Defense proved to be optional in Tuesday night's game between the Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken. The two teams combined for a whopping 17 goals and the Kraken were able to get the last laugh in overtime thanks to a game-winning score from winger Andre Andre Burakovsky to clinch the 9-8 win.
Burakovsky's tally was made possible after the Kings committed a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty 1:22 into the overtime period.
"It was a kind of a messed-up night," Burakovsky said, according to the Seattle Times. "I think we played a really bad game and so did they. We were lucky they didn't play good at all."
Before the third period even started, this was the highest-scoring game of the 2022-23 NHL season. Some history was made and approached during the high-scoring affair:
- The game that featured six game-tying goals, which tied an NHL record.
- There were 12 combined goals over the first 30 minutes of the game and that was the fourth-most in the first 30 minutes of a game in NHL history. The record is 13 goals across the first 30 minutes.
- It marked just the 12th time in the last 35 years that 17 or more goals were scored in an NHL contest.
The first period featured six goals while the second period had eight goals. The Kraken possessed an 8-6 lead heading into the final 20 minutes, but the Kings were able to rally to tie the game.
Within a two-minute stretch, defensemen Sean Durzi and Mikey Anderson scored to tie the game with 6:21 remaining in regulation. Durzi scored off a deflected shot from the point while Anderson found the back of the net off a one-timer courtesy of a pass from teammate Matt Roy.
Seattle's victory extended their winning streak to six consecutive games. They now possess the second-most points (31) in the Western Conference behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Rookie center Matty Beniers came up huge for the Kraken with a pair of goals and extended his point streak to five games and claimed sole possession of the NHL's rookie goals crown with nine.
