Seattle Kraken suffer a defeat in a key NHL playoff race game. A verdict was delivered in the courtroom in the case of a waterfront shooting in which a veteran was wounded by gunfire.
Seattle Kraken fall to Nashville to open decisive road stretch
The start of a critical six-game road trip ended in defeat for the Seattle Kraken, seriously complicating their bid to reach the National Hockey League playoffs. In a game against the Nashville Predators — who are also fighting for the final Western Conference wild-card spot — the Kraken lost 3-1. That result, reported by The Seattle Times, created a three-way tie in points among Seattle, Nashville and the Los Angeles Kings. While the Kraken have a potential tiebreaker advantage with more regulation wins, to keep their playoff spot they needed the Kings to lose to Philadelphia in regulation later the same day.
This was Seattle’s second straight loss and their eighth in the last 12 games since the NHL All-Star break. A team that had been in the thick of the race for most of the season is clearly slumping at the worst possible time. As center Chandler Stevenson noted, there’s no time for self-pity: “You can’t feel sorry for yourself, or it’s over before you know it.” Goaltender Joey Daccord stopped 24 shots, but it wasn’t enough. Nashville struck first on a goal by rookie Ryan Ufko 7 minutes into the first period — his second career goal, and both have been against the Kraken. Seattle tied it late in the period when Fredrik Gaudreau, receiving a pass from Stevenson, scored his first point since Jan. 5. But in the second period, capitalizing on a Jamie Oleksiak penalty, the Predators regained the lead when Ryan O’Reilly chipped in a rebound after a shot from Filip Forsberg. Forsberg sealed the game with an empty-net goal.
Kraken head coach Lane Lambert said he liked his team’s effort and the chances they created, but he pointed to a key problem: too many penalties, which depleted an already weakened penalty-killing unit. “You have to be smarter. A too-many-men penalty is unacceptable,” Lambert stressed. Seattle’s roster has indeed been thinned by injuries. Forwards Eli Tolvanen (upper-body injury) and Ryan Winterton (illness) missed the game, and Jaden Schwartz is out indefinitely. Emergency recall Yanni Neumann, 21, was summoned from the AHL affiliate; this was his first NHL game since Dec. 22. Despite strong AHL form, the coaching staff gave the young Finn very limited ice time late in the third period when the Kraken were searching for the equalizer.
The next game against the Columbus Blue Jackets — who have hit great form since the break — will be another stern test for Seattle. As Stevenson noted, teams chasing playoff spots have entered “playoff mode.” The upcoming road trip is a real gauntlet: four of the Kraken’s next five opponents (Columbus, Florida, Tampa Bay and Edmonton) are either fighting for top positions or already locked into the postseason. Forward Fredrik Gaudreau summarized the locker-room mood: “There isn’t a single guy who’s satisfied with how things are going results-wise. But we have to stick together. We have to focus on the right things.” Time is running out to fix the situation: after this six-game stretch the Kraken will have only nine games left to determine whether they will see the playoffs this season.
Kraken slide continues: loss to Nashville deepens playoff fight
Overview: The Seattle Kraken continue to drop points at the most crucial stretch of the season, falling 3-1 to the Nashville Predators in a game that carried key implications in the Western Conference wild-card race. This loss was the team’s sixth in their last eight games, and now the Kraken sit level with Nashville just outside the playoff zone, each holding 71 points.
An article on FOX 13 Seattle details how the Predators, despite the unexpected loss of starting goalie Juuse Saros to an upper-body injury, managed to outplay the Kraken. Swedish netminder Justus Annunen, who replaced Saros, made 25 saves and recorded his third career win against the Kraken, making him a personal nightmare for the Seattle club. Nashville opened the scoring 7 minutes into the first when rookie Ryan Ufko finished a feed from Brady Shea, the latter recording his 300th career point with the assist. Former Predator Frederick Gaudreau briefly tied the game with about 90 seconds left in the period, but Nashville reclaimed the lead in the second on a power-play goal by veteran Ryan O’Reilly. Filip Forsberg, who had two assists, put the game away with an empty-netter.
A decisive moment in the game was Nashville’s conversion on their power-play chance, while the Kraken failed to cash in on their lone man-advantage opportunity. The trend continues: since the All-Star break and the Olympic pause, Seattle has lost eight of ten games, excluding matchups with the league’s bottom-feeder Vancouver Canucks. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord made 24 saves, but it wasn’t enough. Dropping points in regulation (all six losses in the last eight games came in regulation, meaning no consolation point from overtime or shootout) is becoming a critical problem. The Kraken now face a tough road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets while the Predators host the Vegas Golden Knights. Every remaining game this season is a must-win for both clubs, and the psychological edge after this victory seems to lie with Nashville.
Verdict in Seattle waterfront shooting case: self-defense or assault?
A Seattle jury has returned a verdict in the high-profile waterfront shooting case from the summer of 2025, in which a veteran in a wheelchair was wounded. Jurors convicted 33-year-old Gregory Timm not of first-degree assault as prosecutors initially charged, but of the lesser crimes of second-degree assault and third-degree theft. The case, covered in detail by KING5.com, raises complex questions about the bounds of self-defense and the escalation of street confrontations.
The incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, occurred July 31, 2025. Harold Powell Sr., a 14-year Navy submariner who that day was performing as a street entertainer, became involved in an altercation with Timm. Powell said Timm accused him of being an “impostor veteran.” In an attempt to prove his service, the veteran reached into a bag for his ID, but the situation escalated into a physical struggle. Police say Timm ripped a military patch off Powell’s belongings. In response, Powell drew a knife.
Witnesses told police that when Timm did not back down, Powell displayed an airsoft pistol secured in a holster. Airsoft guns are replica firearms that shoot plastic pellets and are often visually indistinguishable from real guns. According to prosecutors, it was after that that Timm allegedly took a firearm from his backpack and shot Powell in the chest. Timm’s attorneys argued their client acted in self-defense, protecting himself from a man who had first pulled a knife and then showed what was perceived as a real gun.
After five days of deliberation, jurors found the evidence insufficient for a first-degree intentional assault conviction (which requires intent to cause serious bodily harm with a firearm). However, they convicted Timm of second-degree assault, which may indicate jurors believed an assault occurred but doubted the initial intent or found the act partially provoked. He was also convicted of theft (likely in connection with the removed patch). Timm faces an expected sentence of three to nine months for the assault plus a mandatory 36-month enhancement for using a firearm. The theft sentence, a serious misdemeanor, will be served concurrently.
The case spotlights several troubling issues. First, the tragic role of misperception: the airsoft pistol was mistaken for a real threat, prompting the use of lethal force. Second, it shows how quickly a verbal street confrontation can escalate into armed violence. The King County prosecutor’s office is expected to soon submit sentencing recommendations, and the judge will pronounce the sentence on April 24. The sentence will likely spark public debate about fairness, the proportionality of self-defense claims, and the vulnerability of individuals like veteran and wheelchair user Harold Powell Sr., who became the victim of this tragic encounter.
