Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice as the Seattle Kraken completed the upset of the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of their Western Conference First Round series at Ball Arena.
Seattle is the first expansion team in NHL history to defeat the reigning Stanley Cup champions in its first playoff series.
"I think it's huge for us, for the team, and our confidence as a group, bouncing back from last year, and then obviously for the city of Seattle", Bjorkstrand said.
"You feel the excitement there and how much they want to back us up. So yeah, it's fun being a part of."
The Kraken advance to the Western Conference Semifinals where they will face the Dallas Stars with Game 1 set for Tuesday night in Dallas.
Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves against his former team and Yanni Gourde assisted on both goals for Seattle.
"Today, it was about winning a playoff series", said Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol. "It took a lot of energy out of us, that's for sure. You know what, it gives them their just rewards right? So guys can feel good about that.
"It continues to bolster the confidence of our group, even though I don't know that that has ever really wavered over the last few months. And like I said, it gives them that checkmark of success in the first playoff that our franchise has played in."
Mikko Rantanen scored Colorado's only goal and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 25 shots.
"I thought we played a great game tonight", said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. "I'm really proud of this team. Just the way they played, how they played all year long.
"It was pretty impressive what they've overcome. Some years it's a little tougher than others, and this was a tough one."
Kraken make history in Game 7 victory over Avalanche
Bjorkstrand put Seattle in front 2:34 into the second period as his backhand centering pass caromed off the stick of Alex Newhook and deflecting off the hand of Ben Meyers.
"Throughout the whole series, I'd like to contribute with goals and offensively, but tried to stick with it", Bjorkstrand said. "Game 7, I didn't want to go out not being able to sleep at night because I didn't perform well.
"So I felt like I tried to give it a push, and I don't know. Some nights you just kind of feel the puck better, and I feel like this is just one of those nights."
Bjorkstrand scored again as he was able to pick up the puck after running down a defensive-zone clearance from Eeli Tolvanen, skate into the left circle and beat Georgiev glove side with a wrist shot off the far post.
"When he's on top of his game, he's so fast", said Gourde. "He's skating, blocking shots, winning races, winning battles, shooting the puck. It's probably his best game of the year."
Rantanen made it a 2-1 game with 28 seconds left in the second with Colorado on the power play as a one-timer from the left faceoff circle by Nathan MacKinnon deflected in off the back of his pants.
"Very, very disappointing, especially the way we played. I feel like we emptied the tank, that's for sure. We left our heart out there. Didn't come our way", Rantanen said.
"We played better than them, but sometimes in hockey, it doesn't matter. Their goalie played well, and we couldn't find the back of the net. So obviously disappointing to end the season like this."
MacKinnon looked to have tied the game 2:20 into the third period, but Seattle successfully challenged the play for offsides.
"They had no doubt about it", said Hakstol of his video coaches. "They nailed it. That is not an easy task, and they had it immediately. Like I said, before gthe puck went in the net, they already had it and had communicated down to the bench."