Jared McCann’s big smile upon hitting a career milestone Friday night had something missing.
“Second time I’ve lost teeth and they haven’t called anything. It sucks,” McCann said.
McCann will forever be the Kraken’s first 30-goal scorer, but he paid for it in crown. He said while battling for the puck in a 4-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, a defender’s stick came up and shaved off part of his bottom row of teeth. The Kraken didn’t even get a power play out of it.
McCann did draw the Kraken’s only and important third-period penalty, a tripping call on Columbus’ Boone Jenner. Nine seconds into that man advantage, Alex Wennberg scored the game-winning goal.
Coach Dave Hakstol confirmed the previous incident McCann alluded to happened earlier this season.
“He’s putting some money in the dentist’s pocket, for sure,” Hakstol said.
“He’s had a tough year that way, but everything else in his game, it’s continuing to grow.”
According to the Kraken, the home team’s dentist is on hand to attend to both squads. The Blue Jackets’ dentist was at the game Friday and McCann had a quick consultation at the arena before boarding Seattle’s flight to Denver, where the Kraken play the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night.
They’re back in Seattle for a four-game homestand on Monday for another, more familiar, expert opinion if needed.
McCann has points in five straight (four goals, four assists) and 10 of 11 games (seven goals, six assists). He set up Jordan Eberle for the Kraken’s second goal Friday, returning the favor from a game before, when Eberle threaded a pass through the crease to McCann at the back door. McCann won’t miss many of those this season.
His shooting percentage this season is 22.7. Among NHL players who have appeared in 20 or more games this season, he’s tied for second, a high number that keeps holding on.
“When you watch the confidence and the pace that he’s playing with up and down the rink, that’s really adding to our group and our team,” Hakstol said.
In the minors
Goaltender Chris Driedger has two appearances under his belt with the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds since he cleared waivers and was reassigned Feb. 24. It’s his first competitive action since suffering a torn right ACL last summer in the IIHF World Championship.
Driedger has recorded a win and a loss with a 2.51 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. In his Firebirds debut Feb. 27, Coachella Valley beat the San Jose Barracuda in overtime, 4-3 on the strength of Kole Lind’s 20th goal of the season. It came on a 2-on-1, 1:46 into the extra period. Driedger made 30 saves and recorded his first AHL win since 2019-20.
He faced the Calgary Wranglers on March 1. He made 21 saves on 23 shots and kept the Wranglers off the scoresheet the first half of the game, but the Firebirds fell 3-1.
Driedger is familiar with the city, if not that particular franchise. He set the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen franchise record for saves with 3,773 — 399 more than the previous record-holder, none other than Martin Jones. Driedger said he and fellow Kraken goaltender Jones have reflected on their Hitmen history.
Driedger notably scored the first goalie goal in Hitmen history in 2014.
Count it
According to statmuse, Kraken winger Brandon Tanev’s empty-netter Friday against the Blue Jackets was his fifth of the season, good for sole possession of second in the NHL. The Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins Jake Guentzel are first with six apiece.
That includes two straight goals for him, and a good portion of his 12 goals this season. He’s also hit the goalpost in that situation at least twice.
The 6-on-5 unit is an extension of the penalty kill, and Tanev is one of the best the Kraken have in that capacity. He’s often on the ice as opposing teams hunt for the equalizer.