Your Seattle Kraken weren’t just on the wrong side of an 8-3 blowout against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, they were also unwilling participants in NHL history. Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett didn’t just light up the lamp; they became the first Panthers teammates to record hat tricks in the same game, cementing a brutal loss and etching the Kraken into the record books in a way nobody in the Emerald City wanted.
That Hat Trick Streak Is Real, And We Were Caught In It
It’s one thing to lose big, but to be the team that helps an opponent make *history*? Ouch. Verhaeghe’s three goals against us completed a streak for the Panthers that no other NHL team has ever pulled off: natural hat tricks in three consecutive games. We were the unlucky third act. Before facing our Kraken, Brady Tkachuk had already notched back-to-back natural hat tricks in Florida’s wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. So, yeah, Florida was hot, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow when it happens on our watch. Our defense needs to figure out how to shut down these high-flying offenses, fast.
Florida’s Flying High, And We’re Just Flying Low?
The Panthers are definitely feeling themselves right now, rolling to a 5-2-2 record to open their 2026-27 campaign. They’ve been beasts the last few years, even capturing the Stanley Cup in both 2024 and 2025 before missing the playoffs last season. This hot start, unfortunately, shows they’re hungry. Tkachuk is a huge part of that early success, already racking up six goals and four assists in nine games. Verhaeghe isn’t far behind with six goals and two assists. Meanwhile, our Kraken were just collateral damage in their historic surge. This 8-3 loss isn’t just a tough night; it’s a stark reminder of the level of competition out there.
This kind of historic drubbing early in the season isn’t just a loss, it’s a gut check. The boys need to regroup, shake off this record-setting performance from the Panthers, and figure out how to shut down opposing offenses. The season is young, but the message from Florida was loud and clear: step up, or get rolled. Let’s hope the Kraken show some real fight and put this behind them immediately.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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