Legend should someday have it that this rumored Northwest rivalry between the Kraken and Vancouver Canucks officially began somewhere between Jared McCann’s second-period goal and Jamie Oleksiak force-feeding an opponent his lunch.
The two moments occurred seconds apart early in Wednesday night’s second period of the Kraken’s 6-1 rout of the visiting and newly coached Canucks. It took the Kraken seven lifetime games before finally registering a win in what can now be called a rivalry of sorts, but they sure made it count by pounding the opposition on all fronts.
McCann’s power-play marker on a short-side shot from the left circle was the Kraken’s third goal of the night and second with the man advantage. Luke Schenn then tried to wake up his slumbering team right off the ensuing faceoff and got hammered into submission by the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Oleksiak — whose only real danger in the fight was the risk of breaking his hand with multiple punches landing on his foe’s helmet before throwing him to the ice.
