But Auston Matthews scored into an empty net in the final two minutes, with goalie Joey Daccord replacing an extra attacker.

Montour, who grew up in nearby Brantford, Ontario, ended up missing the game due to the birth of a daughter – his absence coming just one game after recording the Kraken’s first hat-trick by a defender on ‘a four-point night by him in Montreal. With Dunn, born in adjacent suburban Mississauga and raised in nearby Lindsay, already out for several weeks due to injury, the Kraken found themselves with two “quarters” on the power play and were forced to count on a call-up rarely used in the AHL. Cale Fleury in this role.

While Fleury did what he could, the power play went aimless while his teammates seemed to get caught in coverage too often in their own territory.

For the Kraken, a well-played first period was ultimately for nothing as they conceded a goal just four seconds from the end of a faceoff in the defensive zone.

Auston Matthews got that field goal, immediately stepped up to take control of the puck, then passed it to Mitch Marner, who completed the tic-tac-toe play giving Knies an easy goal late in the period. field.

Nylander then got to work in the second period, taking an uncovered Morgan Rielly pass to Joey Daccord’s right and depositing it easily into a vacant left side of the net.

Midway through the period, Nylander led an odd-man rush into the Kraken zone, fed the puck to Max Pacioretty, then slipped into the back of the net. Pacioretty’s initial shot was blocked, but John Tavares collected the rebound and passed the puck to Nylander – again uncovered to Daccord’s right – for another easy goal into an open left side.

Things were about even the rest of the way, although the Kraken managed just one shot in the first half of the final period and did little to threaten Toronto goaltender Joseph’s shutout Woll until Tolvanen’s late 31-foot shot through a thick screen.