The “Seattle Kraken” came away with a pair of 4-2 preseason wins this weekend over the “Vancouver Canucks” at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday and the “Calgary Flames” at the not-long-for-this-world Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday.
The quotation marks around the three team names feel necessary for context, because none of the involved clubs iced anything close to NHL lineups in either game. Instead, lots of youngsters got looks. Eight Kraken skaters (plus Nikke Kokko) dressed both nights to get a proper chance to show team brass why they deserve a shot with the big club, either out of camp or later in the season.
Here are Three Takeaways from a pair of 4-2 Kraken wins over the Canucks and Flames.
Takeaway 1: Bubble players making their cases
At this point, it’s no secret which players are fighting for the last couple NHL roster spots, with guys like Jani Nyman, Jagger Firkus, Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, Ty Nelson, Tyson Jugnauth, and Logan Morrison all with designs on staying in the Pacific Northwest when camp breaks in a little over a week (I LOVE the shorter camp, by the way).
It has not surprised me to see Mølgaard putting together solid performances in Rookie Camp and Training Camp, especially after he was downright effective in his 13 NHL games last season.
But my eyebrows have been raised the most by Ty Nelson. The always affable and well-spoken 22-year-old defenseman scored both nights on a pair of great reads to step up at exactly the right time.
On Saturday, a loose puck skittered to the top of the slot, where Nelson was on it in a flash, picked his spot, and quickly snapped a blistering shot past Vancouver goalie Nikita Tolopilo. On Sunday, with a rush developing between Morrison and Nyman, Nelson jumped into the play to create a 3-on-1 advantage. Morrison—who racked up three points on the weekend—made a nice backhand dish to Nelson, who dusted it off and sniped it past Devin Cooley.
Ty Nelson continues making a strong case for himself, scoring his second goal in two nights.
Good read to join the rush and another nice finish. Logan Morrison with another nice play too.
Meanwhile, all of the aforementioned players have contributed in some way offensively, including Mølgaard, who has shown nice flashes of creativity.
“I thought Oscar was really good [Saturday], I thought Firkus was really good,” coach Lane Lambert said at practice on Sunday morning. “Morrison’s good— Morrison understands the game. I thought [Ville Ottovainen] played well, and I thought [Cale Fleury] and [Josh Mahura] both played well as well. So there’s a variation of guys— I thought Jani Nyman, for me… it’s really good for Jani this year, coming in here for a second year with me because I think he has a lot better understanding of our systems and things like that.”
As for Nelson, Lambert said after the game Sunday: “He certainly has a little bit of a knack for joining offensively, but [he has a] really good head on his shoulders defensively, and he skates well so he can close quickly. And that’s important to be able to do in this league because if you don’t, and you’re a step behind, the puck ends up in the back of your net.”
The decisions on who should take those last spots on the initial roster will be encouragingly difficult for the Kraken coaching staff and front office. I wondered about the team’s depth going into the season, so knowing this many players look like they can at least fill in if needed gives reason for optimism.
Takeaway 2: Strong starts for Kraken goaltending
I seem to recall some starts to past preseasons where Kraken goaltending has created more questions than answers.
Now, Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer have each started a game and played two periods before being replaced by Nikke Kokko to close things out. It can be a process for goalies to get their timing back when they hit game speeds, so having Daccord and Grubauer both look sharp in their respective outings is a very good sign.
Daccord was tested early Saturday with a point-blank shot from the right circle that he calmly kicked out of danger. He tracked it well and controlled his rebound, then looked dialed in for all 14 of his saves on 14 Vancouver shots.
“He played very well,” Lambert said. “I thought he was square, and I thought he was quick, focused, and I thought he moved the puck real well. So it was nice to see him play well.”
Grubauer followed that up with a solid performance of his own, allowing one goal from the middle of the slot to Aydar Suniev, who scored twice for the Flames (his other goal came in the third period against Kokko). Grubauer also got some puck luck early when a shot went through his legs and hit the far post, though he sprawled to get a piece of that one too.
“Yeah, he was good,” Lambert said. “I think they were crashing the net pretty hard, and I think there were quite a few shots that he didn’t, maybe, see. But that was a good test for him right off the hop to get some traffic like that and have to battle through it. I thought he looked good. I think him and Joey have both looked good.”
Takeaway 3: Lineup already taking shape?
Though we’re only four days into Training Camp, we can already see the Opening Night roster starting to take shape. On Sunday morning, the team had two groups on the ice, but the players heading to Calgary—which included all the bubble players plus Ryan Winterton (I don’t think Winterton is on the bubble anymore)—did not skate at Kraken Community Iceplex.
Instead, the first group was made up almost entirely of players I would consider to be “regulars” (the lone non-regular was Lukas Dragicevic, though I don’t think there’s much to read into there). The other non-playing group was made up entirely of players I don’t consider to be in the conversation for the NHL roster.
“I mean, you can read a fair amount into [who was on the ice], for sure,” Lambert said. “I thought the group was good, I thought the practice was good. Again, it’s a short camp here. This is Day 4, and we are having a day off [Monday], so it’s important to put in some good work. By my calculations we probably only have about five more practice days until Opening Day, with two games included.”
We are expecting the first round of cuts from Training Camp to come Monday.
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.
When Bobby McMann entered the Seattle Kraken lineup in the middle of March, he helped lead the team to victories on back-to-back days against Vancouver and Florida, while the team maintained the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Since those games, the Kraken have lost nine of their last 10, falling to now 32-33-11, eight points out of a playoff spot with six games remaining in the regular season.
While McMann’s production on offense hasn’t dipped — eight goals and four assists in 13 games with Seattle — the production of the rest of the Kraken lineup has, and they’re paying the price heavily now.
The losing ways continued on Monday night in Winnipeg, with Seattle falling 6-2 to the Jets.
What’s funny about the win for the Jets is these two have essentially swapped places from 10 games ago. Before this stretch, the Kraken were five points clear of Winnipeg in the wild-card race. After tonight, they are now five points back of them.
Kraken head coach Lane Lambert described the team as “Playing for pride,” at this point, which pretty much means they’re ready to throw in the towel on this season.
Takeaway 1: Change for change sake
We’re officially in the “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” portion of this stretch for the Kraken. It really seems like they’re trying to do everything differently. Team leadership had been trying to be looser at practices and on the bench, including Jordan Eberle having more vocality to his leadership style of late.
Now the coaching staff is getting in on the action, as the team now seems to be more focused on trying as many different line combinations as possible, in hopes of finding some untapped chemistry, than it is winning games.
The Kraken switched the lines offensively, which was to be expected with Ryan Winterton back from personal leave and slotting back in on the fourth line. Some other reshuffling included Jared McCann and Kaapo Kakko playing with Berkly Catton on the third line, which did look good when they got their opportunities.
But the major change came on the back end, as for the first time since the inaugural 2021-22 season, Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson — in the same lineup together — were separated. Dunn was paired with Cale Fleury on the top pairing, while Larsson went with Ryker Evans.
Dunn was asked postgame by Piper Shaw of the Kraken Hockey Network what it was like when he found out he wouldn’t be with Larsson tonight.
“It’s definitely alarming when you walk into the rink today and you see that,” Dunn said. “Defintely very different.”
Takeaway 2: Philipp Grubauer injured
One player who has held up his end of the bargain for much of this season has been Philipp Grubauer.
Despite losing four of his last five games, he still had a .900 save percentage during that stretch and was still sprawling out to make miraculous saves. Unfortunately for him, great saves haven’t meant much with an offense as stricken as this one.
Against Winnipeg, he made three incredible point-blank saves on Jets leading scorer Mark Scheifele, keeping the score close at least while he was in the game, but he left halfway through the second period after a seemingly innocent, noncontact play. He froze a puck to get a whistle, and then skated straight to the bench.
Kraken PR later confirmed him out for the game with a lower-body injury. Lambert had no update on his status afterward.
Grubauer has dealt with his fair share of lower-body injuries before, and with the season pretty much dead in its tracks, it might be wise to shelve him for the rest of the season and have him start offseason recovery a little early.
Matt Murray is on the trip with the team, so he could be a backup in Saint Paul against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday (or even play?) if need be.
Takeaway 3: On the bright side…
If you want good news from this one, Seattle still has the fifth-best odds of winning the draft lottery, according to Tankathon, at an 8.5 percent chance. The New York Rangers are tied with Seattle in the overall standings with 75 points, but because of Seattle having more regulation wins, the Rangers have 9.5 percent odds.
The Kraken could still technically wind up with the second-best odds, though that would require Chicago to win all of its games at the end of the season … which is asking a lot, I know.
Anyway, if the Kraken keep falling, then this number will continue to climb. Coincidentally, my insanity levels will climb as well.
Oh well, there’s still time to catch a game at Climate Pledge Arena. After Tuesday in Saint Paul, the Kraken will have one last three-game homestand, wearing the thirds against Vegas on Thursday.
O, CAPTAIN! 🫡 🚨
Nice individual effort there. Eberle gets his own rebound after a wraparound attempt, then scoops a backhander past Hellbuyck.
Bonus Takeaway: Jordan Eberle eclipsed the 25-goal mark with a pretty wraparound effort in the first period, which gave the Kraken their only lead of the game. It’s the first time he’s scored 25 in a season since doing so with the New York Islanders in 2017-18. The longevity of his career continues to be impressive.
In what felt like a must-win game, the Seattle Kraken delivered in the second leg of a back-to-back, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The Kings struck first on a power-play goal from Andre Kuzmenko, and after Tuesday night’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks, everyone held their breath wondering if the Kraken were in for another rough night.
Seattle put the doubters to bed quickly, though. The team scored three goals in the next 7:39 to take the lead for good.
The Kraken head into the Olympic break going 11-6-2 in 2026 and have reclaimed third place in the Pacific Division. The win also created separation in the Western Conference playoff race. A three-point buffer now exists between the last wild-card team (Anaheim, 63 points) and the first team out (LA Kings, 60 points). The Kings and Predators play Thursday, so the gap could shrink. But one thing is certain: the Kraken will maintain third place for the duration of the Olympic break.
The Kraken improved to 3-0 against the Kings this season.
Here are the Three Takeaways.
Takeaway 1: Shane Wright heating up
Shane Wright scored two goals for the second time in four games. After netting only seven goals in the first 52 games, he has increased his total to 11. Wright’s first goal came on a nifty steal and pass from Ryan Winterton. Wright pulled the puck to his backhand and beat Darcy Kuemper to tie the game at 1-1.
Wright answered a question from Piper Shaw about his increased scoring:
“Guys are finding me. That’s a big thing. Putting myself in areas to score, trying to get open and shoot the puck as well. Guys are making good plays on the goals, so I’m not having to do too much on them. But it’s always nice to chip in there.”
The key is Wright is getting to the right spots and making himself available. His second goal came on the power play from a Freddy Gaudreau feed. It extended the lead to two goals and provided breathing room.
Shane Wright with his second of the night. Great set up by Freddy Gaudreau who is on the second power play unit because Schwartz is out tonight. 4-2 #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/mvBEBy1rj8
The Kings converted twice on the power play, both by Andre Kuzmenko. The Kraken have allowed power-play goals in eight of the last nine games. The one game they technically didn’t surrender a power-play goal was last game. But they gave up a goal five seconds after a penalty expired, as Matty Beniers was still trying to rejoin the play. This will be an area of focus when the Kraken return from the break.
The good news: the Kraken didn’t allow any other goals and emerged with the 4-2 victory. The Kings pushed hard, though. They had two goals waived off immediately as the whistle had blown before the puck crossed the line both times.
Trevor Moore gave the Kraken a scare and nearly tied the game in the opening seconds of the third period. The post did its job, though, and after a couple of odd-man rushes for each team, the Kraken settled down and eventually converted on Wright’s power-play goal.
After getting shut out for 55 minutes Tuesday against the Ducks, the Kraken found their scoring touch. They scored four goals and have averaged 3.47 goals per game in 2026. That would rank them third in the NHL for the season.
Chandler Stephenson, Gaudreau, and Wright all enjoyed two-point nights. The offense was clicking.
Jaden Schwartz was out with a lower-body injury. Oscar Fisker-Molgaard was called up to fill in. As a side note, the Kraken are now 3-0 in games Molgaard has played. He wasn’t a big factor in this game, though, as the fourth line played only about six minutes and 30 seconds of ice time. Molgaard and Tye Kartye started the third period, but that was their only shift. Jacob Melanson’s last shift came around the 18-minute mark of the second period.
Although the fourth line didn’t play much in the third, Molgaard’s presence allowed Gaudreau to fill in for Schwartz alongside Stephenson and Eeli Tolvanen. Gaudreau looked great in this game and earned the primary assist on Wright’s second goal on his way to two point night.
Wrapping up
With 19 games played in 2026 and momentum rolling, I’m a little nervous the break is here. The team basically played a playoff hockey schedule, playing almost every other night for the past month-plus and thrived. But the break is well deserved. They definitely have areas to improve—cough, penalty kill—so hopefully they come back Feb. 25 ready to play. After the break, they don’t ease back into it. They head right into a back-to-back, first against the Dallas Stars, then the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 26.
The Kraken have three players—well, now four with Molgaard on the roster—heading to the Olympics. We wish them the best of luck. Dallas has seven players and St. Louis has five in the Olympics, so hopefully the Kraken will be the more rested team and start on time.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
It was not the prettiest of victories, but the Seattle Kraken managed to grind out a 4–3 shootout win in Vancouver to sweep another back-to-back. Yes, you read that right: shootout, back‑to‑back, and win in the same sentence.
The Kraken opened the scoring with the most unlikely of goal scorers. Cale Fleury, who had been a healthy scratch for the first 30 games of the season and hadn’t scored since November, 2019, uncorked a bomb to net his first goal as a Seattle Kraken.
The Kraken added a second goal on a wild power‑play sequence when Jordan Eberle found Chandler Stephenson on a rush chance down low halfway through the second. That goal came moments after Vancouver had flubbed a 2-on-0 opportunity at the other end, failing to put a shot toward Joey Daccord.
The fourth line chipped in again at a critical moment. Late in the second, after the Canucks had pulled within one, Jacob Melanson made a sharp defensive‑zone play to spring Ryan Winterton through the neutral zone. Winterton streaked down the boards, drove low, and eventually found Ben Meyers, who out‑hustled a pair of Canucks to bury a perfect feed for Seattle’s third goal of the night. It’s exactly the kind of play we’ve come to expect from this trio, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
KRAKEN GOAL!!!! The 4th line comes through again. Melanson-Winterton to Ben Meyers. Huge goal in the final minutes of the 2nd period. #SeaKraken up 3-1. pic.twitter.com/Co6lxewnfh
Vancouver answered with a power‑play goal late in the second to pull within one, then tied it in the third on a Linus Karlsson backhander that forced the overtime.
The game would eventually land in a shootout where Vancouver’s first three shooters could not convert while Freddy Gaudreau and Kaapo Kakko fell short for Seattle. That would set up Matty Beniers as the final shooter of the night.
There were long stretches where it felt like the Canucks were dictating play with sustained zone time, but as we’ve seen time and time again this season, the Kraken’s defensive structure kept them afloat long enough to steal the win.
Takeaway 1: A shootout win, in this economy?
Before Friday night, the Kraken were 0–4 in shootouts this season, and their shooters were converting at just 16.7 percent, well below the league average of 31.9 percent. It was starting to feel like simply reaching a shootout meant a loss was incoming.
Speaking to the media after the game, head coach Lane Lambert admitted they needed to shake things up: “This is no disrespect to any of the guys that have gone previously, we just haven’t been able to win one. So we had to switch it up, and we did.”
Matty Beniers entered the night 1‑for‑10 in his career and hadn’t taken a shootout attempt in the previous four shootout games this season. His last and only shootout goal came back in December, 2023.
Takeaway 2: Bend, don’t break
As mentioned above, Vancouver controlled massive stretches of play with sustained pressure in the Kraken zone. While Seattle would have preferred not to surrender the tying goal in the third, it could have been far worse given how much time the Canucks spent buzzing in the Kraken zone. And yet, the Kraken actually out‑shot Vancouver 28–23. As we’ve talked about all season, this team is perfectly comfortable in tight, low‑event games, and Friday night was another classic example of what this 2025–26 Kraken group is all about.
Takeaway 3: Contributions of Shane Wright
Going a little off the board here, but Shane Wright deserves recognition for two specific plays. He wasn’t on the scoresheet and has struggled offensively of late, with just one shot in each of his last four games and no goals since Dec. 16. He’s well off last season’s pace in both goals and assists, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t contributing.
His first impact play came on Fleury’s goal, where he planted himself net‑front and created the perfect screen. The first goal is always huge, and I’m not sure that puck goes in if Shane isn’t on top of the crease stirring things up.
WE HAVE A #SEAKRAKEN GOAL. Cale Fleury with an absolute bomb. Kraken take a 1-0 lead with less than two minutes left in the first. pic.twitter.com/iprzoiM7mt
The second contribution was arguably a turning point. With the game tied and Seattle on the power play, Ryker Evans committed a brutal turnover that led to the aforementioned 2‑on‑0 shorthanded opportunity for Vancouver. Wright never gave up on the play, hustling back to get his stick on Kiefer Sherwood’s pass to Drew O’Connor, who had an empty net waiting. The Kraken scored 25 seconds later.
KRAKEN GOAL!!!! what a sequence of events…almost a disaster. Stephenson will eventually score on a great feed from Eberle. #SeaKraken up 2-0. pic.twitter.com/z4uy652EUG
You never know how the game unfolds if O’Connor buries that chance, and it’s a perfect example of how the little details can have dramatic impacts on a game.
The Kraken have points in seven straight games (6-0-1) and now sit in the first wild‑card spot, just two points back of the third‑place Anaheim Ducks with two games in hand. There’s still a long road ahead, but you have to like how this team is playing right now. Seattle gets two days off before heading to Calgary on Monday to begin the busiest stretch of the season.
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One note, although Jared McCann was on the bench throughout, he did not play the last eight minutes of regulation or overtime, and lines were clearly getting shuffled to work around him for the late stages of the game. He came out for a twirl during one of the late TV timeouts, appearing to test out the leg that has been causing him problems, but then we didn’t see him take another shift. His status will be something to monitor moving forward.
The Losing Streak Cynthia is in the books!! Seattle put together a strong third period and earned its first regulation win in a month. The last regulation win came Nov. 20 against Chicago.
Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson each recorded two-point nights, with a goal and an assist. Stephenson extended his career-best point streak to eight games, with five goals and four assists during the run. The Kraken are 2-6 in that span, but this win offered a needed step forward.
Here are three takeaways.
Takeaway #1: Kraken on their heels in the first
Coming into the game, the Kraken were 1-9-1 in their previous 11 games. Facing a division rival and sitting seven points behind the Sharks and the final wild-card spot, urgency was expected. Instead, Seattle allowed four Grade A chances in the first five minutes.
Four really tough shots on Joey Daccord in the first 5 minutes of this game, but he's stood tall so far. #SeaKraken looking messy on the defensive end…
Seattle did push back and outshot San Jose 17-12 in the period, but the overall play remained shaky. One bright spot was the penalty kill, which handled two minor penalties with ease. That momentum did not carry over, as the Sharks converted on their next powerplay in the second period on a goal from Adam Gaudette.
Sharks tie it on the power play. Starts with a face-off loss for Freddy Gaudreau. Celebrini's shot hits bodies and pinballs to Adam Gaudette for a tap-in.
According to MoneyPuck, San Jose posted 1.61 expected goals in the first period compared to Seattle’s 0.80. It was a poor start, but the Kraken escaped the period tied 0-0.
Takeaway #2: Joey Daccord is a beast
The only reason the game remained scoreless through the first period was Daccord. He turned aside high-danger chances and consistently kept Seattle in the game. Daccord finished the night with 3.41 goals saved above expected.
One of his superpowers is puck handling. On Seattle’s lone powerplay, San Jose cleared the zone and headed off for a line change. Daccord recovered the puck and fired it to Freddy Gaudreau at the far blue line, creating a scoring chance that Yaroslav Askarov was able to stop.
Daccord closed the night with 35 saves, a .946 save percentage, and the win. Without his performance, this outcome would not have been possible. The defense struggled in the first two periods, but confidence in the goaltender allowed the Kraken to stay committed to the game plan.
After practice, captain Jordan Eberle said, “I look at [the 9 losses], I think we are tied or leading in the third period in like six of them.”
That trend nearly continued. Seattle entered the third tied 1-1, but the Sharks took the lead just 36 seconds in. Collin Graf picked off a Vince Dunn pass, put the puck on net, and watched his shot hit the post, then Daccord, before crossing the line.
Collin Graf makes it 2–1 Sharks as the puck pinballs around, hits the post, then caroms off Joey Daccord and into the net. #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/1ySOZIdGn5
Kraken fans braced for another third-period collapse. Instead, Seattle responded with two goals in a span of 2:32 to take a 3-2 lead. Neither goal was flashy. Both came from defensemen simply getting pucks through traffic.
Ryker Evans tied the game by holding the blue line and snapping a wrist shot on net. Ryan Lindgren followed with his first goal as a Kraken and the eventual game-winner, taking a pass from Stephenson and firing a wrist shot from the top of the circle.
Seattle tightened defensively over the final 15 minutes and slowed the game down. Stephenson added an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 win and finally end Losing Streak Darren, I mean Cynthia.
Next up
This was not Seattle’s sharpest game during the current stretch, but it was effective. The Kraken kept the game close, leaned on strong goaltending, and capitalized in the third period. Improvements are still needed on the penalty kill and in defensive coverage to reduce pressure on Daccord.
The Kraken are off Sunday before continuing their California road trip. They face Anaheim on Monday and Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
The Seattle Kraken came away with another point in a shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Normally, I’m happy taking a point and moving on to the next game, but this one felt deflating. Columbus was playing the second leg of a back-to-back and had lost to Edmonton on Monday night. The Blue Jackets were about a minute away from victory when the Oilers tied the game with a shorthanded goal. To make matters worse for them, the Blue Jackets have been battling a flu bug, and it’s suspected that Jet Greaves started both games due to the illness circulating through the team.
This was a tired opponent and a good opportunity for Seattle to grab two points. The Kraken played a solid game and did everything right, except score more than one goal. Ryan Winterton opened the scoring in the first period, and the Kraken held a 1-0 lead until late in the second when Columbus earned a two-man advantage. Adam Fantilli capitalized on the 5-on-3 to tie it 1-1. Columbus stayed disciplined, taking only two penalties, while Seattle’s power play again came up empty. The game went to a shootout, where the Kraken fell in the fourth round on a goal by Charlie Coyle.
Takeway #1 – Murray looks solid
Matt Murray started his second straight game and looked even better than he did against Dallas, stopping 33 of 34 shots for a .971 save percentage. He looked calm and composed throughout, with his positioning spot on. It took a two-man advantage for Columbus to beat him, a scramble in front that ended with Fantilli burying a cross-ice pass into an open net. Even then, Murray nearly made the stop, getting a glove on it before it trickled in.
Lambert had two things to talk about in the post game presser.
Lack of scoring – "We've got to find a way to score. Like, when we have opportunities, we've got to bury them."
Matt Murray – "Yeah, he's really good. Just a big body who plays his angles very well, and I thought he… pic.twitter.com/REIsUkiL7g
As head coach Lane Lambert described: Murray played his angles well and used his size effectively, making it tough for Columbus to score. He saved 2.98 goals above expected, an impressive mark for the goaltender.
Takeaway #2 – Kartye, Meyers and Winterton
The fourth line generated the most offensive pressure. While listed as the fourth unit, they logged more even-strength minutes than the Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, and Eeli Tolvanen line. Their goal came off a slick backhand pass from Ben Meyers to Winterton, who snapped it home.
Every time they hit the ice, they generated offense and kept pressure on the Blue Jackets. According to MoneyPuck, they had 10 shots on goal, the most of any Kraken line. They were fun to watch and kept the home crowd engaged.
For the second straight game, the Kraken scored just one goal. The good news: even with limited offense, the game was tied, and they earned a point. That highlights how strong their defensive structure has been, no matter who’s in net.
Jaden Schwartz, Matty Beniers, and Kaapo Kakko led all forward lines in ice time, but the results weren’t there. They posted the lowest expected goals (0.143) and the highest expected goals against (1.129) of any Kraken line, far from ideal for a top unit.
Kakko, meanwhile, has yet to register a single point through six games. To be fair, Lambert has shuffled him around the top nine to find chemistry, but nothing has clicked yet. He hasn’t stayed on a line long enough to build consistency, but Seattle needs him to start producing for sustained success.
Wrapping up
I started this piece slightly deflated, but by the end, the Kraken’s effort reminded me there’s still plenty to build on. They still earned a point, and now it’s time to move forward with optimism. The Winnipeg Jets visit on Thursday, Nov. 13. Seattle shut out the Jets in their first meeting this season, so expect Winnipeg to come motivated.
nhl.com standings
The Kraken currently sit third in the Pacific Division, ahead of both the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers. The standings are tightening up, with the Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, and San Jose Sharks outperforming preseason expectations and adding a fun twist to the Pacific Division race as new faces mix in at the top.
Blaiz Grubic
Blaiz Grubic is a contributor at Sound Of Hockey. A passionate hockey fan and player for over 30 years, Blaiz grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is an alumni of Washington State University (Go Cougs!). When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about hockey, he enjoys quality time with his wife and daughter or getting out on a golf course for a quick round. Follow @blaizg on BlueSky or X.
