by Marcus Sledge
Matty Beniers reaches 200 career points as Seattle rallies twice, only to fall 4-3 to the Lightning in overtime.
The Seattle Kraken showed plenty of heart Thursday night in Tampa Bay, battling through momentum swings and refusing to go away quietly. But despite a gritty comeback and a milestone moment for Matty Beniers, the Kraken left Benchmark International Arena with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning.
For a team that has made a habit of finding ways to win on the road, this one was another reminder that in the NHL, sometimes a hard-earned point is all you get.
Seattle opened the scoring when Ryan Winterton buried a chance just 5:43 into the first period. Tampa Bay answered with two Brandon Hagel goals, taking a 2-1 lead and putting the pressure on the visitors. Philipp Grubauer was called upon repeatedly to keep Seattle within striking distance, finishing the night with 31 saves.
The Kraken began finding their legs as the game progressed, and Jared McCann brought Seattle even early in the third period with a power-play goal. Tampa Bay answered again when Ilya Mikheyev scored to restore the Lightning’s lead, threatening to derail Seattle’s comeback.
But the Kraken weren’t finished.
With just over four minutes remaining in regulation, Beniers redirected a Vince Dunn shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy to tie the game at 3-3. The goal was more than an equalizer. It marked Beniers’ 200th career NHL point, a significant milestone for one of the cornerstones of Seattle’s young core.
It was a moment worth celebrating, even with the game still hanging in the balance. Beniers delivered when his team needed him most, helping the Kraken secure a point and push the contest into overtime.
Unfortunately, the extra period belonged to Tampa Bay. Victor Hedman drove through the Seattle defense and managed to get the puck past Grubauer at 2:07, ending the Kraken’s hopes of completing the comeback.
The final score read 4-3, Lightning, but Seattle’s effort deserved recognition. The Kraken faced stretches of heavy Tampa Bay pressure, leaned on Grubauer’s steady performance, and found a way to battle back when the game appeared to be slipping away.
Beniers reaching 200 career points provided a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating finish. McCann continued to provide an offensive spark, Winterton got Seattle started, and the team showed the resilience needed to earn a point against a talented opponent.
Still, the Kraken will know there was an opportunity to take more from this one. Two comebacks were not enough, and Hedman’s overtime winner turned a potential statement victory into a tough lesson.
The bottom line: The Kraken fought, clawed, and earned their way into overtime. Beniers celebrated a career milestone, Grubauer kept Seattle in the game, and the team refused to quit. The extra point slipped away, but the fight was there until the very end.
Seattle moves forward with another road point in the standings and one more reminder that this team has the grit to compete. Now it’s about turning those hard-fought efforts into complete victories.
Game details verified against the Kraken’s official recap and game coverage.