The Seattle Kraken won their Stanley Cup Playoff debut, defeating the defending champion Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday.

Alex Wennberg had a goal and an assist, Eeli Tolvanen scored the first playoff goal in Kraken history and Philipp Grubauer made 34 saves for Seattle, the first wild card in the West in its second NHL season.Boston Bruins Trøje 2023

Grubauer was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the goalie voted best in the NHL, with the Avalanche in 2020-21, but hadn't been able to find that level since signing in Seattle as a free agent July 28, 2021. His save percentage was below .900 in each of his two seasons with the Kraken, but the 31-year-old found his form to open the playoffs.

Mikko Rantanen scored, and Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves in his first playoff start for the Avalanche, who finished the season 7-0-1 to earn the No. 1 seed in the Central Division.

Tolvanen put Seattle ahead 1-0 at 3:26 of the first period after intercepting a Devon Toews pass at the left face-off dot. Georgiev made a tough blocker save on the initial shot, but Tolvanen batted in his rebound as it bounced off the ice.

Rantanen tied it 1-1 at 12:35 after winning an offensive-zone face-off and going to the back edge of the crease for a cross-ice pass from Nathan MacKinnon at the edge of the left circle that bounced in off his skate.

Wennberg put Seattle ahead 2-1 on a rush chance 1:20 into the second period, taking a cross-ice pass from Jaden Schwartz and shooting over the glove-side shoulder of Georgiev from inside the top of the left circle.

Grubauer was at his best late in the second period, getting across on a MacKinnon backdoor one-timer with 4:50 left, stopping J.T. Compher in alone with 4:16 left, Valeri Nichushkin on that rebound, and Rantanen in tight with 1:28 left. Billige NHL Trøjer

Morgan Geekie made it 3-1 at 4:03 of the third period, one-timing a Wennberg pass to the right hash mark over Georgiev's left shoulder.Seattle finished 0-for-3 on the power play; Colorado was 0-for-2.