After long delay because of COVID-19, Kraken return to play and lose to Flyers in overtime

There were times over the past week-plus where folks legitimately wondered whether the Kraken would get to play another game in the calendar year 2021.

With positive COVID-19 tests sidelining players, coaches and even on-ice officials leaguewide, the sight of the Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers resuming play Wednesday night at Climate Pledge Arena was a welcome sight for the hometown fans. And the Kraken took it to the visitors for most of this 3-2 overtime loss despite having a plethora of defensemen coming out of COVID-19 protocol with barely any skating time in 10 or more days.

Ivan Provorov scored the winner 2:14 into the overtime session, taking a long stretch pass from Kevin Hayes — fresh off the Flyers’ COVID protocol list — going in alone and deking Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer with a nice move to his backhand.

It wasn’t always the prettiest game, with neither team mustering an even strength goal until the final six minutes of the game. Jeremy Lauzon then scored twice in the third period, with only one of them counting at the 14:32 mark after his initial marker was waved off due to goaltender interference by Jaden Schwartz.

But James van Reimsdyk, a long rumored potential expansion draft pick the Kraken opted not to take last summer, tied it 2-2 with his second of the game just 15 seconds later with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that beat Grubauer. Up to that point, the Kraken had largely controlled play throughout, outshooting the Flyers 23-11 the opening 40 minutes and 32-21 through regulation.

But they had trouble putting the puck past Flyers backup goalie Martin Jones, who was replacing No. 1 netminder Carter Hart — ex of the Everett Silvertips — while he’s sidelined in COVID-19 protocol along with No. 3 point-getter Sean Couturier and two other Flyers.

The Kraken likewise had Vince Dunn, Ryan Donato and Mason Appleton in protocol, but got a boost when Adam Larsson exited his after only nine days, the beneficiary of an NHL rule change cutting the minimum 10-day wait period in half.

Still Larsson, along with Jamie Oleksiak, Carson Soucy and Colin Blackwell hadn’t practiced more than a day or two after their extended COVID layoffs.

Yanni Gourde hadn’t played a game in 22 days but got the Kraken on the scoreboard at 12:46 of the first period, tying the game 1-1 on the power play on a blast from just outside the right faceoff circle. That came after Van Reimsdyk had opened the scoring on a man advantage just 4:44 into the contest.

The Kraken tried a little too hard to get it past Jones 5:57 into the third period, with Lauzon getting a goal disallowed on a blast from the left point. The Flyers argued that Schwartz had plowed into Jones in the crease just as the puck was incoming, though he had a little help on a shove from behind by defenseman Travis Sanheim.

Nonetheless, the goal was waved off and the game remained tied.

Then, with just 5:28 to go, Larsson fed Lauzon in the left circle and he did beat Jones for a goal that counted with a wrist shot to the short side. But Van Reimsdyk tied it just seconds later to help send the game to an extended session.