Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Seattle Kraken: Game Recap
In a noteworthy matchup on January 19, 2026, the Pittsburgh Penguins made strategic changes to their lineup, bringing Ryan Graves in while giving Jack St. Ivany a rest. Stuart Skinner started in goal for the Penguins as they faced off against the Seattle Kraken.
First Period Highlights
The initial moments of the game were anything but stellar for Pittsburgh, although they found themselves leading on the scoreboard. Skinner was forced to showcase his skills early on, denying an early breakaway attempt by Eeli Tolvanen. The Penguins earned their first power play opportunity but were unable to capitalize. However, shortly after the power play expired, Blake Lizotte made a crucial pass to Parker Wotherspoon, whose shot found the net, aided by Anthony Mantha‘s sizeable presence obstructing Kraken goalie Joey Daccord’s view, giving Pittsburgh a surprising 1-0 advantage.
Shortly thereafter, while the Kraken were given a power play, it was Connor Dewar who stole the spotlight by intercepting a puck and sprinting down the ice for a breakaway. With a powerful shot that beat Daccord, the Penguins extended their lead to 2-0. Seattle managed to get on the board as Ben Meyers scored following an error in the Penguins’ transition play, cutting Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-1. Despite the score, the period ended with Pittsburgh holding onto their lead, despite only generating three shots at even strength and seven overall compared to Seattle’s five.
Second Period Developments
As the second period commenced, Pittsburgh successfully killed off a minor penalty against Lizotte. Seattle took advantage of a defensive lapse, tying the game at 2-2 when Ryan Lindgren scored after a series of passes. However, the Penguins responded quickly as Sidney Crosby won a faceoff, leading to Brett Kulak’s long-range shot that found the back of the net, restoring Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-2 with five minutes remaining in the period.
Towards the end of the second, a penalty on Ben Kindel gave the Penguins another power play, but they failed to score, facing off against Seattle’s struggling penalty kill.
Third Period Action
The third period started positively for Pittsburgh as they increased their lead to 4-2 after Justin Brazeau scored, benefiting from plays that had Daccord struggling to track the puck through a crowd. Seattle didn’t go down quietly; they answered back with a stunning slap shot from Tolvanen, narrowing the gap to 4-3.
Pittsburgh secured a crucial fourth goal when Rickard Rakell found the net off a pass from Crosby, solidifying the score at 5-3. As Seattle pulled their goalie in a last-ditch effort, Dewar added another for Pittsburgh, bringing the final score to 6-3.
Conclusion
In summary, while Pittsburgh struggled with their early-game execution, they displayed resilience and effective plays as the game progressed. The victory allowed them to begin their road trip with momentum, though the Penguins will need to improve their power play, which continues to falter despite a strong performance from their penalty kill. Team dynamics were highlighted by individual performances defending and attacking, contributing to an overall strong showing from the Penguins as they prepare for their next game against Calgary after their recent success against Seattle.
