Some weeks in the NHL feel like they hinge entirely on the final game, and this was absolutely one of them. The tone of everything that happened over the last seven days: the frustration, the missed chances, the brief flashes of competence, all came down to what the Kraken did on Sunday. A win would salvage what had otherwise been a brutal stretch in the middle of a playoff race. A loss would have cemented the week as another squandered opportunity at a time when the margin for error is shrinking by the day.
The week started with a maddening 4–2 regulation loss to a desperate Nashville Predators team. The most frustrating part from that game was that the Kraken came out flying, something we hadn’t seen since they returned from the Olympic break. They outshot Nashville 19–7 in the first period and 16–11 in the second, controlling play and dictating pace. But uncharacteristic breakdowns in the second period gifted the Predators three goals, and that was essentially that. Steven Stamkos added an empty‑netter with five seconds left to twist the knife.
That one stung more than a typical regulation loss because of what was at stake. A Kraken win would have pushed Nashville to the brink of irrelevance in the wild‑card race. Instead, for a brief moment, the Predators climbed within two points behind Seattle and three points out of the final playoff spot. In a season defined by razor‑thin margins, that’s the kind of swing you could have felt for weeks.
From there, the Kraken had to rebound against the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. Expectations were low, as they should be when facing a juggernaut, but you still hope for a gutsy effort that maybe steals a point. That didn’t happen. The Kraken fell behind 3–0 in the first period, and coming back from that against Colorado is pretty much impossible. The Avalanche are 37–0 when leading by two or more goals this season. Seattle did manage their first non‑empty‑net shorthanded goal of the year to pull within two, but outside of that moment, there wasn’t much to cheer for. I wasn’t expecting a win, but I expected more compete from a team that’s been spiraling.
That set the stage for a critical Saturday matchup against the lowly Canucks in a game that carried some uncomfortable déjà vu. Leading up to that game, I couldn’t help but think back to last season, when the Canucks were the ones fighting for their playoff lives, and the Kraken marched into Vancouver with a hammer and nails to finish the job. This time, the roles were reversed. Would the Canucks return the favor and drive a dagger into Seattle’s season?
Thankfully, the Kraken showed up. They played on their toes for most of the night and never looked back after Bobby McMann scored his first goal as a Kraken on a soft one given up by Nikita Tolopilo late in the first that give Seattle a 2–1 lead after one.
It was our first real look at McMann since the trade, and he came exactly as advertised, and then some. Two goals, an assist, and a handful of plays where his speed was noticeable either chasing down a puck or catching a rush on the backcheck. I’m not saying he’s going to be a season‑saving difference‑maker, but he clearly makes this team better at a time when they desperately need players to step up.
And that brought us to Sunday, with an even bigger game against the Florida Panthers. With a win, the Kraken could salvage the week and walk away with four of eight possible points. With a loss, the slide would continue, and the playoff picture would get even murkier.
The Sunday game couldn’t have played out much better. The Kraken cruised to a 6–2 win over the Panthers with contributions up and down the lineup, a perfect four‑for‑four night on the penalty kill, and a rock‑solid performance from Joey Daccord. Florida briefly pushed back with an immediate response goal after Seattle went up 2–0 in the first, but the Kraken restored the two‑goal lead before the period ended and coasted from there. It was one of the more stress‑free games this team has played in a long while. Earlier in the evening, the San Jose Sharks lost in regulation to Ottawa, allowing the Kraken to slide back into the second wild‑card spot.
One thing to monitor from this game, Eeli Tolvanen cut his last shift short and went down the tunnel. We’ll see if he’s available on Tuesday when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit.
Overall, the week wasn’t bad, but it came on the heels of the St. Louis and Ottawa losses from the week prior, which made the first two losses feel that much heavier. Four out of eight points, capped by back‑to‑back games where the Kraken scored five or more goals, looks pretty fine on paper, but they need to keep stacking results. The runway is getting shorter, and “fine” won’t be enough for much longer.
How the Pacific fared
As far as the rest of the Pacific went over the last week, the Kraken only lost a tiny bit of ground to the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.
One of these teams is going to put together a run eventually, and with so many Pacific matchups down the stretch, the race is only going to get more chaotic.
The goaltending rotation
One thing that has been perplexing since the Olympic break is the goaltending rotation. Head coaches tend to get a little cagey or prickly when asked about it, but Joey Daccord has been getting most of the starts since the team returned.
I’m not second‑guessing the decision to lean on Daccord more, but I do wonder about the logic behind the recent over‑reliance on him. It could be Lane Lambert wanting to establish a clearer No. 1 goalie, or it might simply be a matter of giving Philipp Grubauer some rest after he played four games during the Olympic break.
Other musings
- Tuesday’s game against Tampa Bay will be the first time Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand return to Seattle after being traded at the deadline last season. They were both fan favorites, and I might shed a tear during the tribute video(s).
- The Kraken have the best record among Pacific and wild‑card teams since the Mason Marchment trade on Dec. 19.
- According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Kraken’s expected goals in the Florida game were 2.92, while expected goals against were 3.87. Conversely, their expected goals in the Nashville game were 5.0 compared to 3.07 expected goals against. So, they “deserved” to win the Nashville game and “deserved” to lose the Florida game. I just find that funny.
- For most of the season, the Kraken had one of the worst penalty kills in the league. Since the Olympic break, they have the best, killing 90 percent of their penalties.
- Considering how valuable he has been, it’s wild to think Ben Meyers started the season in Coachella Valley. His 41 NHL games this year are already a career high. He’s one of the team’s top penalty killers and has contributed offensively on that solid fourth line.
- It was an ugly goal, but I just love how Meyers celebrated this one.
- One of the few blemishes in the 6–2 win over Florida was the response goal allowed after Seattle took a 2–0 lead. It was the seventh time this season the Kraken have allowed a goal within 60 seconds of scoring. They allowed only six such goals all of last season. I don’t think it’s a major issue, but it’s something to monitor.
- The Kraken continue to be nasty on the second night of back‑to‑backs. They have two more back‑to‑back sets remaining this season.
- If you haven’t checked out a Seattle Torrent game, you should. Wednesday’s win over the first‑place Boston Fleet was unreal, with an atmosphere to match.
Goal(s) of the week
It felt like ages ago, but this goal was filthy.
The very next night, Alex Carpenter of the Seattle Torrent saw Matty’s goal and said, “…but can you do it backhand?”
The two goals were pretty much scored from the exact same spot, 24 hours apart.
Player performances
Tye Kartye (NYR) – Remember this guy? The former Kraken had two goals and four assists over his last four games, the exact same point line as Artemi Panarin over his last four. I think the Rangers found their replacement for Panarin [wink!].
Bobby McMann (SEA) – Since the team finally got his immigration paperwork sorted, McMann has three goals and two assists in his two games over the weekend.
Kaapo Kakko (SEA) – Two goals and two assists over his last four games despite playing under 10 minutes in the 5–2 win against Vancouver. It would be nice to see the Kakko–Wright–Catton line get going now.
The week ahead
As of Monday morning, it feels like every Pacific playoff position is up for grabs, as none of the teams are making a run to separate themselves from the pack. Despite playing the Tampa Bay Lightning at home on Tuesday, this might be the easiest week remaining on the Kraken’s schedule. It’s not an easy week by any means, but compared to what’s coming, it’s one of their better opportunities to bank points.
After the home game against Tampa Bay, they hit the road for a big one Thursday in Nashville, then face Columbus on Saturday. Grabbing four of six points would be huge, especially with a particularly daunting week looming right after.
Eventually, one of these Pacific teams is going to get hot, and the Kraken will need to keep pace — or set the pace.