Mathematically, there have been worse weeks in the Kraken’s brief franchise history, but when the schedule was released, this week stood out as a prime opportunity to pick up points, with four games against teams expected to be bottom feeders. Last week, I cautioned everyone not to underestimate the Sharks or the Ducks. Earning four out of a possible eight points would have been acceptable, though not ideal. Instead, the Seattle Kraken managed just two points from those four games, with a come-from-behind win against the Ducks on Monday as their only victory.
There were signs all along
One issue I highlighted early in the season is the Kraken’s tendency to allow the first goal. They lead the league in this category, trailing first in 68 percent of their games. They’ve won just five of the 17 games in which they’ve fallen behind early. Over the past week, they allowed the first goal in all three of their losses. It’s not just the goals; from the start of each game this week, the team seemed in trouble, struggling to find its rhythm.
As rough as that performance was, we might excuse giving up the first goal in the game against San Jose on Friday, which started at 12:30pm. However, even before the Sharks scored first again on Saturday night, the Kraken looked disorganized and unprepared. We’ve seen similar sluggish starts in wins against Columbus, Chicago, and Nashville. Both the coach and players are aware of this issue, yet they continue to struggle with starting on time. Hopefully, these somewhat embarrassing losses will serve as a wake-up call for the team to play with the urgency we’ve seen when they’re trailing.
They are (supposed to be) better than this
We know the Kraken made significant upgrades from last season with the signings of Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour, yet so far, the team is on the same pace as last year. The injuries to Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle have contributed to this underwhelming start, but they faced their share of injuries last season, too. I’ve struggled to pinpoint the root cause this season. Adjustments to a new coach and new players take time, but we’re now more than a quarter of the way through the season, and the Kraken look worse than ever.
Even the best teams go through rough patches, but having already endured two so early in the season is concerning. Although they’re only five points out of a playoff spot, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe this team has a realistic chance.
Other musings
- Friday’s game against the Sharks was Philipp Grubauer’s worst performance as a Kraken. However, playing in a 12:30 PM game after a 10-day break didn’t help his cause. Like it or not, the team needs him to play more frequently; otherwise, Joey Daccord will become worn out, which has already started to show in recent games.
- One positive from the past week was the effectiveness of the line combination featuring Shane Wright, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen. Dan Bylsma broke up this line on Saturday due to Chandler Stephenson’s illness, but hopefully they reconnect for more success on this road trip.
- With his two power-play goals on Wednesday night, Shane Wright now has as many goals this season as Matty Beniers.
- The Kraken scored three “response goals” over the two games: two on Friday in San Jose and one on Saturday night, which came just 32 seconds after the Sharks extended their lead to 4-0. While response goals are encouraging to see, they ideally shouldn’t come after giving the opposition a four-goal lead.
- The goalie interference call with seven seconds left in Saturday’s game was incredibly frustrating. I generally avoid complaining about interference reviews, but this season has been wildly inconsistent.
- The review of that goal took three and a half minutes. While it likely wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game, it killed any excitement the fans were feeling. More importantly, it negated a Filson Final Minute goal just in time for holiday shopping. Thanks for nothing, NHL.
- On a related note, if the league truly wants to eliminate head shots from the game, they should also issue suspensions for players who punch an unengaged opponent in the head. I’ve believed this for a long time, even before Ross Johnston’s punches on Tye Kartye in Wednesday’s game against Anaheim.
- One thing that stood out during the games against the Ducks and Sharks was the youth of those teams compared to the Kraken. Anaheim has 12 players on its roster who were drafted since 2017, while the Sharks have 11. In contrast, the Kraken have just five, which is understandable given they’ve only been drafting since 2021. However, it’s a stark reminder that the Kraken won’t have a fully developed young core for a few more seasons.
- One encouraging sign for the Kraken is their recent increase in shot attempts. Over the last four games, they have averaged 75 shot attempts per game, compared to just 58 in their first 21 games. They even recorded a season-high 84 shot attempts during their home losses to the Sharks and Ducks.
- Kraken prospects Berkly Catton, Carson Rehkopf, and Caden Price have all been named to the World Junior camp roster for Team Canada. Barring any injury, Catton and Rehkopf are locks to make the final team with Price having an outside shot of landing on the roster.
- In case you missed it, the Kelowna Rockets have been named the host for the 2026 Memorial Cup, beating out several other candidates, including Spokane. It would be great to see the Memorial Cup return to a U.S. host city someday.
Goal of the week
Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton scored a nasty goal from a tough angle in the Spokane Chiefs’ win on Sunday.
Berkly Catton seals the deal with an insane angle @spokanechiefs | @SeattleKraken | #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/SIMoyghkTa
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 2, 2024
The Spokane Chiefs have quietly won six games in a row and eight of their last 10. During that span, Berkly Catton has recorded 21 points.
Player performances
Jakub Fibigr (SEA/BRA): The Kraken’s seventh-round selection from the 2024 NHL Entry Draft recorded four assists in a single game for the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL. He is a dark horse to make the Czechia World Junior team this year but will likely have a stronger chance next year.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (SEA): Bjorkstrand enters Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes on a five-game point streak.
Shane Wright (SEA): Since being a healthy scratch for three games, Wright has tallied three goals and two assists in his last four outings. It would be great to see him maintain this momentum for an extended period.
WRIGHT AS RAIN AGAIN! 🚨
TWO power-play goals, both by Shane Wright, and this one comes off a beautiful pass by Stephenson.
4-3 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/ZSjCbgWys6
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2024
The week ahead
On paper, this upcoming road trip looks like the most challenging of the season. The Kraken begin with a Tuesday game against the Hurricanes, followed by back-to-back matchups against the Islanders on Thursday and the Devils on Friday. They will close out the trip with a game against the New York Rangers on Sunday.
If there’s any consolation, none of these four teams are currently playing their best hockey. This could be an opportune time for the Kraken to face them, as these teams have a collective record of 18-18-4 over their last 10 games.
Normally, earning 50 percent of the available points during a stretch like this would be acceptable. However, if the Kraken want to avoid settling into the mushy middle of the standings, they need to steal some games they aren’t projected to win. Wouldn’t it be something if they struggled against the Sharks and Ducks, but then managed to beat teams like the Hurricanes and Devils?