Kraken defy the odds, defeat Avalanche in first playoff game

The Seattle Kraken defied expectations again on Tuesday by defeating the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, in what was the Seattle team's first-ever NHL playoff game.

• The Kraken won 3-1, with at least three more games to go in the best-of-seven playoff series.

State of play: The Kraken had already electrified local hockey fans by making it to the playoffs this year, given that it is only the Seattle team's second season on the ice.

• According to the predictions website FiveThirtyEight, the Kraken started the week in a four-way tie for having the lowest likelihood to win the Stanley Cup — about a 1% chance.

Latest: The Kraken's odds didn't budge much with last night's win, according to FiveThirtyEight. But Seattle‘s victory helped reduce the Avalanche's odds of winning the Cup by a few percentage points, so that's something.

What's next: Perhaps the Seattle team has a few more surprises in store.

• Game 2 is at 630pm Thursday.
• Then, at 7pm Saturday and 7pm Monday, the Kraken host the Avalanche at Climate Pledge Arena for Games 3 and 4.