Connor McDavid has hat trick, Seattle Kraken get blown out in Edmonton

Kate Shefte, The Seattle Times on Dec 5, 2025

Published in Hockey

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The Seattle Kraken allowed three goals — a fourth just barely hugged the goal line — to the Edmonton Oilers and nearly came all the way back. And that was only Thursday’s first period.

Freddy Gaudreau scored his first goal in a Kraken uniform, but NHL superstar Connor McDavid had a goal in each period for his 13th career hat trick in a 9-4 Oilers victory in Edmonton. That’s the most goals Seattle (11-8-6) has given up this season.

The Kraken have dropped a season-high four games in a row. They’ve shown an aptitude for clawing their way to overtime points under first-year head coach Lane Lambert, but the past three games were regulation losses.

This is right around the time in the NHL calendar that the Oilers (12-11-5) raise the alarm, shrug off a slow start and go on a tear en route to another Stanley Cup Final berth. They’ve gone two straight years and lost to the Florida Panthers each time.

They’ve looked like their usual, powerful selves while playing the Kraken twice in a week. Edmonton blanked Seattle 4-0 on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena, then opened a 3-0 lead just 11:27 into the game Thursday. The apparent first goal was waived off as it was determined it never cleared the goal line, then McDavid started working on his hat trick. Vasily Podkolzin followed 17 seconds later.

Leon Draisaitl, who had a goal and an assist in Seattle, made it 3-0 with a power-play goal, one of four power-play goals Edmonton scored on five attempts Thursday. Seattle had three man-advantage opportunities and failed to convert, which means the Kraken are scoreless in their past 17 power plays across five games. Their most recent was Jaden Schwartz’s memorable goal during an abuse-of-officials penalty against Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard on Nov. 20.

Eeli Tolvanen got the Kraken on the board late in the first period, which gave oft-injured winger Kaapo Kakko his first assist of the season. Gaudreau then relieved Draisaitl of the puck in the slot, skated a few strides up the middle and scored before Edmonton had time to recover.

Gaudreau scored in the shootout against the New York Islanders on Nov. 23 but was still waiting on his first goal that counted, 11 games in. He missed almost a month of his first season with the Kraken while nursing an upper-body injury.

His strike was timely and pretty, but hopes that would spark a complete comeback faded quickly. Not only did Seattle’s power play fail to help the Kraken keep up with the Oilers’ onslaught, but it gave up a goal as Matt Savoie scored short-handed 2:28 into the second period.

McDavid’s second, on the power play, chased Kraken starter Joey Daccord (nine saves). Philipp Grubauer gave up four goals on 18 shots in relief.

While Grubauer was easing in, Zach Hyman went glove side and scored to make it 6-2, then Jared McCann scored Seattle’s third goal 37 seconds later.

The game went off the rails entirely in the third period with the Oilers up 7-3. Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour took a double high-sticking minor, and as soon as McDavid completed his hat trick, Tolvanen took another penalty, handing the hosts 1:49 of 5-on-3 time. With one second left in it, Savoie made the score 9-3.

Jani Nyman scored a garbage-time goal right in front of the crease with 4.5 seconds left in the game. Nyman, 21, has been this Seattle coaching staff’s go-to healthy scratch at forward and that was his first goal since Oct. 20.