The Seattle Kraken secured their third win in four games on Saturday with a convincing 4-1 result, completing a season sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win pulled the Kraken within six points of the last wild card spot in the Western Conference. However, there’s some smoke and mirrors in play; to reenter the playoff picture, Seattle still must leapfrog four teams despite having played as many as four additional games compared to the teams ahead of them.
So, the playoffs remain farfetched at this point, but who knows? If they can keep cooking and win, say, six of their next seven (again, farfetched) before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, they could at least get back into the conversation.
As it stands, let’s just say that the win on Saturday was a solid one, featuring some nice passing plays to create goals and more stellar goaltending from Joey Daccord, who stopped 28 of 29 shots.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-1 Kraken win over the Penguins.
Takeaway #1: Joey Daccord shines again
I keep expecting Daccord to show cracks in the armor, especially with coach Dan Bylsma having no choice but to lean on him game after game. But all Daccord has done is continue to rise to the occasion and put up outstanding performances.
In his six starts since returning from the upper-body injury he suffered on Dec. 22, Daccord is 4-2-0 with a .928 save percentage. In the two losses (Winnipeg and Washington), he allowed two goals per game while his team managed a measly one combined goal at the other end.
This performance against Pittsburgh didn’t require quite as many flashy saves as the game against the Caps on Thursday, but you can see from the way he’s reading the play that he seems to know where the puck is going before it gets there.
As a prime example, watch the below 3-on-2 opportunity from the first period, in which Drew O’Connor ends up in alone with Daccord. Daccord gives O’Connor plenty of room on the glove side, instead opting to hold closer to the blocker-side post, reading that O’Connor is going to try to go five-hole. Indeed, O’Connor did try to get Daccord to open up, but Joey clamped his pads down and rejected the scoring chance.
I asked Daccord after the game if he’s feeling any different right now because he does look especially dialed in. Here’s what he said: “No, not at all. I try to just be the same every day. I know if I just play like myself and play like I’m able to, then I don’t need to elevate above what I’m capable of at a consistent level. So I just try to bring the same mindset, the same focus, same energy levels every single day. And if I do that, then I feel like I’m able to put a pretty consistent game on the ice.”
As for the heavy workload he’s been shouldering? “I like playing a lot. So, it feels like it’s just another day. Most goalies will tell you that they like playing a lot, and for me, I felt like the third period of last game just carried into this game and just kept rolling. And yeah, I love it. They tell me to play, I play. They tell me to sit, I sit.”
Takeaway #2: Tic-tac-toe passing
After a paltry offensive performance against the high-flying Washington Capitals on Thursday, Seattle bounced back by seizing rush opportunities to slide past the Penguins. Three of the four goals came off transition plays, with two of those coming on bona fide odd-man rushes and one from a shrewd pass to space by Shane Wright to create something out of nothing.
The first of the three rush goals by Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 1-0 at 2:16 of the second period. Chandler Stephenson stole the puck inside Seattle’s zone to set up a 2-on-1 with Bjorkstrand. I always love when everyone in the arena expects a certain play, and the puck carrier makes a different play that works out.
This was one of those scenarios. Instead of saucing it across to Bjorkstrand, Stephenson dropped it back to a trailing Andre Burakovsky, turning the 2-on-1 into a 3-on-2. Burky seemed ready for it, and he, in turn, made a perfect dish into Bjorkstrand’s wheelhouse for the one-timer into an open net.
BJORK-JAM! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 25, 2025
Beautiful setup on the 2-on-1 turned 3-on-2.
Stephenson>Burakovsky>Bjorkstrand>🥅
1-0 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/K6dfwbVoXy
“Truth be told, I was probably [looking for Stephenson] driving and shooting the puck,” Bylsma said. “He made a better play to Andre, and Andre over to Bjorky for that goal.”
The play Wright made on the Tolvanen goal was subtle but brilliant. He was surrounded by three Pittsburgh defenders coming over the line with no direct passes available. So he laid it into the corner where only McCann could get to it, and McCann made a perfect pass to Tolvanen, who was left wide open as a result.
EELI GOALVANEN! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 25, 2025
Smart play by Shane Wright to throw it into the corner, which creates something out of nothing, then McCann makes a perfect pass.
3-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/UoQwoIG83m
“Wright put the puck to space and let me skate into it,” McCann said. “Obviously, he is a very skilled player who… is going to continue to use his offense to help us.”
And finally, Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers continued building on their chemistry after Kakko intercepted a pass at the offensive blue line and set up Beniers off a clear-cut 2-on-1. That made it 4-1 and sealed the game for the Kraken.
MATTY MAGIC! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 25, 2025
Kaapo Kakko with the steal and the pass, Beniers with the finish.
4-1 #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/YNj7Bxzg3O
“Love the Matty goal, too,” Bylsma said. “Great passing play, good defense for that line in the neutral zone, creating the turnover, but Kakko to Matty, getting that goal, yes, great passing.”
The pretty passing plays don’t always result in goals, but when they work out, they’re fun to watch.
Takeaway #3: Critical 5-on-3 conversion
With the game tied 1-1 in the second period, Kris Letang cross-checked Beniers to give the Kraken a rare 5-on-3 opportunity. It felt like a turning point in the contest one way or the other because if Pittsburgh kills that off, it’s probably a big momentum killer for the Kraken and a swing in the other direction for the Penguins.
Seattle wisely called a timeout to regroup and let Jess Campbell draw up a plan, resulting in a crucial power-play conversion. It wasn’t anything pretty, just Vince Dunn letting it rip from the point and getting a friendly bounce off Noel Acciari while Jaden Schwartz wreaked havoc in front of the net.
HE DUNN DID IT! 🚨
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 25, 2025
Vince with a big blast that looked like it got a deflection off Noel Acciari.
2-1 #SeaKraken heading to the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/9fc7oMaUgO
“I think we were able to generate some good chances [on the 5-on-3],” Dunn said. “I think we took what was given, and [Jaden Schwartz] has been so good out front of the net all year… did his part and made it easy for me.”
The goal got Seattle into the third period with a 2-1 lead, and it was all Kraken after that.
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.
It’ll be a big test for Joey going to EDM then home back to back. Fingers crossed. Nice game today and great to get the win.
Somebody tell me what is up with Kartye please.
I feel he’s been watched closely by the coaches and sitting on the hot seat right now, hard way to treat a young developing player. He’s holding his stick very tightly and doing everything he can to not get a penalty. To me it looks like they are coaching out what he does best and making him afraid to play his game.
I think the team doesn’t know what to do with him right now.
He’s obviously struggling – not scoring, with too many giveaways on the offensive side and has had some bad games defensively, where he’s missed coverage or had ill-timed penalties that have hurt the team. I think his play has declined since the literal beating he received from Anaheim. Whether that caused injury physically, I think it did inflict some mental/emotional injury.
I don’t think they expected him to play so many games last season, which means they lost his waiver exemption, so now they can’t send him down to develop further without risking another team picking him up off waivers. He’s technically the first player “developed” through Coachella, so I don’t think the team is willing to give up on him yet (or admit they messed up by bringing him up too fast).
One thing I’ve wondered is if he can be loaned down to CV during 4 nations to get some games under his belt…I don’t know if the CBA would allow for that, however.
He’s an arbitration-eligible RFA at the end of this season, so interested to see if they give him a qualifying offer, go to arbitration to try to get a lower contract based on performance/value, let him loose, or trade him and his rights away to another team before the end of the season as a package deal with someone else.
16-2 HDC according to Natural stat trick, 29% xGF% for the Kraken. According to them, Kraken had zero HDC in the first and third periods, so both the Beniers (clear 2 on 1) and Tolvanen (wide open in slot) goals weren’t high danger. Ehhhh, ok. Clearly it’s not a perfect system but this probably evens out over a larger sample, right???
Joey 3 goals above expected. If Grubauer were the full time starter, this team would legitimately be battling for a top 2 pick. Instead, it’ll probably just be a top 6 pick. Unfortunately, Joey can’t score goals. If only!!
Grubauer is most likely playing one of the next two games, I’d give Gru the Edmonton game. Higher chance of getting two points out of the next two games with Daccord playing the ducks…. Yeah throwing the towel in a little bit but we have to face reality.
That’s the challenge with a lot of the advanced analytics is that they’re location based and don’t take into account what happens before a shot (like a perfect pass across the top of the crease). Teams have access to better models. As John has pointed out to me many times, the publicly available models make a guy like Chandler Stephenson look horrendous, when they don’t factor in what he does best: passing. Still, they do help paint the picture of how the game script is going a little better than just shots on goal, etc.
Yeah makes sense. Speaking of John…I did enjoy hearing him audibly squirm when you guys were talking about Joey vs. Grubauer on the pod. His argument about counting stat as opposed to a rate stat doesn’t hold up even a little bit. Here’s how they compare in GSAX/60 since the beginning of last season (min 3000 TOI, 41 qualified goalies):
1. Hellebuyck: +0.59
2. Daccord: +0.38
….
41. Grubauer: -0.40
So, the only goalie better than Daccord in this rate stat is the otherworldly Hellebuyck, while Grubauer is literally last in the NHL. If you make the minimum 2000 TOI, Daccord moves to 3rd out of 57, while Grubauer is 55th out of 57.
I get having measured takes, but I think it’s reasonable to say that Joey has been better than “solid” as you guys said on the pod, and Grubauer has been worse than “bad.” It doesn’t make you guys hot take making East coast media blowhards. This is plainly accurate and based on the data that we have. I certainly wish Grubauer were better than bottom-of-the-league, but alas.
Also, I’m perfectly fine with admitting that public stats don’t take into account Stephenson’s value as a passer (which I have granted in the past especially on the PP), but that wouldn’t account for the amount of quality that his line seems to give up. His line has looked better for the past week or two, though, so hopefully that keeps up.
The Grubauer argument is done and over, very clear and obvious that he’s really just not that good. Boist your take is correct, when you have a goalie in the tops three and the other in the bottom three who play with the same troops in front…. I’m not sure if this has ever happened before in NHL history? Would be an interesting stat to look up, biggest difference ranking of goalie stats with over 1000 minutes played on the same team. Grubauer probably holds an NHL record. Nothing left now except to run out the season and without a doubt the Kraken have no option other than a buyout.
Chandler is interesting to me, I watch him and the eye test most often frustrate me. He often looks slow and gives up on plays easily. Don’t like that this is just the start of a long contract. But then you look at the stats and he’s sitting third on the Kraken only behind Kakko and McCann for points per game. Yes he’s getting top line pp time and that helps but he’s definitely making things happen in his own nonchalant manner.
…all while taking just 47% of his draws in the o-zone as opposed to Beniers and Wright at 58% and 60% respectively. Similar splits on o-zone starts as well.
I was surprised by Sephenson’s
NHLEdge stats – his non-chalance gets mistaken for slowness, but the Edge stats show he can turn on the speed when he needs/wants to. He’s actually in the upper third on the team for a lot of the speed data…
Lou Holtz was once asked if he was concerned about the lack of speed of some of his players, and he responded “no. They are less likely to be out of position.”
I just wonder where all the haters go when The Kraken have a great game. They just kind of disappear from the comments section.
Are there a lot of haters here? Seems to be friendly banter, mostly. We all want them to do well.
And hey, I was at CPA for Grubauer’s unquestionably best game of the year against the Bruins! I will be forever grateful for that unexpected gem.
My squirming had nothing to do with Grubauer. It is presenting the sum of something when it should obviously be averaged or better yet, presented as a distribution. Would have no issue if it was presented the way you did here.