The last 48 hours have been brutal for the Seattle Kraken and the few shreds of hope they had left for making the playoffs. The coach and the players had talked coming into this stretch—nine of their final 10 games at home before the 4 Nations Face-Off break—about how crucial it would be to get consistent results.
Things got off to a pretty good start, too, with wins against the Kings and the Sabres. But Seattle has lost three of its last four and was passed in the standings by the Anaheim Ducks with an embarrassing 6-4 defeat by that same feathered foe on Tuesday.
When you think about how this stretch has gone, you can realistically imagine the Kraken being back in the playoff conversation had things gone differently in the last two days. If they had capitalized on their strong start and golden opportunity to beat the superior Edmonton Oilers on Monday, and had gotten even a semblance of defense and goaltending against a weak Ducks team on Tuesday, they would be just four points behind the Calgary Flames for the last wild-card spot—with two games against those Flames coming in the next week.
Alas, the Kraken were dreadful in their own end against Anaheim and didn’t get bailed out by their netminder, and now they have gone the wrong direction, dropping to seventh place in the Pacific Division.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 6-4 Kraken loss to the Ducks.
Takeaway #1: Bad defense
The Kraken had every opportunity to win this game. Even after things unraveled in the second period, with the Ducks torching Philipp Grubauer for three goals on six shots, it felt like Seattle still could come back from two goals down in the third with how equally bad Anaheim was in its zone. And the Kraken did come out hot in the third, cutting the deficit to 5-4 with a nice power-play goal by Shane Wright at 6:15.
WRIGHT AS RAIN! 🚨 #SeaKraken back within one. Come for the PPG, stay for the happy Kraken moms. 😃 pic.twitter.com/h2rIMNYQZv
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 29, 2025
But Lukas Dostal was just good enough, and Seattle was just docile enough to fall short of an equalizer.
Let’s talk about how the Kraken got themselves into that position, though, down two goals heading into the final frame. Three of the first four goals conceded came off wide-open one-timers, with the first—a Troy Terry banger—coming just 1:23 into the contest.
Well, the Ducks sure made that look easy…
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 29, 2025
Troy Terry with the finish. 1-0, 1:23 into the game. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/kLyMHQLHrA
I personally thought the most egregious defensive lapse came on Robby Fabbri’s goal at 5:39 of the second. Vince Dunn, who has played a starring role on too many goals against lately, tried to make an ill-advised breakout pass through the slot to Wright. In doing so, he put it right onto the tape of the red-hot Mason McTavish, who also scored in the contest for his fifth goal in his last three games. In the blink of an eye, the play turned the other way, and Fabbri had made it 4-3.
…Aaaaaand 4-3 Ducks. Fabbri. Bad turnover by Vince Dunn.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 29, 2025
We’re getting into shinny territory. pic.twitter.com/NoHLEttMkn
Brandon Montour said, “Every time we make a mistake, it seems like it’s in the back of the net, or our goalies have to make a big-time save. Any time you let up five, six goals, it’s tough to win those games.”
Takeaway #2: Bad goaltending
Hey, at least Philipp Grubauer got all the way through this game without getting pulled (although he may have been yanked yet again if the circumstances were different). The last time Grubauer had finished a game before Tuesday was in a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 6. Since then, he started twice—once in Columbus and once in Detroit—getting an early hook from both after allowing four goals in the second period against the Blue Jackets and three goals on four shots against the Red Wings.
There was a lot of discussion about Grubauer with Seattle coach Dan Bylsma both before and after this Ducks matchup. In his pregame availability, Bylsma defended the netminder’s most recent outings, saying that the Detroit game was not on him and that his getting pulled was more of a statement to the team than to Grubauer.
After this Kraken loss to the Ducks, Bylsma said, “We hung him out to dry. The first three goals are all seams, one-timers. It was great to see him get the [sprawling glove] save in the first period on the penalty kill [against Trevor Zegras]. It’s a huge, huge sequence for us, huge sequence for him. He made an outstanding save for us, and that one should have snapped us into the game.”
🗣️GRUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 29, 2025
Highway robbery by Philipp Grubauer on Trevor Zegras. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/MH4dMZKRIU
That save really was sick.
BUT… but… For as good as that stop was, Jackson Lacombe’s goal to make it 5-3 at 7:58 of the second was equally bad, and that one proved to be the eventual game-winner.
5-3 Ducks. Jackson LaCombe.
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 29, 2025
…And that’s all we have to say about that. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/H9j4oHMzeM
At the end of the night, Grubauer had 17 saves on 22 shots, but Lacombe’s fateful innocuous-looking wrister from just inside the blue line that beat the goalie clean (I know, there was a partial screen from Josh Mahura) was Anaheim’s 12th shot of the game. So his final save percentage of .772 was actually a significant improvement from the .583 he had put up through the first half of this game.
It’s worth noting, I followed up on Bylsma’s “We hung him out to dry” statement by asking if the coach thinks those defensive breakdowns happen disproportionately more when Grubauer is in the game compared to Daccord.
Bylsma responded to that question with one word: “No.”
Without saying much, that response says a lot about how Bylsma views his team’s goaltending.
Takeaway #3: Kraken loss to Ducks felt oddly significant
There’s something about losing to fellow bottom-dwelling teams like the Sharks and Ducks that feels even more significant than the many losses this season to middling and good teams.
Postgame moods in the dressing room vary; sometimes the players and coach remain level-headed about defeats, perhaps recognizing that hockey is a chaotic game and that putting forth a strong effort can still end in a loss.
After this one, Montour, Eeli Tolvanen (who scored for the third game in a row, by the way), and Bylsma all seemed downright pissed to not get a result. The usually affable Montour repeated himself several times, reverting back to words and phrases like “awareness” and “clean some stuff up.” When I asked Tolvanen what led to the defensive breakdowns, he responded with a terse, “I really don’t know.”
Hear from Eeli Tolvanen on the sting of these two straight losses and what led to the defensive breakdowns tonight. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/2ffYpumEi7
— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) January 29, 2025
Finally, when Bylsma was asked about the pain of this particular loss, he said, “Well, it’s the one in the moment, so it hurts a lot… The whole duration of the game, I think, we knew we needed to make it a hard game. We knew we needed to grind one out, back-to-back, and we just played too loose with our execution, too loose with the puck, and created a rush game, a high-event game. That was one we knew we’d have a tough time winning, and so that is the biggest disappointment.”
This was a bad one.
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.
2 plays stood out significantly to me during this game. The Lacombe goal felt like Mahura just gave him too much time and space coming into the zone. I wasn’t playing the game but on TV it felt like Mahura could have closed that gap before the shot was taken. The other was Matty entering the zone on a 3 on 2, him doing a drop pass to no one and it going the other way. This play was significant to me as it summarized the season to me – Players not being on the same page or not thinking the game the same way.
That pass my whole section audibly groaned. I feel you dude.
Do you think they should have started Gru in the EDM game (with the lower probability of winning) and Daccord last night? That might have given them a better chance statistically of 2 points.
So many bad things to say about last night’s game, but then I’d be preaching to the choir. They’ve got to figure out how to get rid of their 2nd period slumps. It’s killing them (among other things)
I guess my biggest disappointment overall is that when this team was established everyone said it will take 4 years to develop a good team. Well, it’s the 4th season and we’re still saying at least 2 more years. I’m sore about the fact that things have been mishandled to put them in this situation and let’s face it, 2 more years? That’s if everything goes as it should and they make all the right moves. Blah…
I do think they should have played the goalies in the opposite order, and I wrote about that in my previous Three Takeaways. But I also get why they didn’t. They’re in a position where they have to try to win every game, even against the top opponents, and the only way they could have accomplished wins in both was Daccord against EDM and Grubi against ANA.
<> Holy shit.
I get what you’re saying above; too bad it didn’t pan out on either. It seems like managing statistically better outcomes is important too.
I was wondering last night if they started Joey against Edmonton because they didn’t think Gru would get through the game against the oilers and they would have to put Joey in and he would have to do both games. I just feel bad for Gru at this point, it’s obviously not working. Feels like he needs a change of pace or scenery down in the AHL or something to try to reset but I’m not sure what his replacement would be…
This was a good to very good defensive team through Hakstol’s tenure. It has absolutely cratered this year, without much of any corresponding increase in offense. The special teams have also been even worse than last year. Hardly anyone on the team is playing to his abilities, including players who should be in their prime (like Dunn and McCann). Implementing a good system, designing special teams, maximizing your players’ talents — all coaching tasks. This coaching staff absolutely needs to go.
I agree Foist with what you just said…
Also the fact the coaches need to go, but I don’t see them letting Jessica go. If they did after only one season it will create a big gender type controversy.
Grubauer on waivers.
What a crappy way to go out, the day after his mom flies in to watch him. Yesterday may have been the last time we see him in a Kraken sweater. I wish him the best.
Reply fail! My bad.
Spot on Darren. I’m not even mad at Grubauer (though he did give up his patented stinker). I just felt bad for him. His Mom flew from Germany to watch him, and the defense let more untouched cross-ice passes than I can ever remember seeing in one game.
To your point, I think Dunn is one of the primary reasons this team is so much worse this year. He was one of their 2 best players for basically the last three years, but he’s been terrible defensively this season. I would’ve thought that the post-contract regression wouldn’t hit him as hard given it’s basically a bridge deal and he’s still young, but alas. Ryker was also awful in this game. He reminds me of a young Erik Gustafson, with less offensive upside. I love his skating though, and he’s had some good games, so I maintain some hope.
I’m totally out on this coaching staff. RF hasn’t been perfect, and GMs usually only get 1 coach firing, but their offense, defense, and special teams are all so much worse than we all expected. They also are so inconsistent in their focus and effort.
On the bright side, the Athletic rank the Kraken prospect pool in the top 10, and it sure looks like they’re picking in the top 5 in this year’s draft.
Grubhubs has poor anticipation skills at the moment. when a puck is passed for a onetime, he doesn’t move until the shoot has the pucl leaving more than half the net open. Waive him, bring up another goalie and let him work on getting his game back up.t I also grrl yjr whole coaching staff is overrated and hope it is finally time to fire the GM for those stupid long term, high salaried free agents that have not proved their worth. Sell, trade of wave. 1/4 of this team last night were AHlL players.
I noticed the the D stepped into the play a lot more and the Kraken forwards can not step up and take ove for the D or the D make such poor decisions when to step up that it causes chaos. You need a coaching staff that can handle that.
Not only is his anticipation an issue, he’s noticeably having missing moving side to side at times. Combine that with him being on the smaller side for a goalie and it’s a recipe for disaster.
I think Bylsma said it all… “No”.
All five goals against – all five! – glove side up high… even the game winner from 50 feet. On the McTavish goal to make it 3-3 you see Gru get across on the pass and flop down on his belly… the puck goes right over his glove. To me that seems like one an NHL goalie could be making a “timely” save on. I see Joey tracking that play, getting over on the pass upright, and making the save.
Later in the period, following a shoulder block on a Ryker Evans 4-on-4 breakaway, John Forslund said on the broadcast:
“Good stop, upright, going down in his butterfly, by Lukáš Dostál”.
I’m sure I’m reading a lot into that… but it sure seems like a pointed statement to me.
I think the reason Bylsma said “No” when asked about the defensive breakdowns is because… it’s not the defense. Pretty much every goal is the result of a breakdown… it’s like Darren says, five guys have to make a mistake for the puck to get to the goalie… but that’s why he’s there… to clean up the mistakes. If you can clean up nine out of ten against the best players in the world, you’re an average NHL goalie. Grubauer doesn’t do that,
so the defense looks terrible.
I know there’s a lot missing when you take expected goals by itself and in a single game, but -3.26 GSAx given the numbers in his 150+ appearance with the Kraken… seems about right. Maybe the league knows he’s weak on his glove side and can be counted on to give up the top half of the net… that’s exactly where the Ducks found five.
Go Kraken!!!
I’m of two minds on this.
It’s obvious that Daccord is better than Gru. On the flip side, Joey standing on his head every game is somewhat papering over our really poor defense, and team-wide turnover issues.
At this point, maybe you actually play Gru MORE, to give Joey some rest in a season that isn’t going anywhere, and to maybe move “up” the standings to a higher draft pick.
I’m not generally someone who would want to change coaches after only one season, but it seems to me like this staff isn’t working. Even with our mid team, we shouldn’t be the fifth worst in the league. The only real positive I’ve seen from the staff is Campbell. She is usually (always?) in charge of the play calling during a time out, and that is the one area where we’re getting good results, ie the plays usually work, even if sometimes we don’t convert it to a goal. Which brings me to…
…we just don’t have the studs. It’s why we can’t score, and why our power play stinks. We’re missing top notch playmakers. No one’s going to be giving those up at the deadline, so we’re going to have to go shopping and likely overpay for one in the offseason. Finally, the one thing Francis is good at.
(also, just as an aside. I wonder what dominoes might fall if Francis actually gets fired. Edzo’s brother is the assistant gm; does he go? If so, does Eddie? Forslund?)
Gru was just put on waivers to be sent to CV. Doesn’t look like he’ll be getting more playing time with the Kraken…
Finally
I just went on NHL.com and his name wasn’t on the roster… I was hoping this was why.
I am a huge fan of Joey and have been banging the drum for him since he took over in December last season… but is he really THAT good? So good he puts up the second best numbers in the league over that stretch in front of an abysmal defense? In their past ten games – if you just toss out the two Grubauer starts – they’re 5-3 with the losses coming against the No.1, No.2, and No.3 teams in the entire league… and they were in every one of those games.
It’s Grubauer
That’s true, but we were too weak even with a goalie reflecting 90% of the shots during the season. We’d be somewhere between Calgary and Vancouver, 1-2 spots below the last wild card spot.
I forgot to add “Free Shane Wright” and put him on the #1 powerplay unit. Leads the team in PPG yet feels like they would rather have the number one unit floating the puck and turning it over.
What is our cap savings by sending Gru down?
I think it’s 4M ish. I think it clears all but like 1.5M. Puckpedia hasn’t updated yet so probably have a better picture tomorrow.
They save about $4m the first year if they buy Grubauer’s contract out in June.
$1.15m is the limit to how much gets buried. The rest stays on the books in Seattle.
Also, Wright got hit in the back 3 times when picks were being passed to him…I’ve seen this in some other games with him, but last night’s were particularly egregious.
I actually missed the setup to the fifth ducks goal because I was watching Kartye get his revenge with a hit on Gudas at the opposite end…which was a nice moral victory, but also put him totally behind the play…