TORONTO — Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn hasn’t done his hometown team any favors the few times he plays here.
His first visit to Scotiabank four years ago this month saw Toronto native Dunn, playing for St. Louis, score the winning goal in overtime against a Maple Leafs team he cheered for as a youngster. But there wouldn’t be any such extra sessions needed in Thursday night’s 5-1 win by the Kraken, largely because Dunn scored a go-ahead goal and notched three points in the second period alone.
That was more than enough for the Kraken to win their third in a row and first ever game against the Leafs and in the province of Ontario. Dunn’s goal came on a shot from the left point through traffic just 14 seconds after Toronto captain John Tavares had tied the game 1-1 midway through the second period.
The Kraken wouldn’t look back from there, erupting for two more strikes to cap a four-goal second period after they’d been held to a franchise low two shots in the opening frame. Jared McCann made it 3-1 just three minutes later with his team-leading 18th goal, getting sent in alone on a Jaden Schwartz pass and snapping the puck past goalie Matt Murray.
Matty Beniers capped the period’s scoring with just 2:35 to go until intermission, unleashing a turnaround wrist shot from the left faceoff circle for his 13th of the season to lead all NHL rookies. Just minutes later, both teams at intermission, Beniers was selected to participate in next month’s All Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.
Alex Wennberg closed out the Kraken scoring early in the third as they improved to 21-12-4 on the season.
Kraken goalie Martin Jones won for the 17th time this season, stopping all but the power play deflection goal by Tavares off a Mitch Marner point shot.
The night didn’t start off looking like the rout it turned into for the Kraken. Toronto held a 9-2 lead in shots that frame and Jones had to be alert both early and late to keep his team in the scoreless tie.
Jones made two big stops in the opening minute, then denied Pontus Holmberg on the backhand midway through the frame after the Leafs forward was sent in alone on a nice touch pass. It took the Kraken until the 11:29 mark of the first to register their first shot and then they didn’t get a second until just more than three minutes remained in the frame.
But Jones, who stopped 26 of 27 shots on the night, kept the Leafs off the board and then the Kraken came out firing in the middle frame. They had five shots by the 77-second mark of the period and opened the scoring soon after on the power play, with Eeli Tolvanen one-timing a slap shot from the right circle off a cross-ice Dunn feed.
It was the second such power play goal by Tolvanen off a slapper in three games played for the Kraken.
