If you told us on the morning of Dec. 12 that the Seattle Kraken would close the calendar year and roll into the Winter Classic on an eight-game point streak, a four-game win streak, and with a .500 record, we flat out would not have believed you. Things swung from the “lowest of lows” to the “highest of highs” seemingly overnight for this team, though, and with their 2-1 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, the Kraken moved back to within two points of a playoff spot.
“I think we’re just sticking with it,” said overtime hero Justin Schultz. “And guys are working hard, and we know it’s there, it just wasn’t coming for us. We believe in this group. We have almost the same group as last year so we know we can do it, and like I said, we’re heading in the right direction now. We’ve just got to keep her going.”
Joey Daccord was outstanding yet again, making 27 saves on 28 shots, including this early robbery on Sean Couturier to set the tone for another low-scoring game.
Here are our Three Takeaways from a huge 2-1 Kraken overtime win against the Flyers.
Takeaway #1 (Darren): Good feelings for Justin Schultz
It’s been a rocky stretch for Schultz, a veteran of 13 seasons and 704 career games in the NHL. Since Ryker Evans was recalled from AHL Coachella Valley on Dec. 6, it has been Schultz getting scratched from the lineup most frequently, including the two games prior to Friday’s contest.
Against the Flyers, the defenseman got some vindication and made future decisions to scratch him tougher on the coaching staff. His game-winning goal came at 2:35 of overtime, as he got himself into the right spot on the doorstep next to Carter Hart. Oliver Bjorkstrand, playing his 500th career game, sent a high-to-low pass that Schultz simply redirected through the wickets on Hart.
“I just tried to come and help the team as best as I can,” Schultz said. “And we’ve got a great group here. It’s been doing a great job the last couple of weeks. So, it feels good to have two points tonight.”
You could tell there were a lot of good feelings in the dressing room for Schultz, who Dave Hakstol praised as a consummate pro. The coach spoke at length about the tough decision to take the veteran out of the lineup and what he has meant to the club.
“The decisions that are made are always what we feel is best for the team,” Hakstol said. “We’re pushing for success right now, but we’re also looking towards the future and future development, and those two things have to go hand in hand. Ryker’s here because he’s earned the opportunity to be here.
“You know, Schultz, he’s a guy that’s played in this league for a long time. And all you have to do is look at his performance tonight to know how good of a pro he is and how great of a teammate he is. I mean, when we talk about wanting to have team-first guys, selfless guys in this room… I’m sure it was very difficult for him, personally, to come out of the lineup. That hasn’t been the case many times for him in his career, yet, the way he handled that really pushes the group inside of this dressing room, the right direction.”
Takeaway #2 (John): Another low-scoring affair
The Kraken have averaged just 2.33 goals per game over their last six, boasting a record of 4-0-2 in this stretch. While the lack of scoring might typically raise concerns, it’s worth noting that they faced two of the most defensively sound teams in the league during this span. Winning games without consistently scoring four or more goals is crucial for long-term success in any season.
“We’ve been in some low-scoring games,” Daccord said. “I think we’re confident in our structure, and we have a blueprint for how we need to win games. And I think when we stick to that, and we have a full group committed to the team and in the structure that we’ve set up in our game plan, good things happen.”
Although goals are the ultimate measure of offensive performance, they occur relatively infrequently during a game and may not provide a comprehensive picture of the team’s overall capabilities. Against Flyers, the Kraken had an impressive 57 shot attempts, marking their sixth-highest shot attempt total of the season and the most since their 7-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 14.
While there’s a legitimate cause for concern regarding recent scoring struggles, the team continues to generate a significant number of shot attempts. It’s when these shot attempts become scarce that genuine apprehension should set in.
Takeaway #3 (John): Burky’s back
Andre Burakovsky returned to the lineup after another three-week stint on injured reserve. When healthy, Burakovsky is one player you can expect to chip in some goals. We discussed his imminent return on the latest Sound Of Hockey Podcast, since his place in the lineup was not abundantly obvious.
Last night did not clear up where Burakovsky fits into the forward corps now that the team has been winning. He spent the first half of the game with Kailer Yamamoto and Tye Kartye on the fourth line, but the rest of the game, he bounced all over the lineup. By the end of game, he had roughly five minutes with Yamamoto and Kartye, another five with Alex Wennberg and Brandon Tanev, and the rest of his 14-plus minutes of ice time were spread across Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, Yanni Gourde, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen.
Hakstol seemed fine with Burakovsky’s efforts. “You know there’s gonna be a little bit of rust… He had the one shift in the first period where he generated a great offensive opportunity, and then the puck came off his tape for a breakaway against. But in all honesty, that’s probably the one mistake he made with the puck.”
Where Burakovsky lands in the lineup longer term is still to be determined, but it is great to see him back. Aside from that blunder at the blue line, he did have some excellent offensive plays and a positive night.
Other odds and ends
- Prior to last Friday’s game, the Kraken were 0-6-4 in their last 10 games when the opposing team scores first. The Flyers scored first, but Seattle still won.
- The last six games have been decided by one goal.
- That was just the Kraken’s fourth win out of 13 games that required overtime this season and the first overtime win since their Tampa Bay game on Oct. 30.
- It was the first game the Kraken have won this season when they trailed in the third period.
- Friday was Oliver Bjorkstrand’s 500th career NHL game. He is sixth all time in NHL games played by a Danish national. He assisted on both of the Kraken’s goals.
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