Newhook scores twice as Canadiens beat fading Kraken 5-1 for eighth straight Seattle loss

Four minutes into Sunday night's game in Seattle, a long shot from Montreal defenceman Kaiden Guhle found its way through traffic in front of the Kraken net and went in. It was the Canadiens' first shot of the night. Their second, from Guhle again a little over two minutes later, was deflected in by Alex Newhook. Two shots, two goals, and the game's shape was set.

Montreal went on to beat the Kraken 5-1, sending Seattle to its eighth straight loss. The streak ties the longest of the Kraken's season. For Montreal, the win snapped a four-game losing streak.

The first period was not finished with Seattle. With 2:27 left, Nick Suzuki led a two-on-one break and lifted the puck over goaltender Philipp Grubauer's right shoulder. Newhook scored again 27 seconds later to make it 4-0, and that was the end of Grubauer's night. He had allowed four goals on six shots. Joey Daccord replaced him and made 10 saves.

Seattle got on the board in the first minute of the second period, when Jordan Eberle scored his 16th goal of the season from the right circle. About five minutes later, the Kraken thought they had a second, on a power play, but a challenge showed they were offside and the goal was wiped out. Montreal then made it 5-1 with about seven minutes left in the period, when Mike Matheson scored short-handed. Midway through the second, Newhook came close to the first hat trick of his career, but his shot hit the post.

"I'll just say that one stung a little bit more than most posts, but it happens," Newhook said. "That's hockey. You've got to keep going, maybe find a hat trick another night."

The score hid a lopsided game in shots. Seattle outshot Montreal 37-17, and Cayden Primeau stopped 36 of them in goal for the Canadiens. The five goals matched Montreal's season high. Guhle finished with a goal and two assists, a career-high three points. He said the team had felt snake bit, having played better in games it still lost. "It just seemed like pucks were going in for us tonight," he said, pointing to a couple of tips and rollers. Primeau said it was good to be leading rather than chasing.

For Seattle, the numbers behind the streak are stark: in six of the eight losses, the Kraken were either shut out or held to a single goal. Coach Dave Hakstol did not point to the scoreboard. He said the team was not playing with passion, heart, or for the player beside them, and called that more than disappointing and hard to be part of. He said it was hard to watch the team fall off given what is still on the line, and that the jersey was not being honoured on the ice. He said it would change.

There was also an injury. Seattle defenceman Ryker Evans left in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.

Both teams are back in action Tuesday. Montreal visits the Colorado Avalanche, and Seattle hosts Anaheim, where the Kraken will try to end the skid and where Evans's status will be worth watching.