Kraken stun defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche in playoff debut

Alex Wennberg had a goal and an assist, Philipp Grubauer stopped 34 shots and the visiting Seattle Kraken made a successful playoff debut by beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Tuesday night.

The second-year Kraken became the 13th expansion franchise to earn a win in their first postseason game, according to NHL Stats. Eeli Tolvanen scored the first playoff goal in team history early in the first period, and Morgan Geekie sealed it with a tally in the third.

Mikko Rantanen had the lone goal for the Avalanche, who saw their streak of 10 straight first-round wins come to a halt. It was a string that included two sweeps and dated to 2020.

Game 2 is Thursday in Denver.

Grubauer was sharp all night against his former team. He frustrated Colorado's top scorers with one big save after another, while his defence helped neutralize the Avalanche's blazing speed.

Wenny firing off an absolute dart here, y'all