Wild fall to Seattle Kraken in shootout after breaks go the other way in regulation

As the Wild practiced Friday at Tria Rink in St. Paul, Kraken players were scattered around the boards, walking around and working out.

Once the Wild were done with the ice, they were going to have their own session in preparation for Saturday’s game at Xcel Energy Center where Seattle would continue to follow in the Wild’s footsteps.

After back-to-back controversial calls, the Kraken stayed neck and neck with their hosts before finally overtaking them 5-4 in a shootout to send the Wild on the road for seven in a row with a 1-0-1 record.

“You can’t be disappointed with our effort,” alternate captain Marcus Foligno said. “It’s disappointing to lose that extra point. You want to be a team that closes out games. But for the most part, if we bring that game to Winnipeg tomorrow, it’s going to be another positive outcome hopefully.”

BOXSCORE: Kraken 5, Wild 4 (SO)

Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jordan Eberle polished off Seattle’s comeback by converting their shots against goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury; Mats Zuccarello scored for the Wild, while Kirill Kaprizov hit the post and Matt Boldy missed the net.

Before that, Jared McCann extended the action when he scored with 3:26 to go in the third period during a delayed Wild penalty.

Fleury made 30 saves in the first appearance of his 21st season, which trails only Martin Brodeur’s 22 for the most logged by a goalie in NHL history.

A series of tough breaks for the Wild opened the door for the Kraken to rally.

While they were ahead 2-1 in the second period, Joel Eriksson Ek was elbowed by Seattle’s Adam Larsson. But Larsson wasn’t penalized, and Eriksson Ek (who was skating in his 500th career game) left the ice bloodied. He returned for the start of the third period wearing a protective shield but left after skating just one shift. Coach John Hynes did not have an update on his health after the game.

Seconds later, Jonas Brodin got tripped by the benches by Brandon Tanev, who was clipped by Brodin’s skate while Brodin was falling.

This run-in did result in a penalty, but not against Tanev: Brodin was whistled for tripping.

“Tough penalty there,” Brodin said. “But I talked to [the official] after, and he said sorry. He said he saw the wrong stick, but it’s tough.”

During the ensuing Kraken power play, the puck caromed off Eberle’s skate while he was standing at the back post and rolled into the net at 8:15 of the period.

“We found the next goal, and unfortunately they found the next goal, too,” Foligno said. “It’s what’s going to happen. There’s going to be calls that go against you, and you just gotta be mentally sharper.”

Eberle, who also had Seattle’s first goal, continued to wreak havoc on the Wild.

Later in the second, he collided with Marcus Johansson, who fell to the ice and briefly left the game before re-emerging.

In the third period, Kaprizov scored his first goal of the season when he deflected in a Marco Rossi shot at 1:41; Zuccarello didn’t pick up an assist on the play, but he was key to the goal — tying up the Kraken’s lone defenseman in front of the net in Larsson.

But just 1:06 later, Seattle responded on an uncontested one-timer by Tye Kartye from inside the left faceoff circle.

Cue Ryan Hartman, who was elevated in the lineup to fill Eriksson Ek’s vacancy. He took advantage of the promotion by burying his sixth shot of the game when he accepted a no-look, behind-the-net drop pass from Matt Boldy and wired the puck over goalie Joey Daccord’s glove at 12:33.

Johansson, Eriksson Ek and Boldy led the Wild to a season-opening, 3-2 victory over Columbus on Thursday, but the first line rebounded from a tepid debut to set an early tone for the Wild.

At 9:22 of the first, Zuccarello one-timed a behind-the-net Kaprizov pass by Daccord (34 saves) for his second goal of the season and the 200th of his career.

On the Wild’s first power play, they almost doubled their lead, as Kaprizov kept winding up from one-timers on the right side that just missed. His best shot, however, came from the middle, a blistering wrister that Daccord got a piece of to keep out.

Back in his perch on the right, Kaprizov finally converted, but time had just expired.

This power play carried over to the second period, and that’s when the Wild officially capitalized; Zuccarello and Kaprizov set up Boldy, whose shot from the middle clipped Daccord before bouncing into the net at 1:06 for Boldy’s second goal and fourth point.

The Wild power play finished 1-for-2, as did the Kraken’s.

But only 40 seconds later, Eberle kickstarted Seattle’s comeback when he jammed a loose puck over the goal line while Fleury was sprawled inside the net — a hectic scene that previewed the rest of the game.