MONTREAL – One major spot for Kraken improvement during what’s now becoming a season-defining win streak had been their inability to start games effectively.
The Kraken, for lack of a better description, had effectively been holding on for dear life in the opening minutes of their most recent contests against Toronto and Ottawa. That wasn’t the case in Monday night’s 4-0 victory over the Canadiens, when the Kraken played just about their finest period of the season at both ends to start things off and nearly ran the home team out of the rink.
By the time the horn sounded for intermission, the Canadiens resembled a boxer saved by the bell and were fortunate to escape the drubbing with only a three-goal deficit after a 19-6 shots advantage for the Kraken. Goals by Eeli Tolvanen, Daniel Sprong and Vince Dunn gave the Kraken all the offense they’d need, while some strong goaltending by Martin Jones — who stopped all 21 shots he faced for his second shutout and 19th win this season — helped maintain the lead when Montreal launched a middle-period pushback.
