SEATTLE — Big L scored early and Patrick Roy made it stand up, stopping all 31 shots as the Seattle Musicians edged the Washington Swamp 1-0 Saturday at the Kingdome.
Big L broke through 3:53 into the first period, beating Linus Torvalds from in close with a point-blank rush chance tucked into the high corner. The unassisted goal held up as the game-winner in a tight, penalty-free matchup before 16,034 fans.
Roy was the difference from there, turning aside sustained Washington pressure for the shutout. The Swamp outshot Seattle 31-28 but could not solve the Musicians goaltender, who was named the game’s first star. Torvalds was nearly as sharp for Washington, making 27 saves on 28 shots in the loss.
Seattle did not add to its lead despite generating several dangerous looks, including eight attempts from the high corner and five from crease scrambles. Big L led all skaters with nine shots, while Doug Harvey added seven shots and seven interceptions in a strong two-way effort.
Washington pressed throughout, getting five shots each from Nicklas Lidstrom and Julian Assange. George Orwell and Chuck Hull each added four shots, while Alexander Ovechkin had three shots and three interceptions. The Swamp produced six shots from the left circle, six from the high slot and six from the low slot, but Roy handled every angle.
The game featured no penalties and no recorded major momentum swings, leaving the outcome to goaltending and one early finish. Seattle blocked seven shots and intercepted 15 passes, while Washington blocked five shots and intercepted 18.
Harvey helped protect the lead with repeated defensive stops, intercepting passes in all three periods and blocking a George Orwell one-timer in the second. Jimi Hendrix also contributed three blocks and three interceptions for Seattle.
Washington’s best push came through layered pressure rather than a single defining surge. Lidstrom, Assange and Sylvia Plath combined for eight interceptions, keeping the Swamp in possession often enough to test Roy repeatedly.
Seattle showed some signs of fatigue, with Big L, Harvey, Chris Cornell and Hendrix each logging frustration or fatigue dips, but the Musicians never cracked defensively.
The victory gave Seattle a classic one-goal grinder: an early strike, clean discipline and flawless goaltending. Washington left with the statistical edge in shots but none on the scoreboard.