The Seattle Kraken continue their road trip with a battle against the Tampa Bay Lightning and will do so with Ales Stezka in between the pipes.
The Kraken returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off break to take on the Matthew Tkachuk-less Florida Panthers. The Kraken jumped out a 1-0 lead thanks to a power play goal from Kaapo Kakko. Matty Beniers and Shane Wright picked up assists on the 24-year-old’s 10th of the season. Wright would pick up another assist on Jared McCann’s game-winner in the third.
In net for the Kraken was Joey Daccord. He stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced in his 39th game of the season. When Philipp Grubauer was sent to the AHL to play with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, more pressure was placed on Daccord to continue his superb play and he’s done just that.
Grubauer has not yet shown any signs that he is ready to be recalled to the Kraken, and it’s why Stezka has remained with the Kraken. Although Stezka has spent a large part of the season with the Kraken, he’s yet to make his NHL debut.
Now at 28 years old, Stezka will be tasked with stopping Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and Victor Hedman in his debut. The Plzen, CZE goaltender is no stranger to professional hockey. He’s played in 92 games in the Czech Extraliga and 52 games in the AHL.
Patience has been a staple in Stezka’s career. The Minnesota Wild’s 2015 fourth-round pick has paid his dues in a plethora of leagues to get to this position. Duelling against Andrei Vasilevskiy is no small feat, but if the Kraken can play inspired hockey, Stezka could pick up a win in his first career game.
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Eberle Returns To The Ice, McCann Scores Game-Winner Against Panthers In Florida. Sunrise, FL – Seattle Kraken Captain Jordan Eberle was back in the lineup on Saturday after being sidelined for 14 weeks recovering from pelvic surgery and assisted his team in a 2-1 victory against the Panthers in Florida.
Kraken Goaltender Ales Stezka To Remain The Back-Up Goaltender Ales Stezka was called up to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday and will remain as the backup goaltender, with Philipp Grubauer continuing in the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
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