Kraken Rally Falls Short In Final Home Game

Quinton Byfield's natural hat trick leads Kings to playoff-clinching win over Kraken

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:20am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game, with sharp, overlapping planes of bright blue, red, and yellow representing the action on the ice.The Kraken's home finale against the playoff-bound Kings exposes the team's ongoing struggles to establish a strong home-ice advantage at Climate Pledge Arena.Seattle Today

The Seattle Kraken couldn't overcome a natural hat trick by Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield, falling 5-3 in their final home game of the season. The Kraken didn't score until the third period, when Adam Larsson and Freddy Gaudreau tallied goals, but it wasn't enough to overcome the early onslaught by Byfield and the Kings, who clinched a playoff spot with the victory.

Why it matters

The loss drops the Kraken to 19-17-5 at home this season, continuing a trend of struggles at Climate Pledge Arena over the past four years. The Kraken were hoping to finish the season stronger at home, but were unable to protect their home ice against a playoff-bound Kings team.

The details

Byfield scored on the Kings' second shot of the game against Kraken emergency callup goalie Nikki Kokko, then added two more goals in the first and second periods to complete the natural hat trick. The Kraken didn't get on the board until the third period, when Larsson and Gaudreau scored, but Adrian Kempe and an empty-net goal by Alex Laferriere sealed the win for the Kings.

  • Byfield scored the opening goal in the first period.
  • Byfield scored his second goal later in the first period.
  • Byfield completed the natural hat trick in the second period.
  • Larsson and Gaudreau scored for the Kraken in the third period.
  • Kempe and Laferriere scored late goals for the Kings.

The players

Quinton Byfield

Los Angeles Kings forward who scored a natural hat trick against the Kraken.

Nikki Kokko

Seattle Kraken emergency callup goaltender who started the game.

Adam Larsson

Seattle Kraken defenseman who scored a goal in the third period.

Freddy Gaudreau

Seattle Kraken forward who scored a goal in the third period.

Adrian Kempe

Los Angeles Kings forward who scored a goal in the third period.

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What they’re saying

“That's kind of been something that's been on my mind the last four years, we've kind of had a tough home record. So, what are we? (Around) .500 right now? I mean, obviously, you want to be above that. You want to be protecting home ice as much as you can and have that advantage.”

— Jordan Eberle, Seattle Kraken captain

“I think certainly if you look at that stretch that we had after the Olympic break, if you look at that little microcosm, you're not very excited about it. I think that certainly, when we needed to, we didn't accomplish what we wanted to. From that standpoint, certainly our home record wasn't any help.”

— Lane Lambert, Seattle Kraken head coach

What’s next

The Kraken will head on the road for their final two games of the season, visiting the Anaheim Ducks on April 15 and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 17.

The takeaway

The Kraken's struggles at home this season, including a 4-0 loss on Fan Appreciation Night, highlight the team's need to improve its performance at Climate Pledge Arena going forward. With the franchise still in its early years, building a stronger home-ice advantage will be crucial for the Kraken to take the next step as a playoff contender.