A week ago, the Kraken were all but eliminated. This week didn’t save the season, but it reminded us why we still watch. The Kraken split their four games with two wins and two losses, but the two wins came at home, which matters more. As the saying goes: if you’re going to stink, stink on the road.
The week opened with back‑to‑back losses to the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild. As ugly as the 6–2 and 5–2 results were, there was noticeably more compete than we’d seen in the games leading up to them. That set the stage for a return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas struck first and eventually went up by two early in the second period. To the Kraken’s credit, they rallied from down two and won in a shootout, only their second shootout victory all season. It was the most fun I’ve had at a Kraken game in months, and it snapped the losing streak that had effectively sunk the season.
Seattle followed that up with a 4–1 win over the depleted Calgary Flames on Saturday in Nikke Kokko’s first career NHL start. It was a chaotic week, but it ended with some genuinely happy fans walking out of Climate Pledge Arena.
Importance of winning… even now
I know there’s a subset of fans who want the Kraken to lose for draft‑position purposes, but I’ve never subscribed to the idea that fans should root for losses (even though Darren said we should in Three Takeaways). The fans who showed up Thursday and Saturday certainly weren’t rooting for losses, and I think there’s a bigger reason why these wins still matter.
I attended both games, and in each one I sat near fans who were attending their first Kraken game. I chatted with a few of them; both groups had been looking forward to their games for months. Watching them experience Kraken hockey for the first time was genuinely cool and they left overjoyed with the Kraken win.
Separately, as I was leaving Seattle Center, I saw two kids skipping down the sidewalk chanting, “Let’s go Kraken! Let’s go Kraken!” Those fans don’t care about draft odds. They came to see the Kraken win a hockey game, and some of them walked away with a memory they’ll keep for life. That matters.
To be clear, I don’t care about ticket sales or ad revenue. This is about creating fun, meaningful interactions with the sport I love: hockey. I’m not going to tell anyone how to root for their team, but I know winning was important to those fans, and I am sure they weren’t the only ones.
Thoughts on Ron
I’ve shared plenty of thoughts on the mutual departure of president of hockey operations Ron Francis on the latest Sound Of Hockey Podcast. Since then, I’ve had fans, friends, and teammates ask me about the move. My overall feeling is that something needed to change.
There’s no hiding from the fact that the on‑ice results over the first five seasons have been disappointing, with very few highlights since the 2022–23 postseason. The move also made me reflect on the franchise’s first five years.
As someone who cares deeply about the hockey community in the Northwest, I can’t help but feel there were squandered opportunities to grow the fan base and the sport, on and off the ice. Season 1 brought a wave of enthusiasm as new fans discovered hockey. Wins and losses didn’t matter much; the novelty carried the experience.
Season 2 brought a different energy. Out of nowhere, the Kraken became one of the biggest turnaround stories in 20 years. It was magical and entertaining, and it exposed new fans to everything I love about this sport. The playoffs amplified that even further.
Since then, the momentum has slowed. Growing the fan base wasn’t Ron’s job, but it’s undeniably tied to the team’s success. When the team doesn’t win, people stop tuning in.
As for roster construction, the mix of players simply hasn’t worked. There are moves you can criticize, but they’re relatively rare and not solely responsible for the team’s decline. The bigger criticism is about the moves he didn’t make, but we’ll never know what was actually on the table. Regardless, this is the roster that was built, and the results are what they are. Something needed to change, and it did.
Is the change enough? Fair question. I’m taking a wait‑and‑see approach, and I expect more changes before the NHL Draft in June.
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Darren’s conversation with John Forslund. John has seen a lot of hockey and offers a level‑headed perspective on the current state of the team.
Quick quiz: Nikke Kokko became the first Kraken goalie to win his first career NHL start. Only one other goalie has made his first career start with the Kraken. Can you name him?
Other Musings
- The Kraken still have some intra‑Pacific matchups left, but as of now, they have the highest points percentage against Pacific Division opponents this season.
- Seattle is now 3‑0‑0 against the Golden Knights this season, with the final meeting coming Wednesday in Vegas.
- Counterpoint: the Kraken have the fourth‑worst record in the league over the last three seasons. Only Anaheim, Chicago, and San Jose are worse. This is part of why change is needed to attract players.
- I don’t have the data to prove it, but I’m pretty sure Ryan Winterton, Berkly Catton, and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard formed the youngest line to play an entire game together in Kraken history.
- The Kraken have won 10 games this season when allowing the first goal, two of them in their last two games.
- As mentioned above, the Kraken got the rare shootout win against Vegas on Thursday. It required five rounds before Berkly Catton buried his opportunity. He is now 1-for-1 in shootout attempts. Matty Beniers is 3-for-12 but 2-for-2 this season.
- Congrats to Kraken prospect Clarke Caswell and the Denver Pioneers on winning the NCAA national championship Saturday night. Caswell had a goal and an assist in the 4–3 OT semifinal win over Michigan.
Goals of the Week
These two goals are very similar, and I loved both. The first one was Bobby McMann’s game-tying goal halfway through the third period against the Golden Knights on Thursday night.
The second Goal of the Week was Matty Beniers’ goal with just 4.4 seconds left in the second period to put the Kraken up by two on Saturday.
Performances of the Week
Jake O’Brien (BRA/SEA) – A regular in this section, O’Brien posted two goals and five assists in three games against North Bay in the OHL second round.
Nikke Kokko (SEA) – Won his first career NHL start and showed plenty of personality to go with his calm play.
Julius Miettinen (EVT/SEA) – Two goals and an assist in two second‑round games against Kelowna. Everett leads the series 2–0.
Quiz answer: Ales Stezka made his first career start for the Kraken on Feb. 23 of last year against Tampa Bay. It was the second half of a back‑to‑back while Philipp Grubauer was in Coachella Valley. Stezka made 19 saves on 22 shots in a 4–1 loss. He was 28 years and 48 days old compared to Kokko’s age of 22 years and 28 days on Saturday.
The week ahead
The Kraken finish the season with three games: the Kings on Monday, then a back‑to‑back in Vegas on Wednesday and Colorado on Thursday. If Seattle beats L.A. on Monday, they’ll set a franchise record for highest home points percentage in a season. An overtime or shootout loss would tie the 2022–23 mark.
Winning is important, but winning at home is especially important, and simply more fun. If the Kraken only win one more game, I hope it’s Monday.
I’m also hoping for one more call‑up from Coachella Valley before the season ends. My preference would be Tyson Jugnauth to see how close he is to making the leap. There isn’t an obvious roster spot for him next year unless a defenseman is moved. Jagger Firkus is the other candidate, but he’s injured and unlikely to return in time.
Other storylines to watch:
- Playing the spoiler: The Kings are in control of the final playoff spot. Depending on the Nashville–San Jose result, L.A. could clinch with a win in Seattle. I’d prefer not to see that celebration at Climate Pledge.
- First goal for OFM: I am sure everyone realizes by now how big of a fan I am of Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, and I would love nothing more than seeing him score his first goal in the National.
- Another Kokko start? He looked calm and composed Saturday, though he wasn’t tested much. According to Natural Stat Trick, Calgary generated just 1.68 expected goals in all situations, the second‑lowest total against Seattle this season.
The season might be ending, but the team still gives me reason to watch.