Seattle Kraken 3 Stars of Week 1: Improved Power Play Leads the Way
Seattle Kraken’s First Star of the Week— Matty Beniers
The first star of the week belongs to none other than rookie sensation Matty Beniers. After a 10-game cup of coffee with the Seattle Kraken last season, anticipation was high for the 20-year-old pivot to join the team full-time.
Right out of the gate, he hasn’t disappointed. Beniers gives hope for a bright and beautiful hockey future in the Pacific Northwest.
In the Seattle Kraken’s first three games, Beniers has 4 points (1g, 3a.) John Gibson was a tough goaltender to beat, but he assisted Jared McCann in Seattle’s first goal in the season opener.
It was only 4:09 into the third period when Beniers scored his first goal of the season. Off of his rebound, he snuck up behind Frank Vatrano and put the biscuit in the basket. Despite outshooting the Ducks throughout most of the game, the Kraken lost to their feathered foes in overtime.
Building off of Early Success
In their next contest, down I-5 in Los Angeles, Beniers continued to build off of his early success, racking up more points. Matty picked up the primary assist on Alexander Wennberg‘s goal halfway through the second period. This score gave them a comfortable two-goal lead, aiding them in their win.
Beniers almost scored his second goal of the season in that game. Converting on a pass from Justin Schultz, he knocked the puck out of mid-air, scoring on Quick. Although fun to watch, the goal was scored with a high stick, resulting in the goal being overturned.
He earned another point against the Vegas Golden Knights, getting the secondary helper on Justin Schultz’s late third-period goal. His fourth point of the season made him only the third teenager in league history to tally points in 11 of his first 12 NHL games, also making him, on average, a point-per-game player since joining the Seattle Kraken in 2021-22.
Matty Beniers of the @SeattleKraken joined Jonathan Toews and Joe Sakic as the third teenager in League history to find the score sheet in at least 11 of his first 12 career NHL games. 🤯 #NHLStats: https://t.co/x8jvGzJfbK pic.twitter.com/CVykadvDgD
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 14, 2022
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With four points each, Matty Beniers and Andre Burakovsky are each on pace to have a 109-point season. How close do you think they’ll get? Let us know in the comments below. Let’s go, Kraken!