Lehkonen Leads Whalers Helping Markstrom to His First Win of the Season

[HartfordWhalers]

In a nail-biting showdown, the Hartford Whalers emerged victorious over the Seattle Kraken with a 4-3 win, marking Jacob Markstrom's first win of the season. The game kicked off with a power-play goal from Quinton Byfield of the Kraken at 01:32, but the Whalers quickly responded with Artturi Lehkonen's equalizer at 07:53. The Kraken regained the lead with Troy Terry's goal at 11:37, followed by Eeli Tolvanen's tally at 12:06. However, Lehkonen struck again on the power play at 14:04, and Radko Gudas added an unassisted goal at 16:24 to give the Whalers a 3-2 lead heading into the second period.

The second period saw no scoring, but the Whalers' defense held strong despite penalties from Miro Heiskanen and Seattle's Samuel Poulin. The third period brought more excitement as Matthew Tkachuk scored a shorthanded goal at 09:36, sealing the win for Hartford. Markstrom made 18 saves out of 21 shots, while Michael Hutchinson of Seattle stopped 23 of 27 shots.

Lehkonen earned the first star of the game for his two-goal performance, with Byfield and Terry taking the second and third stars, respectively. The Whalers' power play conversion was 1 for 4, matching the Kraken's efficiency. This victory marks a significant milestone for Markstrom and the Whalers as they continue their season.

With the road victory the Whalers improve their record away from Connecticut to 5-1-0 so far this season.