Just when you thought they’d never win again, they go and do something like this… AND TOTALLY REDEEM THEMSELVES!
Ok, so maybe they didn’t erase the last month of misery, and if we’re being honest, this was not a strong game from top to bottom. But the Seattle Kraken took advantage of stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord and opportunistic scoring to rope-a-dope their way to a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
“We clearly had to weather the storm in the first period and played a lot of D-zone as a result,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. “Joey was excellent on numerous occasions.”
After being embarrassed for the second time in three games on the road trip Sunday in Detroit, this win was needed in a lot of ways for Seattle.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-2 Kraken win over the Penguins.
Takeaway #1: Joey did it all
I maintain a running theory that the Kraken tend to play better in front of Joey Daccord than they do for Philipp Grubauer because they are more confident Daccord will bail them out when they screw up; this confidence allows them to employ a freer brand of hockey. While Daccord was sidelined from Dec. 22 until Jan. 9, Grubauer generally played well and wasn’t often the issue. But Seattle also didn’t exactly pile up wins with Daccord absent.
Lo and behold, they’re now 2-0-0 in games he’s started since returning from injury. Meanwhile, the opposition has hung crooked numbers on the Kraken in games started by Grubauer. Both 6-2 losses in Columbus and Detroit were Grubauer games, though Daccord took mop-up duty against the Red Wings and ate three of the six goals in 53:44 of ice time compared to Grubauer’s 6:16.
Here’s my next theory: Part of the reason (and I’m certainly not giving them a pass because they stink at starting games far too often) that the Kraken are slow out of the gates is because they’re afraid to make mistakes early and get buried before they even start. That fear may have been reinforced in Detroit, when a few early mistakes led to the Red Wings scoring thrice on four shots to open the game.
On Tuesday, Seattle again looked horrific in the first period, but Daccord rescued his mates time and again, despite letting one in that he may have wanted back when Drew O’Connor’s slapper hit him in the chest but leaked out for an easy Philip Tomasino tap-in.
When the first horn sounded, the Kraken had been thoroughly kicked in the teeth with a 16-2 shots-on-goal whooping from the Penguins. Yet, they were tied 1-1.
As the game went on, you could see the confidence growing, and eventually, the freer brand of hockey appeared. The Kraken turned it on in the third period and finally put the Penguins on their heels.
Not only did Daccord stand tall in his goal crease, but he also helped get Seattle on the board with his first NHL assist. While the Kraken were short-handed, Daccord hit Jared McCann with an outlet pass in the neutral zone, and McCann found Chandler Stephenson at the offensive blue line. Stephenson streaked in and scored a squeaker that Tristan Jarry would have wanted back.
STEVIE DOES IT! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 15, 2025
The #SeaKraken’s FIRST SHG of the season is a squeaker through Jarry, and…
JOEY DACCORD GETS AN ASSIST!
1-0 pic.twitter.com/e5IyBsOfBm
It was quite the night for Daccord, who put a floundering team on his back and carried them to a desperately needed victory over the Penguins.
Takeaway #2: A quick turn of events
Seattle looked like a very different team in the third period, finally getting sustained puck possession and offensive-zone time—things they had practically none of in the first 40 minutes. The best stretch of play coincided with the two quick goals that turned the game for the Kraken.
It was remarkable how simple the plays were in the lead-up to Jamie Oleksiak’s goal that tied the game 2-2. Seattle held the puck in the Penguins’ zone for just under a minute and had several looks toward Jarry before Oleksiak broke through.
During that extended zone time, Seattle repeatedly got the puck up to the blue line, where defensemen Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson either passed to each other and then shot or just shot outright. The forwards—Andre Burakovsky, Stephenson, and Oliver Bjorkstrand—simply outworked the Penguins to retrieve the puck. They’d send it back to the point and start the process again.
They ran some variation of that sequence five times before the goal. It’s so simple and so effective; why don’t they do that more?
After the fifth try, Oleksiak jumped on the ice to replace Dunn, saw an opportunity with Pittsburgh’s defenders gassed, and had a clear lane to walk in and score.
“We needed the play from someone, and that was a great shift from Chandler’s line,” Bylsma said. “It was a huge boost for everybody seeing Rig put it in the back of the net.”
The winning goal, scored 50 seconds later, was also the result of hard work mixed with impressive skill. Josh Mahura drove the puck down low and fought through a check. He lost it, but Shane Wright got there just in time to support. Wright picked up the loose puck from the half wall, made an elite play to stickhandle in a phone booth, and pulled a no-look pass around a sprawling P.O Joseph and onto the tape of Eeli Tolvanen.
EELI GOALVANEN! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 15, 2025
Beautiful dangle-and-dish by Shane Wright, and the #SeaKraken snag the lead 50 seconds after Oleksiak tied it.
3-2 pic.twitter.com/OaQ7Fom7xB
Just like that, the game turned, and the Kraken were in the driver’s seat. With Daccord playing the way he was, you knew they weren’t going to relinquish control.
Takeaway #3: Ron Francis doing damage control
During the pre-game show on the Kraken Hockey Network, general manager Ron Francis joined John Forslund to address some of the speculation running rampant about the team recently. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke had been at the game in Buffalo, implying his appearance was out of the ordinary. Friedman also said on 32 Thoughts that Francis hadn’t been fully on board with hiring Dan Bylsma before the season and instead wanted Todd McLellan.
Francis’ appearance on KHN was largely in response to those headlines, as he aimed to pour cold water on both rumors and show that the Kraken are not in complete chaos.
Regarding Leiweke’s appearance on the trip, Francis said, “It was his birthday on the weekend, and I think he just wanted to go to some hockey games.”
And as for the Bylsma hiring, Francis said, “I’m the GM. I hired Dan; he’s my coach.”
Here’s my take: I don’t think the organization is in chaos, but I do think it is in crisis. Being in this tailspin and far out of the playoff race in mid-January is not where the front office expected to be. I also think that same front office is under pressure from ownership to be competitive this season.
So, that’s the crisis, and I think there’s some level of panic happening, which leads to concern that big changes could be coming. But do I think big changes are coming in the next couple of weeks? No. I believe Francis’ appearance on KHN solidified that theory. Everyone involved is working together to try to figure out a solution and get this team back on track, though it is probably too late for that.
Having said all that, it does say something about the state of this team that the GM felt the need to go on the broadcast and personally dispel swirling rumors.
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.
I know Joey’s on the final year of his contract. I sure hope they can resign him.
They already signed him to a 5 year extension (starting next year) at $5m per year in October.
A decision that was met with skepticism by many at the time but now looks like a shrewd and timely move by the FO.
As up and down as this team is, it should be called the Elevators instead of the Kraken.
My god the Joey take is awful. Joey has cast a spell on this fanbase and it seems to cause them to think he’s godly when the team bails him out. It’s getting embarrassing.
Look who’s back
Us new fans here in Seattle have so much to learn. Now maybe you can tell us about how good Grubauer is.
I mean you didn’t even know we signed Joey to an extension so yeah maybe sit this one out champ,
That was a snarky take directed at the folks who thought his extention was to to much, to long, and maybe too soon. I made a similar comment about his 5×5 when Blackwood signed with Colorado for 5.25×5.
Given your takes I don’t expect you to know much about much or recognize irony.
Thanks for playing… champ!
GodAwfulTake please tell me that was sarcasm.
Thanks for reading! We appreciate the support.
2 things re:Joey:
1) You say that their poor starts especially in front of Grubauer have to do with them being afraid of making a mistake, but they were absolutely terrible yesterday with Daccord in net. 16-2 SOG in the first period doesn’t exactly scream “playing a freer brand of hockey.” I think they’re just tired and know they’re not contenders, so they’re not giving 100% for the whole game. Daccord playing well makes the team look good, in the same way the team playing well makes the coach look good.
2) You mentioned that they play better in front of Joey because they are more confident, but Joey’s assist had little to do with their confidence. That puck is most definitely frozen by Grubauer (and most goalies) with a D zone faceoff on the PK, whereas Joey banks it off the boards for a 2 on 1 and their first SHG of the year. I think his puck handling has a tangible positive effect on their breakouts and transition, and Curtis’ article from last year seemed to indicate that is the case (if I recall correctly).
It’s well known in the hockey community that Elliotte Friedman is a very careful reporter and doesn’t say anything without a solid source so if there was rumblings about wanting Todd over Dan then I’m inclined to believe it. Not that it matters. Dan’s the coach. Also, I’m glad that upper mgmt is being visible (both Ron & Todd) right now as things aren’t going well and the fanbase needs to see they aren’t hiding from the s-show we’re witnessing. There could be some big moves at the deadline….
We will discuss this on the next SOH Pod. He does do a lot of “informed speculating,” where he seems to take things he has heard from agents, etc., and floats them out there with an “I wonder if there’s a fit for XYZ trade,” or something like that. Then, once he’s floated it, the public jumps on it and assumes it’s all going to happen. Sometimes what he says does end up happening, but a lot of times not.
Tod did definitely pop up on the trip, so that’s true, but whether that means anything is total speculation. I tend to lean toward it not really meaning anything, other than *maybe* trying to spark the team. Tod is also around the team all the time. I see him in the dressing room a lot.
It could also be true that McLellan was his first pick, but he also would have had to agree and commit at some point. And, to your point, it really doesn’t matter now.
Yeah, he doesn’t just pull stuff outta nowhere but it certainly isn’t gospel. And maybe TL showed up to give these guys a little boost of confidence? Lord knows they probably need it (although it didn’t help in Detroit). What we dont want to see is a franchise that is constantly making changes juat for the sake of change. I don’t think that leads to success.
Right, but it’s worth noting that Francis never actually denied that McLelland was his first pick. He just said it was ultimately his decision as the GM, and he made that decision, so Dan is his coach. Which is fine. It is probably good that he’s not just pulling rank and strong-arming his subordinates into decisions that they do not support. And now, he’s not saying “I told you so” and hiding from the decision that he ultimately made. Although who leaked this to Friedman then? …
Probably the same person who told Emily Kaplan that several big-name players said they wouldn’t continue to play for Seattle if Dave Hakstol was the coach. The media engine of chaos strikes again!
And we should be thankful that Dan is our coach and not McLelland. The Red Wings being on a new coach hot streak means nothing.
Darren, I have long found Friedman totally credible, as he always speaks from sources, and he will often tell you exactly what they said. So if he says it, probably more than just about anyone reporting on the game, I take it to have legs. Are you saying you do not?
Also, when you talk about this, it would be interesting to get your take on the new 32 Thoughts podcast. I feel they have really lost something with Jeff Marek gone. Before, it was like two old friends with vast, almost encyclopedic, knowledge of hockey having a small go at each other while they talked hockey, weaving in all kinds of old stories. Now, it is like an elder and a trainee and I have pretty much lost interest in listening to the podcast except for specific sections identified in the liner notes. Your thoughts?
My husband read on the inter-webb that Bjorkstrand asked to be traded! It just shows the power of social media. Anyone can start a Facebook group and spew ideas as truth.
On another note; nice win. I was glad they didn’t lose to a team that could only fill 70% of their seats 😞 The Kraken sure could have used more of that free checking. They only got away with it because the Pens didn’t check either. Yikes
On to the Jets!
Interesting. I would not be surprised if there are not several similar requests, as the ship is taking on serious water and the immediate future looks no different without significant changes. The most frustrating thing as a hockey player is when, no matter what you do, your team is not winning. OB has put in enough time here to know that Francis unfortunately has not built a winning culture. Players want to play for a winning culture. Even look at last night’s opponent, who got let down by the now-waived goalie. They expect to win, because that franchise has long had a winners’ culture. That is so important. It is a good part of the reason that some teams, although they look good on paper, can never get across the threshold to be consistent winners. You need a core of players who not only insist on winning but actually make it happen and a management who builds a roster in that manner. If Borgen asked for a trade and Bjorkstrand asked for a trade, who will be next?
Bjorkstrand didn’t ask for a trade. That was some awful aggregators totally misquoting Friedman. Don’t be part of the problem.
Yeah Chuck… don’t be part of the problem. LulWhat’s more than enough for that job by their self… of GodAwfulTake or I❤Gru or whatever their name is…
Freidman also reported that Will Bogin wanted out of Seattle. I watch a lot of Canadian hockey and Freidman has a ton of respect about his reports and is rarely wrong. If he is correct and correct about other players wanting out, I believe that is is based on Blysma and players being unhappy about so many line changes and the stability of linemates. Spme players like playing with the same players and it is not the style Blysma coaches. I imagine that is is also alot more than that though if the rumours are correct. Seattle is a team that hides its secrets but in Canada, teams talk to Freidman in truth.
Has anyone heard of any rumblings of a unhappy dressing room?
There’s more context around Borgen though, specifically that with Larsson and Montour (both RHD) signed long term he wasn’t going to have an opportunity to move up to second or first line D minutes. That decision probably had a lot more to do with playing time than specific organizational unhappiness.
That’s exactly it Turbo… and before everyone starts losing their minds and saying Borgen demanded a trade I think a little more context is needed.
First off, the actual quote from 32 Thoughts was:
… “I THINK Borge wanted a trade.”
In addition to his opportunities being limited, at the end of this season he is going to be a 28 year old right-shot unrestricted free agent defenseman who has had reported interest from teams in the past. He will be signing the biggest contract of his career and will likely be looking to set himself up for the rest of his life. There was obviously no way Seattle was going to pay what he’s worth to have him on the third pair for the next two to three years… at best. Him wanting to go to a team where he can get more minutes right now seems like it’s more about maximizing his opportunity than it is about some issue with the Kraken.
The fact that Seattle was able to land Kakko for a player every GM in the league must have expected to move seems like a nice piece of business.
On Grubauer…
I think it’s honestly hard to pin down exactly what the problem is. I think skaters are loath to speak out about the goaltending, but this season in Colorado you actually heard some comments slip out. I would assume part of that was due to Georgiev being notoriously poor in the locker room. You heard it in Colorado and you’ve probably heard it elsewhere though… ‘it seems like every mistake ends up in the back of our net.’
I’ve said before that it seems to me in the NHL if you stop every shot you’re supposed to and nothing more… you’re the worst goalie in the NHL. The point being… saying “you can’t blame that one on the goalie” can’t always be the answer. In regards to Gru the popular phrase in the past to dance around this was, “the team needed a timely save right there”. Add in the not rare “ones he’d like back” and it starts to stack up.
I’m obviously not a goalie expert – nobody on here is except maybe that one guy who hates Joey – but it’s difficult for me to dismiss the numbers across the board in 150 appearance, especially when compared to the numbers posted by Joey over the past year plus. As far as the “eye test” goes… for me it’s hard to say. I don’t see him swimming around on his belly as much anymore. On the other hand sometimes I think he looks like me trying to get up off a low couch when he’s getting across… which happens a lot. I’ve often wonder if the scout on him is the lateral vulnerability. That’s an obvious thing on any goalie, but I don’t know if he doesn’t track well enough or is slow getting across or it’s due to his tendency to over-commit… but it seems like his backdoor belongs on a barn – and it’s wide open too often. When Eddie is shouting “huge save by Gruby right there”! I often wonder to myself, ‘did that need to be a huge save’?
When he came back from injury last season I thought he looked good. In his debut against the Islanders he was tight to the blue paint and not overcommiting, tracking well and upright in the crease. I still think his game against the Pens was one of the very best I’ve seen him play. But to me, contrary to a lot of other opinions, you could see it unwinding down the stretch.
The team in front of him is not great, but it’s the same team in front of Joey… who is only getting .25 more goals per game in support than Gru, which I assume is easily accounted for by score effect and more empty net goals. Early in the season he was being sheltered from shots… and that’s when they got shutout three times while he gave up just two goals on 23 or few shots in each game. They are 19th in goals for per 60 – not 28th – which is where they are in the standings.
They’re both facing almost exactly the same 28+ shots per 60. Maybe Joey’s just lucky.
Maybe it’s the team and they’re lucky it’s not worse considering this little tidbit from the Hockey News yesterday:
– Since Grubauer was named the Kraken starter in 2021-22, his .890 SP ranks last among 41 goalies with at least 100 starts. They should’ve sunk him long ago –
The main thing that leads to unhappy dressing rooms is losing, and the Kraken have been doing plenty of that the last year and a half.
Pens goalie Jarry was waived today. That makes me wonder how long will Seattle put up with Gru (Grub Hubs) poor play.
Good eye. I was going to post the same thing. After blowing the game to the Kraken last night an 0.824 SV%, Dubas has finally admitted his mistake of two years ago and is moving on from his $5m+ starting goalie. It is now four seasons of poor play from Grubi and Francis can’t admit his mistake and waive him? I think more than anything this would energize the team. They are certainly not making the playoffs, so all that is left is to trade, get draft picks, and decided on which type of F they pick in the top 5 (power: Martone, Frondell or elusive: Hagens, Misa). But it would nice to see some decent play with the remaining games, so waive Grubi and see how it goes.
Why would you waive him? We have no one to replace him. Neither of our AHL goalies are ready and you’re not finding a replacement that fits in the cap: Nevermind the fact he’s playing about better than you give him credit for. This isn’t about management admitting a mistake (quite possibly the dumbest thing I keep seeing regurgitated in comments). It’s a combo of our fanbase not being able to evaluate goaltenders and the state of our young goalies.
Clearly, as Daryl describes below, you must either be PG or a family member to not understand why. Sometimes in team sports, you need to shake up the team, just make a move to change the dynamic. So there is that. Second, it gives you the 1 in 100 chance some desperate team takes him. Third, you are wrong about our AHL goalies. Although it might be early, Kokko has been winning and winning. The NHL season for the Kraken is essentially over, so they need to be evaluating what they have in CV on the big club. Kokko, along with Ottavainen and Nyman, should be getting NHL looks in the balance of the season. Fourth, you think Grubi was not a mistake? Clearly you have been asleep the last four seasons. Fifth, you are telling him in a visible way that if he does not improve, this is the end for him in the NHL, so the buyout won’t be a surprise, which is actually the respectful thing to do. Sixth, it does not matter if Stezka is better or not, it is that any replacement for Grubi brings a different dynamic to the team and the players no longer believe that they are definitely going to be giving up weak response goals regularly. Seventh, you are quite wrong about admitting mistakes, as fans and players appreciate leadership that takes big swings, misses sometimes, admits their mistakes, and moves on to the next big swing. Francis need to man up on Grubi and get him prepared to the upcoming buyout.
Kakko is not ready. Sorry you’re just wrong here. We don’t have an NHL ready player to replace. I could correct you on Gru too but it’s clear we have way too many people in these comments lacking any ability to parse the game… oh well. It really is funny watching people quote stats (save % and even xg) that they clearly don’t understand well enough to be using
I was about to mention this as well. Jarry has been pretty bad, but Grubauer is way worse — DEAD LAST in the league in save percentage. So many vague statements on Kraken broadcasts and on SOH that Grubauer “has been ok” or is “playing well” without any reference to reality. Who do they think they’re fooling? And why? Regardless of how defensible the contract was at the time, Grubauer has negative value at this point. The Kraken have got to start learning how to admit mistakes.
The above is among goalies with at least 15 games played. You prefer a stat that takes into effect shot quality? Grubauer is dead last there too. His Goals Saved Above Expected is minus 0.774 per 60. The next worst guy is at minus .473. So Grubauer is so bad he is 60% worse than the next worst goalie. It boggles the mind how they keep throwing him out there, even in a backup role.
The Hockey News just posted this: “Among goalies who have played at least 20 games this season, Jarry is only behind Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken and Alexandar Georgiev of the San Jose Sharks in GAA and SP. Those numbers are not ideal for the Penguins.”
I completely agree. The Kraken need to admit their mistakes. There are some GMs who are more active who try things and get it right sometimes and sometimes get it wrong but they are never too long in admitting they got it wrong and doing something about it. I have always been 50-50 about Dubas, cannot quite tell if he is the idiot savant or just got lucky at a young age but as he grows in his role in Pittsburgh, having to both re-tool and win while dealing with the long goodbye for Crosby, Malkiin, and Letang, I am glad to see him realizing he made a mistake and cutting bait. GMs need to rectify their mistakes and move on, not sit on them hoping.
This is out of order due to the missing reply button…
I absolutely do NOT think Ron Francis should be fired… that doesn’t mean I don’t think it may happen.
I think I may be one of the earliest Gru skeptics and I believe Darren would confirm this.
Yes, we agree and I’ve been there all along. The Stephenson signing is not the albatross it’s been made out to be and he’s doing exactly what he was brought in to do.
…and we’re both Kraken fans.
Go Kraken!!!
No, you were a Gru supporter even earlier this season. Check old posts. But now you are on the right side.
As far as Francis, I cannot believe someone who expresses their opinions so strongly cannot see what 5 years of Francis has brought this team, while other better GMs have done far better with less. I would go long into it here but will posit just two very recent examples. The Jackets, forever in mediocrity, brought in an experienced winner in Waddell, who brought in a a winner in Evason. Look at the immediate results. That is not to say that Kekäläinen did not lay the groundwork but you have get in the guy who can close the deal and that will never be Francis, just like in Carolina. Also, I like what Trotz has done in Nashville. Took some big swings, which certainly have not worked out yet but he is very visible, saying what he is going to do to fix it, not hiding from his apparent errors. Again, Francis does not admit to his errors or fix them. Not sure he even knows they are errors. Another reason he has to go.
Somewhere where there is the ability to reply, you can write your thesis on why Francis should stay. When I get the time, I will respond with the counterpoint. In the meantime, check in on the Times’ readers’ comments, some make good points about why this team’s management needs to change.
I’m not sure what comments you’re referring to Chuck, but from what I’ve seen from Daryl he’s been a critic of Grubauer for so long that he now has to preface his comments with “I promised I wasn’t going to talk about this anymore but…”
It was after the Kraken/Kings 9-8 “explosion” that LA waived Cal Petersen as well…
Ha, yes, i thought of that too. That has been a theme. “You were that bad even against the Seattle Kraken?? THAT’S IT! GET OUT!”
As bad as Jarry has been… if the Kraken could swap his record with Grubauer’s they’d be in a playoff spot right now. Jarry managed to pick up 20 points in 21 starts. Grubauer just 11 in 20. Seattle would be WC2 right now with nine more points. Gru doesn’t even need to be “good”, he just needs to be as good as a guy who just got waived.
Some slow starts and too many mistakes is why they’re a bubble team. The backup goaltending is why they’re terrible.
And for three-and-a-half seasons we’ve gotten so used to the excuses that nobody seems to even notice anymore:
“While Daccord was sidelined from Dec. 22 until Jan. 9, Grubauer generally played well and wasn’t often the issue.”
Over the past month he posted an .854 save percentage and surrendered 32 goals in nine starts for a 3.56 GAA. Even if you toss out his two latest disasters – which is a ridiculous notion – he’s still .878 and 3.43. That’s not playing “generally well”… that sucks. The bar is so low that one good outing against Utah and he gets a pass for the whole month. Those numbers… guys playing behind the absolute worst teams in the league don’t put up numbers that bad. If you’re knocking on .850 and giving up three-and-a-half plus over a month… you’re very often the issue.
After 150 appearance… you are who your numbers say you are… and if Ron Francis does get fired after this season – which I believe could certainly happen – he won’t be the first GM or coach to lose his job because of goaltending.
It’s not the team in front of him.
Well the team definitely plays pretty damn poorly in all situations so putting the blame on Grubi’s for our record is off the mark I think. You can’t blame goaltending when the skaters can only manage to get 1 or 2 goals in the opposing net. This team is so far into their own heads that they were basically skating around in circles the last few games. Maybe, just maybe, the upcoming break will allow them to reset. The season is lost so they need to find something new to play for.
Appreciate all the comments here BTW. Good to see we’re all passionate about wanting a winner.
I usually don’t spend time reading replies, but this caught my eye. As Daryl knows well, we often have differing opinions but I see that at least for the third time he is finally coming to believe what I have long been positing, that “if Ron Francis does get fired after this season – which I believe could certainly happen.” Yes, Francis should be fired, but hopefully before TDL, to give his successor full opportunities.
He also clearly has joined me full time on the “fire Grubi into the sun” idea and he also has taken up what I said early, that the Stephenson signing was not a mistake (except maybe the term) in that he was here to protect the young centers while they matured. Who knows what we might agree on next??
I guess I need to preface this with I think Grubauer should be bought out this offseason, lest anything resembling faint praise necessitate an essay of responses, but it’s very difficult to agree that it’s not the team in front him.
Look at every goal scored on him by the Red Wings then look at where the nearest Kraken player was. Ask yourself honestly which ones he could have stopped (from my watch the only one he had a chance at was the one timer from an unmarked – again, UNMARKED – Debrincat on the power play). Look at how easy it was for Edmonton to get up the ice and make Seattle look like they were skating through Molasses. Look at the absolute lethargy against Columbus, look at the complete unwillingness to compete for 3 full games prior to the holiday break.
The argument comes up time and time again about how Grubauer gives up the easy goal (which he does!) and that is what deflates the team and causes things to spiral. What doesn’t come up is why this particular group of forwards is so easily deflatable, why they seem to lack mental resiliency to the point that their own GM calls them “fragile.” Why a single goal can break this team. Grubauer has been bad Daryl. But the team has been terrible.
IMO all these things can be true:
1. Grubauer needs to go
2. Gruabauer generally played well between December 22nd and January 9th
3. The team in front of him is also a big reason why they aren’t doing well.
The only one I would add is:
4. The team in front of him is not why Grubauer hasn’t done well.
I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said. I think there’s an age problem. I think there’s a talent problem. I think there’s a coaching problem manifesting as a lack of effort/focus. But, when you start to look at each individual goal and kinda sorta excuse Grubauer, you end up losing the forest for the trees. The numbers do not lie, especially in such a large sample. Has the team been bad? Yes. Has Grubauer compounded this by being the worst goalie according to pretty much any metric you can find? Also yes.
When he plays bad, they’ll tire of it but he was the only player giving us a chance to win the last few weeks. Even the two pulls were because of the skaters.
Get some sleep Gru. As a backup you never know when you might have to play.
All you got is ad hominems now big guy? Cute!
Should you be posting from the bench?
lulwhat Grubauers arguably best streak since joining the Kraken wasn’t even as good as Jones hot streak and look at him now, and it took him what 3 1/2 years to do it 😂. He is very likely the very worst goalie in the NHl, if not the worst at least in the top five. The stats don’t lie especially when you have two goalies on the opposite end of the stats playing behind the same team…. Why defend him?
It really is shocking how few of you in the comments are able to actually parse the game or even show a basic understanding of the stats you love to quote. You also all seem to have forgotten the playoff run. It really is sad to see a fanbase so blinded by hatred. Gru may get bought out for cap reasons (he certainly isn’t performing to his contract), but context is important and y’all seem unable to parse it. There’s really no point in even trying to correct as you’ll always have an excuse to not listen.
Please, enlighten us. We are but ignorant Kraken fans who surely didn’t follow hockey before this team showed up.