Kraken’s Philipp Grubauer vocal about ‘unbelievable’ win over Flyers

The Seattle Kraken couldn’t have scripted a much better return from the holiday break, and goaltender Philipp Grubauer made sure to highlight exactly why Sunday night’s performance mattered.

After backstopping Seattle to a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Climate Pledge Arena, Grubauer praised the collective effort following what can often be a disjointed stretch of games league-wide.

“The first game after the [holiday] break is always a little bit scrambly, but yeah, unbelievable job tonight [by the team],” Grubauer said, via NHL.com. “You’ve got to keep building, keep doing the right things.”

Grubauer was steady throughout, stopping 31 of 32 shots and narrowly missing out on his first shutout since February 2024 when Carl Grundstrom scored late for Philadelphia. Still, the veteran netminder’s performance was a key factor in Seattle securing its fourth consecutive victory, a sharp turnaround after a 1-9-1 stretch earlier this month.

Seattle looked composed from the outset despite being outshot 10-7 in a scoreless first period, marking the 10th straight game the Kraken failed to score in the opening 20 minutes. The breakthrough came early in the second period when Jordan Eberle finished a crisp passing sequence involving Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko to give Seattle a 1-0 lead.

The Kraken pulled away in the third period. Chandler Stephenson doubled the advantage with a one-timer off a feed from Eeli Tolvanen, who later sealed the win with two empty-net goals. Tolvanen finished with two goals and an assist, extending his point streak to six games with three goals, and seven assists.

The win improved the Kraken to 16-14-6 and continued a strong run that has been fueled by balanced scoring and improved defensive structure. Grubauer, now with a 6-3-1 record, has earned a growing share of the crease alongside Joey Daccord.

Seattle will aim to carry this momentum into a busy stretch, starting with an upcoming matchup against the Vancouver Canucks (15-19-3). If the Kraken continue the form and keep doing what they have pulled off in this game, as Grubauer emphasized, their recent surge may be more than just a post-holiday spark.

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