Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord shut out the Vegas Golden Knights, securing a 3-0 home win with 35 saves at the 2024 NHL Winter Classic on Monday.
This win not only marked the first shutout in a Winter Classic but also Daccord's fifth shutout in the NHL's 39 outdoor games since 2003. The victory follows Daccord's second shutout in the past three weeks as well, where he blanked the Florida Panthers on December 12, 2023.
"You always talk about goalies and what a really good goalie is and the best way to describe it is he saves the ones he needs to and then he saves one or two more that he shouldn't save. And that's what he's done for us basically every game," said Seattle center Matty Beniers.
Daccord made several key saves to thwart the Golden Knights attackers. A notable moment came when Jack Eichel seized a late first-period opportunity, but Daccord showcased his skill with a solid left-pad save.
Mark Stone's redirected shot hit the post late in the second period, and Eichel faced more frustration as he hit the crossbar with seven minutes left and was subsequently denied by Daccord's glove save.
The Swiss-American goalie exited as the last man on the ice, with home fans chanting his name in unison at the T-Mobile Park.
"It's truly the coolest thing in the world to have that support from them," Daccord said.
Massive play by Eeli Tolvanen, Yanni Gourde
Forward Eeli Tolvanen also contributed significantly to Seattle's win over Vegas with a goal and an assist. The 24-year-old showcased his scoring prowess by netting his 10th goal of the season early in the first period after redirecting Vince Dunn's shot from the blue line.
Later in the second period, Tolvanen turned playmaker. He assisted Will Borgen in a powerful slap shot that beat Vegas goalie Logan Thompson and extended the Kraken's lead to 2-0.
The third period saw Yanni Gourde making a significant contribution, giving Seattle a commanding 3-0 lead just 2:10 in. Gourde executed an impressive effort, stealing the puck from Paul Cotter at the blue line and capitalizing on Thompson's misjudgment to poke the puck into the net.
The victory marked Seattle's nine-game point streak, setting a new franchise record to 7-0-2 and solidified their playoff contention after a rough start to the season.
"To have the opportunity to do this in this ballpark, in front of our home fans, get the result that everybody wanted makes it pretty special and that's the best way to remember this event," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.
While Seattle basked in success, the Vegas Golden Knights lost for the fifth time in six games. Coach Bruce Cassidy expressed his disappointment, saying that the team could have performed better.
"It got to be 2-0 and we didn't have the urgency required early on. By the time we got it, we're chasing the game, which has happened to us lately," he said. "I'm a little disappointed in that we weren't better out of the gate."
According to Stone, fatigue may be the reason behind the Golden Knights' recent struggles. Having played 38 games this season, they currently share the league's highest count with four other teams.
Looking ahead to the upcoming NHL games on January 4, the Golden Knights will host the Florida Panthers in a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup final. Meanwhile, the Kraken will host the Ottawa Senators, aiming to continue their impressive run in the league.