage that Gaudreau’s empty-netter protected.

What the win conceals

Glenn Dreyfuss’s October 22 report for Pacific North Hockey highlighted Seattle’s prolonged lack of shots before its winner. His account described Utah leading third-period shots 13–0 before the Kraken’s late response. Seattle finished the period with four shots against Utah’s 14.

Analysis: a team protecting a lead needs some way to move play away from its own crease. Long stretches without a shot limit opportunities to force the opposing goalie into action and make each defensive possession more consequential. Grubauer helped Seattle survive that imbalance; repeating it would place too much responsibility on the goaltender.

The documented conversation

Beniers told the team’s postgame report that Seattle must improve at protecting leads and preventing opponents’ pushback. That concern comes from a player involved in the win.

In NHL.com’s recap, coach Lane Lambert emphasized maintaining the approach that produces an advantage. Analysis: the coaching message and the shot pattern point to the same practical priority. Seattle needs to continue generating possession and pressure after getting ahead, rather than treating a lead as a reason to stop attacking.

Expectations and the next test

Alison Lukan’s October 23 team analysis notes Seattle has 13 players with multiple goals, the NHL’s highest total. Analysis: the distribution matters because it gives the Kraken several possible sources for a response. Thursday’s winner came from another combination capable of turning a loose puck into a decisive chance.

Minnesota visits on Saturday, October 24. Analysis: the useful test is whether Seattle can pair its scoring depth with a steadier final period. Another victory would help, but sustained offensive-zone time, fewer avoidable penalties and less dependence on late rescue goals would offer stronger evidence that the closing problem is improving.

Sources

• NHL.com: official Utah–Seattle recap (checked 2026-10-23)
• Seattle Kraken: postgame report and player perspectives (checked 2026-10-23)
• Seattle Kraken: Alison Lukan’s postgame numbers (checked 2026-10-23)
• Associated Press via KOMO: October 22 recap (checked 2026-10-23)
• Glenn Dreyfuss, Pacific North Hockey: game analysis (checked 2026-10-23)

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