The year is officially flipped from 2023 to 2024. Whenever that happens, the NHL celebrates by putting on the Winter Classic. For a long time now, two teams have been selected to play in the outdoor event. Usually, they are rivals.
On Monday, the latest installment of the Winter Classic took place between the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken. These are the two most recent teams to expand into the NHL.
The game took place at T-Mobile Park in Seattle Washington. This is the home of the Seattle Mariners but the Kraken used it to hose the Golden Knights.
This was a very exciting time for the league as they were able to show off these two teams on the national stage. They both were in the playoffs last season and the Golden Knights ended up winning the Stanley Cup.
The Golden Knights were defeated by the Kraken in the Winter Classic
The last two expansions in the league were both so successful for them and now they are franchises that they want to show off at one of their biggest events.
For the first time in NHL history, there was a shutout at the Winter Classic as the Kraken won 3-0 at home. They played a very good game against a very good team.
Joey Daccord recorded the shutout in net for the Kraken. He made 35 saves on 35 shots, which included a few that were stunning to see. Logan Thompson was in the net for Vegas and he made some good saves but the team gave him no support.
Eeli Tolvanen, Will Borgen, and Yanni Goude each scored one goal. That was good enough for the 3-0 win and an amazing Winter Classic memory.
Although it is great for the franchise, the league, and the sport to have these types of games, they still mean something when it comes to the league standings.
After the win, the Kraken are 15-14-9 which is good for 39 standings points. They are only one point behind the Arizona Coyotes for the final Wild Card spot. They are six points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division. There is still realistic hope that they will be in the playoffs.
As for the Golden Knights, they are 22-11-5. They have 49 points which is tied with the Vancouver Canucks for first place in the Pacific Division. They are the better team all around but the Kraken prevailed.
It was fun to see this spectacle celebrate the great game of hockey in its natural form. Now, each team will move on looking to make a big push for the postseason. We saw how awesome it was to have them both in last year.
We can only hope that they both find a way in once again. This game was a good start for the team that needed the most help as Seattle got the two points. The rest of the way should be fascinating for them.