Seattle Kraken: Strive for 95 (points) January update

December was a roller coaster of a month for the Seattle Kraken. This included a win against the Carolina Hurricanes and a 3-1-0 road trip to start the month, a low of a five-game losing streak, a trade for Kaapo Kakko, and a thrilling comeback win against the Vancouver Canucks from down three goals with under five minutes remaining.

The comeback win was only the third time in NHL history that a team has come back from three goals down in the last five minutes of a game to win. This is the type of victory that can spark a resurgence. Following the come-from-behind win, the Kraken took care of business against the Utah Hockey Club to close out the month strong on a two-game win streak.

Closer look at December

After ending November on a low note with three straight losses (one to the Anaheim Ducks and two to the San Jose Sharks), the vibes were not good. But the Kraken went straight to work in December and earned points in five of the first six games.

Unfortunately, the offense went to sleep during the next five games, all losses, scoring only six goals during that span. For comparison, the Kraken scored 24 goals in the first six games.

Head coach Dan Bylsma has talked about players needing a reset, and it seemed the entire team needed one after the five-game losing streak. Fortunately for the Kraken, they got a five-day break for the holidays, and coming into the game on Dec. 28 versus the Canucks, Seattle was entering must-win territory.

Watching the first 55 minutes of the game was not confidence-inspiring, but Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn each scored two goals in a seven-minute span to carry their team to a shocking win in overtime. The icing on the cake? Much maligned Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers had the fateful turnover to Vince Dunn in overtime, handing him a breakaway and the game-winning goal. Remember, Myers has history with Matty Beniers and delivered a blindside hit on the young center during his rookie season, causing Beniers to miss about two weeks and the All-Star Game.

In the final game of the month, the Kraken carried over the momentum and defeated the Utah Hockey Club, 5-2, on Dec. 30. The Kraken finished the month with a .500 win percentage, going 6-6-1. This was good for 13 points, short of the 16-point target we had set for them. The Kraken will need to accelerate their efforts moving forward into 2025.

Goaltending

December marked the first month that Philipp Grubauer started more games than Joey Daccord, appearing in seven compared to Daccord’s six. Daccord is dealing with a “lingering bruise” per Dan Bylsma, and Aleš Stezka has stepped in to assume backup duties for the last two games.

Daccord also sat out a game due to illness, causing an emergency backup goalie (EBUG) to dress for the game against the New York Rangers on Dec. 8. Grubauer was able to play, but there was a moment when Grubauer got hit and was slow to get up. I can only imagine what was going through EBUG Michael Matyas’ head during that time. Ultimately, Grubauer was able to keep playing, and finished the high-scoring game with a 7-5 Kraken win.

See more

Joey Daccord out sick today.
Michael Mayas @31Matyas warming up to backup Phillip Grubauer on an ATO (Amateur Try Out) with the #SeaKraken. He’s a childhood teammate of @BBaxy18 from Calgary, AB.
He was at the grocery store buying baby formula 2hrs ago.
Living his dream! pic.twitter.com/XLGjQqdvc4

— Al Kinisky (@AlKinisky) December 8, 2024

Grubauer earned eight standings points this month, going 4-3-0. He had only one win (two points) prior to this month. Hopefully, this trend continues, as getting both Grubauer and Daccord playing with confidence will only help the Kraken.

Updated tiers

The new year

The season does not get any easier for the Kraken, who play 15 games this month, six of which are against Playoff Bound teams. The good news is that the Kraken have nine home games. They will also have their second of three five-game road trips this season.

There are two back-to-back series, both involving Tanker teams. The first back-to-back is against Buffalo and Detroit, and the second features Anaheim in the second leg. However, the Kraken only need to look back one month to remember losing twice to San Jose in back-to-back games. Taking any NHL opponent lightly is not recommended. The Kraken have played in five back-to-back series this season and have lost all five of the second legs.

Breakdown of Kraken opponents

The target for January is a lofty 20 points to get back on track to reach 95. Continuing the momentum generated in the last two games will be crucial to Seattle’s success.

Playoff Bound tier

The Kraken will play six games against this tier, facing five different teams (they play the Edmonton Oilers twice). The first three games are against the New Jersey Devils, the Winnipeg Jets, and the Los Angeles Kings—all teams the Kraken have lost to this season. The remaining three games are against the high-flying Washington Capitals, who are first place in the Eastern Conference, and the Oilers, who had an impressive December, going 9-4-0. Four of the Playoff Bound games will be at home. The target for games against this group of opponents is going .500 and securing six points.

Bubble tier

The tilt against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday will kick off the new year for the Kraken. Vancouver will surely want to strike back after allowing the Kraken to complete a come-from-behind win in their previous meeting. After that, the Kraken will play the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Pittsburgh Penguins twice, and wrap up with the Anaheim Ducks for a total of five games. These three teams are all at or below .500 and present a good opportunity for the Kraken to make up some lost points. Three of the five games will be at home. The target for this group is eight points, as the Kraken need to regain points dropped earlier in the season.

Tanker tier

Tanker opponents include the Buffalo Sabres twice, Detroit Red Wings, and the San Jose Sharks. The Kraken will split these games evenly between home and road. The five-game road trip in the first half of the month includes two Bubble teams and two Tanker teams. Winning all four is feasible and would set the Kraken up nicely for success the rest of the month. There is a back-to-back during this road trip, but the slight silver lining is that it is against two Tanker teams. The target for this group is six points.

Not out yet

The Kraken need to have a good month to keep playoff hopes alive, but they are not out of it, and there are many exciting developments to watch. The arrival of Kakko and the chemistry forming between him, Beniers, and Jaden Schwartz is promising. Shane Wright continues to progress, along with his line with Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. The trio combined for 10 goals and 28 points in 13 December games. As John Barr pointed out in Monday Musings, the Kraken have come back six times this season from being down by two goals or more. This team is hard to count out and is capable of scoring in buckets. They just need to find the consistency.

January should be an exciting month with plenty of opportunities to get this season on the right track. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below or reach out to me on my socials.