The Kraken took what should probably be considered a “good” standings point from the Detroit Red Wings on Monday after getting a tying goal from Jaden Schwartz at 7:25 of the third period to force overtime. But with their current circumstances, Seattle can no longer afford to leave anything table, and this is another game where it feels like the group did just that.
“The point is a real important point,” Hakstol said. “It’s disappointing to lose the point in overtime, but the point that we got is valuable.”
Seattle had the better of the chances on this night afternoon (we’re still confused about exiting Climate Pledge Arena to find daylight), and it had a golden opportunity on the power play with 1:44 left in regulation and then 16 seconds at 4-on-3 in overtime but couldn’t convert.
Remember when the Kraken had a two-goal lead against the St. Louis Blues at home on Jan. 26 and ended up losing 4-3 in overtime? This game had a different script, but it is similar in that the second point was right there for the taking and slipped away. By the way, the Blues are still the team Seattle needs to be targeting, and they lost 4-2 to Toronto on Monday. So, the Kraken gained a point on St. Louis, but again… that second point sure would have been swell.
Here are our Three Takeaways from a 4-3 Kraken overtime loss to the Red Wings.
Takeaway #1: Back and forth, Kraken chasing
The Kraken flew out of the gate in this game, but Alex Lyon made some outstanding saves in the early going, robbing Eeli Tolvanen, Andre Burakovsky, and Jordan Eberle to keep the game scoreless. That is, of course, until Moritz Seider one-timed a Patrick Kane pass from the blue line that eluded Joey Daccord.
It was hard to tell if the puck changed angles off Tolvanen, who was partially screening Daccord. It almost looked like Joey was off his angle on the play, which is why we have a feeling it may have taken a deflection.
Either way, eye balls and analytics agree it wasn’t Daccord’s best game of the season. Pucks were bouncing off of him more than usual, and his .875 save percentage was his eighth lowest of the campaign. He was also on the minus side of the “goals saved above expected” stat at a -1.72, according to Natural Stat Trick.
That Seider goal set the tone for the game and put Detroit in the driver’s seat. From there, it was a chase for the Kraken all game long.
Fortunately for the Kraken, Yanni Gourde got Lyon to bite on a beautifully executed fake slap shot during a 6-on-5 delayed penalty situation, and Schwartz was gifted a yawning cage for the equalizer.
That’s when we started to envision the Kraken coming away with a victory, but as has been the case so many times this season, Seattle just couldn’t get that clutch goal late, even with a power play in the waning minutes.
Once the game got to overtime, and the Red Wings killed the remaining 16 seconds of Olli Maatta’s brutal cross-checking penalty, you just knew a game-winner was coming for Detroit. Sure enough, the Kraken defense had a moment of apparent disinterest, and Ben Chiarot one-timed a Dylan Larkin pass through Daccord’s wickets.
Takeaway #2: Jared McCann is cooking
It was a big day for Jared McCann, who had two goals and several solid looks at a potential hat trick in the third period. He extended his point streak to five games (4-2—6) and scored goals No. 23 and 24 on the season.
He’s been playing especially well since getting elevated back onto a line with Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers, and you can tell he’s really feeling it right now. He wants the puck on his stick to fire off his wicked snap shot as often as possible.
On his power-play goal in the first period, McCann tried for a seam pass that missed Burakovsky on the far side. But Burakovsky recovered the puck off the boards and got it up to Vince Dunn. From there, there was nowhere else that puck was going other than back to McCann. Once he got it, he picked his spot and clanked it off the far post and in behind Lyon.
He followed that up by whacking a Jamie Oleksiak rebound through Lyon’s five hole in the second period to tie the game at 2-2.
McCann now leads the team in goals by a whopping 10 (Tolvanen is second on the team with 14). Assuming good health, McCann is a shoo-in to hit at least 30 goals again this season after potting 40 in 2022-23. Could he reach 35 or more?
Takeaway #3: Ding dong
You know who looked downright scary for the Red Wings in this game? Former Seattle Kraken winger Daniel Sprong, who surely got some extra joy out of scoring Detroit’s third goal of the game against his old club.
The goal came off a 2-on-1 rush with Christian Fischer, and we saw the blistering shot that helped him score 21 goals in 66 games as a fourth-liner for Seattle last season.
**Author’s note: That’s an egregiously bad caption by the Red Wings social media team. YOU SAY “DING DONG” OR YOU SAY NOTHING!
Anyway, Sprong wasn’t made available for comment after the game, but his coach, Derek Lalonde, has been gushing over him the past couple days.
Here’s what Lalonde said about Sprong on Sunday: “Great [fit], added depth, his scoring is a gamebreaker at times. I think it’s a credit to him. He’s averaging almost one and a half to two minutes more than where he was last year on a playoff team, and I think he’s earned that with him being a little more responsible away from the puck too.”
And here’s what Lalonde said Sunday after the game: “Great on the finish, and that’s what [Sprong] does… He doesn’t need much for offense, and he had some more looks in the third that could have iced the game.”
We’ve said it many times before, but Sprong was one of our favorite players to cover last season, so we’re perhaps a bit biased. But, we think it was a mistake for the Kraken to let him go. They sure could use his scoring right now…
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Yeah, the Sprong release was curious especially if Yamamoto is his replacement. He (Sprong) really has no replacement far as I can tell..Also, I think Hak is overplaying Dacord and should turn to Grubi a little more often.
Tough night for Joey… but he’s definitely earned a pass.
I don’t want to be rash, but when I take today’s overtime, the overtime against the Blues, and Hakstol’s “shoot the f—ing puck” outburst… I’m beginning to really have doubts about the coaching.
Nice summary. Defense has “a moment of apparent disinterest” is a great observation. Could be said of multiple situations this season, though Ryker seems to mostly be engaged and alert when he gets to play.
Generally I thought it was a pretty good game against a strong team that we should have won. Keep hearing myself say those three ominous words…”should have won.” Coaches are definitely floundering, despite a solid roster with plenty of players other teams would love to have. I still don’t understand Yammer at center, no matter what line.
Still seething over the “moment of disinterest.”
“moment of disinterest”
It’s hard to know where to start.
Before you dismiss me as some troll – not the weird, yet somehow fascinating Buoy troll – I want to proclaim, I am a totally engaged, season ticket holding, license plate (No.10) Kraken fan who so desperately wants to see them succeed… but… overtime!… WTF!!!
Vince Dunn?
Second – I’ll come back to first – that lazy bullshite attempt at a pass out of the D-zone… horrific. And honestly, I don’t give one frogs fat ass how bad he feels about that… inexcusable… period… but after the Sharks shutout and Hakstol’s response, I can totally imagine coach patting him on the shoulder and saying, “don’t worry about it”.
Third – the “moment of disinterest”. Apparently Vince Dunn has a runny nose. After the first stupid overtime mistake – coming back to that – Vince Dunn got a runny nose.
After his “lazy turnover” he drifts back on defense wiping his nose!?!? I’d really like to know what this is… because ahead of the overtime, and during overtime…there’s no “hit to the face” or “gorilla dust” to explain his odd fascination with wiping his f-ing nose… and then again… as soon as Detroit buries the game winning goal… he wipes his f-ing nose again…. WTF?
But WORST of all… (first point) what’s with the Vince Dunn’s shot from the blueline? If you back up just a bit… before the “moment of disinterest”, there’s Vince Dunn, in overtime, four-on-four, firing off a shot from the blueline. Overtime… four-on-four, three-on-three, it’s all about possession… period. So these bullsh!t “throw it on net” shots… WTF. Watch any overtime game… nobody – and I mean nobody – does this. You work the puck in and take advantage of open ice open looks in tight.
This overtime … the Blues overtime… there are problems with the coaching staff… period. The fact that Dunn would even take that shot, combined with Hakstol’s “shoot the f—ing puck” outburst…
I honestly don’t know what to think.
With the talent they have, they can’t play a “finesse” offensive game, but we’re seeing what the Eddie O “shoot the puck” game gets you… one and six in their last seven overtime decisions.
What I worry about… from the outset the Kraken made it clear they wanted to develop an “identity” rather than just have a team. I’ve felt like that has been premised on an idea of being defensively responsible and playing sound hockey. I worry that this “shoot the f—ing puck” approach has turned them into a group that feels “unlucky”, rather responsible when it comes to losing. That’s what I saw from Vince Dunn in overtime… because that’s what Dave Hakstol asked for. Luck is not a game plan.
One point… worst possible outcome. Not good enough to move up, not bad enough to force a decision.
What I saw in overtime, I have little faith in this teams leadership, from either the players or the coaches.
Go Kraken!!!
Yes tough night for Joey, I’d bring in Gru next game although that could be trouble putting him in net vs the Canucks…. Sink or swim though he needs to earn his keep or get out of town.
Ive been frustrated with H for some time now, nice to see someone has joined me 😂
Just watching them try the same long stretch pass over and over and over again with little or no success shows me he’s a one trick pony. The defense knows you’re trying it six times a period and they have someone back to pick off the pass, stop trying it unless you’ve broken the coverage. Can’t make adjustments when needed…. Yeah shoot the puck, great idea when you can get traffic in front but a long shot with nobody in front and a set in position goalie it just a complete waste of a possession. Another thing that frustrates me is H’s statement about how he’s had to talk to Joey about not playing the puck as much!!!! You have one of the best puck handling goaltenders in the nhl, let him go with it a little more and learn from his mistakes. I’d much prefer an aggressive puck handling tender than one that’s capable but told to stay in his crease more.
He really reminds me of a bad youth coach with one standard break out and tells the kids to put the puck on net whenever they cross the blue line, anyone that has had kids playing or played themselves as a youth has probably run into a coach like that. Yes the putting the puck on net is a good play unless it’s not…. A tricky breakout isn’t very tricky if you do it over and over!!!!
🔥H
Even after their mini win-streak, still don’t seem them as legit contenders for playoff spot. Complete regression from last year. This year is a write-off, they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline.
We could make the playoffs but it should not come at the expense of our future. Sell whoever isn’t going to be resigned next year regardless of our playoff situation, it should really be a non factor at the stage we are at. Fight hard plan for the future 🔥H