The Seattle Kraken delivered a much-needed statement win on February 28, 2026, toppling the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 at Climate Pledge Arena in a night packed with storylines, milestones, and a touch of controversy. For the second time this season, hats rained down from the stands in anticipation of a Jordan Eberle hat trick—only for the official scorer to snatch it away after a video review. Still, the Kraken faithful had plenty to cheer about as their team snapped a two-game post-Olympics skid and the Canucks’ woes deepened with a fifth consecutive defeat.
Right from the opening puck drop, Seattle looked determined to shake off their sluggish start since returning from the Winter Olympics break. Less than eight minutes into the game, Vince Dunn—marking his 600th career NHL appearance—fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle, beating Vancouver netminder Kevin Lankinen and giving the home side a 1-0 lead. Lankinen, under siege in recent outings, appeared to want a goalie interference call as Jaden Schwartz set up a screen in front. But with Lankinen well outside his crease and no challenge coming from the Canucks’ bench, the Kraken’s early momentum stood.
Seattle wasted little time doubling their advantage. Just three minutes later, Chandler Stephenson pounced on a juicy rebound from Adam Larsson’s shot, slotting home the puck for a 2-0 lead with 9:40 left in the first period. That helper marked Larsson’s 200th career assist—an understated but significant milestone for the veteran defenseman. The Kraken were rolling, and the Canucks’ defensive frailties, highlighted by Lankinen’s recent struggles (15 goals allowed in his last three starts), were glaringly apparent.
Vancouver did manage to claw back midway through the second period. Liam Öhgren, one of the few bright spots for the visitors, uncorked a slap shot from atop the left circle that squeaked through Seattle goalie Joey Daccord’s armpit, trimming the deficit to 2-1 at 8:28 of the second period. For a moment, it looked like the Canucks might make a game of it. But the Kraken had other ideas, and Eberle was just getting started.
Eberle, who’s become a fixture on Seattle’s top line, responded barely two minutes later. After blocking a shot from Elias Pettersson, Eberle raced Pettersson to the loose puck, broke free on a breakaway, and coolly finished with a backhand past Lankinen. That tally—his team-leading 21st goal of the season—restored a two-goal cushion and re-energized the home crowd. “He’s just got that knack for stepping up when the team needs a spark,” said Stephenson after the game, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
The third period brought its own drama. Seattle’s power play, dormant until just over eight minutes remained, quickly capitalized. Eberle darted to the front of the net and appeared to tip home his third goal of the night—sending hats flying from the stands in celebration of what looked to be his second career hat trick with the Kraken. But hold the phone: after a thorough video review, the NHL credited the goal to Matty Beniers, ruling that Eberle’s shot had clipped the toe of Beniers’ skate before sliding past Lankinen. The announcement deflated the crowd’s hopes for a historic moment, as Eberle would have become the first Kraken player with two hat tricks for the franchise. Instead, Beniers, who’s been involved in both of Seattle’s disallowed hat tricks this season, picked up the power-play marker and the score moved to 4-1.
“It’s tough, but that’s hockey,” Eberle said with a wry smile in the locker room, as reported by local outlets. “The important thing is we got the win and everyone contributed.”
With the Canucks trailing by three, head coach Adam Foote pulled Lankinen for an extra attacker with more than five minutes left. Seattle’s goalie Joey Daccord, who had been steady all night, even took a shot at the empty net—just missing wide. Ultimately, it was Eberle who sealed the deal, netting his second of the night with an empty-netter with three minutes to play. That wrapped up the scoring at 5-1 and put an exclamation point on a dominant Kraken performance.
“We needed this one,” Stephenson admitted postgame. “Coming off the break and a couple of tough losses, it was important to get back on track, especially in front of our fans.”
Daccord finished the night with 27 saves on 28 shots, providing the kind of stability the Kraken have craved since the Olympic layoff. On the flip side, Lankinen’s night ended with 20 saves, but the numbers only tell part of the story—he’s now surrendered 15 goals in his last three starts, and Vancouver’s defensive structure looks increasingly porous.
The Canucks’ struggles were compounded by a high-profile benching in the closing minutes. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver’s highest-paid player and a perennial offensive threat, was kept off the ice during the late-game 6-on-5 push—a decision that raised eyebrows both in the arena and across social media. Pettersson finished with just 14:20 of ice time (his second-lowest total of the season), went minus-two, registered no shots, and was removed from both power-play units late in the third period.
Head coach Adam Foote didn’t mince words postgame: “He’s got to be better and he knows that, he’s aware of that,” Foote told reporters in Seattle. “We need more from him and he’s got to find it. ... He knows he’s got to be better for us and I’m sure we’ll see that next game.”
Pettersson, who’s in the second season of an eight-year, $11.6 million contract, took the criticism in stride. “Coach is coaching to win, whatever he decides I respect it,” Pettersson told The Athletic. “I’ve got to be better... My number wasn’t called.” For the season, the 27-year-old Swede has 13 goals and 35 points in 51 games—a respectable tally, but far from the dominant force Vancouver needs to snap their slide.
With the loss, the Canucks’ losing streak stretched to five games, leaving the team searching for answers ahead of their next matchup against the Dallas Stars. The Kraken, meanwhile, will look to build on this momentum as they host the Carolina Hurricanes in their upcoming contest.
So, while Eberle’s hat trick was denied by the narrowest of margins, the Kraken will take the two points and a much-needed jolt of confidence. As the playoff race heats up, every win counts—and on this night, Seattle showed they’re not ready to fade quietly into the background.