As the Seattle Kraken close out the calendar year, it’s safe to say they’ve turned things around on the penalty kill. Statistically, they’ve gone from completely off the map in a dreadful league of their own—as bad as five percentage points behind the then-31st-ranked Ottawa Senators at 64.8 percent—to taking over that 31st spot themselves at 71.7 percent.
There is still room for improvement. After a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 6 capped a three-game stretch in which Seattle allowed seven power-play goals on eight chances, the Kraken switched formations and have since been one of the NHL’s better penalty-killing teams, killing 85.7 percent of opportunities.
“Something’s got to be done about it, and there’s only one way to go,” coach Lane Lambert said after that Detroit game. Indeed, something has been done about it.
In this Kraken Notebook, we’ll look at how a formation change has helped turn the PK around, learn about Berkly Catton switching to No. 27, and much more.
New PK versus old
After that Detroit game, I broke down in Three Takeaways what was wrong with the PK, most notably that seam passes were far too easy to come by for opposing teams. While digging through the Sound Of Hockey… dot com… archives for that story, I came across another article I’d written about the 2022-23 playoff team and how it improved its penalty kill in the middle of the season.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. That season, the Kraken ranked 31st in the NHL on the penalty kill while using the wedge-plus-one system. After a 7-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on New Year’s Eve, during which they allowed two power-play goals, Seattle began working on a simplified diamond system. Over the next three-plus months, the Kraken killed 83.9 percent of penalties.
The details aren’t exactly the same, but Seattle’s PK is going through an almost identical evolution right now.
“I think we switched it up probably about a couple weeks ago, three weeks ago, maybe, and it’s a bit of a learning experience at the start,” Ryan Winterton said. “I think learning anything new is a little different, but I think the guys have bought into it, and our kill since then has been pretty good.”
Added Matty Beniers, who was used more frequently in the old formation: “I think there’s a lot of shared responsibilities in [the old system]… One guy’s kind of trying to focus on the bumper [in the slot], but also trying to take away the backside. Honestly, what we did was kind of take a little bit of the onus off the forwards and put a little bit more on the D, and the D have just done a great job with that.”
Beniers indicated that things are more clear-cut for the forwards, who can now focus on defending one player at a time while allowing the defensemen to handle being outnumbered more often. Defensemen are better suited to deal with 2-on-1 situations than forwards, making that a positive change.
Now, instead of constant rotation and reading off one another to determine who is pressuring at the top of the zone, the formation moves as one. It expands and contracts, with rotation only occurring when the entire diamond is pulled far enough in one direction to effectively turn the whole formation, as shown below from a successful kill against the Canucks.
Here, as the puck moves around the zone, all four players move together, with Chandler Stephenson (F1) moving from the top of the diamond to the right side, Ryan Winterton (F2) moving from the left to the top, Jamie Oleksiak (D1) moving from the right to the bottom, and Cale Fleury (D2) moving from the bottom to the left. The players never trade with one another like they did before, they just shift around.
The biggest improvement from this new look has been taking away the wide-open seam passes that were plaguing the Kraken, as noted in Three Takeaways after the Detroit game.
“100 percent, I think that’s what we try to take away. You always try to take the seam pass away,” Eeli Tolvanen said. “They’re the hardest thing to— you know, if you get the seam, stuff opens up. So I think, yeah, for sure, we’ve done a better job with that now, not giving them those lanes and keeping the puck on the outside.”
The main reason this works so much better is that there are now two players across the middle of the ice, instead of a triangular formation that placed two players near the crease and one in the slot. When a puck is contested along the wall, the diamond quickly spreads as Seattle’s skaters pounce and try to advance it out of the zone. If they lose possession, they retreat right back into position, with minimal confusion about assignments.
Oleksiak also credited small personnel tweaks, with himself, Adam Larsson, Ryan Lindgren, Fleury, Ben Meyers, Freddy Gaudreau, Stephenson, Tolvanen, and Winterton carrying most of the PK duties, and said the killers have grown more comfortable with one another.
PK usage since Dec. 10.
“I think it’s a product of being more comfortable to pressure more,” Oleksiak said. “That kind of comes with chemistry, learning each other’s tendencies. And I think working with the coaches, we’ve been very diligent in practice and whatnot, and I think it’s been good.”
Added coach Lane Lambert: “I think [assistant coach] Aaron Schneekloth has done a real good job of having the guys understand exactly what we’re looking for. We made some changes, that’s all there is to it, and I think we’re more aggressive with those changes.”
Berkly Catton back in 27
The team officially announced a rare in-season jersey number change for Berkly Catton, who ditched No. 77 in favor of his more familiar No. 27, previously worn by Mason Marchment before he was traded.
Catton said he learned Tuesday that changing back to the number he’s worn since childhood—and briefly with Seattle before the Kraken acquired Marchment in the offseason—would be possible.
“I had 27 before, just for a short time before [Marchment] came, and actually, [Jason Botterill] called me yesterday and told me there was a chance that they could do it this year,” Catton said. “Obviously, I was kind of thinking next year, maybe, but then [head equipment manager Jeff Camelio] and his staff obviously worked hard and got it done. So I’m really grateful for that.”
Catton added that he’s worn the number for as long as he can remember and believes it was chosen for him by his mother, whose birthday is April 27.
It was noted during Catton’s availability that even his team-issued workout sneakers had already been updated to No. 27. The equipment staff works fast.
Lambert happier with Oleksiak’s game
During Seattle’s back-to-back Losing Streaks Camille and Cynthia, Oleksiak found himself in Lambert’s doghouse. For the first time since joining the Kraken in their inaugural season, Oleksiak was a healthy scratch for two games.
At the time, I asked Lambert several times about the surprising lineup decision and finally got a more telling answer on attempt No. 3.
“I think he’s been okay,” Lambert said before Oleksiak was scratched for the second time on Dec. 8. “There’s a couple areas, and I’m not gonna get into that with you guys here, but he and I have talked about that, where we would like him to be better. But he’s not the only guy, either.”
Since Seattle’s 4-1 loss that night to the Minnesota Wild, Oleksiak has played every game and—anecdotally—appears more willing to use his massive frame to body opponents off pucks.
“I have [seen improvement],” Lambert said Monday. “Every once in a while, and it doesn’t matter who you are, you have to be reminded a little bit, and I think he’s been solid since. Certainly, I think he’s been more physical, more assertive, which we need from him. He’s a big body, so I think he’s played well here. And you know, for the most part, he’s played well all season.”
Oleksiak was thoughtful when asked how tough it was to be a healthy scratch at this stage of his Kraken tenure.
“I mean, obviously, things like that are difficult, but it’s a long year. There’s ebbs and flows, and you’ve just got to kind of respond to a situation like that the right way,” Oleksiak said. “And that’s what I try and do. I try not to get negative and try to find the opportunity in it. And again, it’s a long season. It’s a roller coaster. Things happen, and I think you’ve just got to learn along the way. So, yeah, I think I’ve really been mindful of bringing what I can to help the team win.”
Winterton makes big impact in return to lineup, Melanson’s special moment
Speaking of healthy scratches, Winterton sat out Seattle’s 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday before returning Monday, scoring a big goal against the Canucks, and helping the team earn a point in the 3-2 shootout loss.
Winterton, who had a few cups of coffee at the NHL level over the past two seasons, has solidified himself as a full-time player this season, though the occasional healthy scratch has started to appear for him. This was only the second time all season he’s been out of the lineup (the previous was Seattle’s 4-2 loss at the Calgary Flames on Dec. 18), though, and he didn’t seem too bothered by it.
“Obviously, it’s pretty cool being up here at the big club,” Winterton said. “I’ll hopefully stay as long as I can, and I think it’s been great for my development, just kind of playing with faster, stronger guys, and trying to learn the systems and do what I can to stay here.”
His goal Monday was a beauty, coming on a cross-crease pass off the rush from fellow 2021 draftee and former Coachella Valley Firebirds teammate Jacob Melanson.
WINTER IS HERE! ❄️ 🚨
More sketchy defending from leaky VAN, and the fourth line burns them. Jacob Melanson gets his FIRST NHL POINT, setting up Ryan Winterton, and JOEY DACCORD GETS THE SECOND ASSIST!
That's Winterton from Melanson and Daccord, just as we expected.
It was a special moment for the hard-nosed Melanson as well, who earned his first NHL point with the primary assist and has continued proving his worth as a prototypical bottom-six winger.
“After I saw the puck in the net, I kind of looked over to see who made the pass and saw it was Melly,” Winterton said. “And I think there’s a picture going around that— we’re kind of both just smiling. I kind of blacked out a little bit, but I’m super happy for him. It’s probably the first of many, so it was a big one for him, and a big one for the team at the time.”
“It’s special,” Melanson said. “I mean, you always want to get your first NHL point, and for it to happen like that with Winnie being able to score was pretty cool, and I mean, it’s something I’ll remember forever.”
Melanson said his phone lit up afterward with messages from friends and family back home in Nova Scotia.
“I mean, I’m from Amherst, a small town, so everyone was paying close attention to me,” Melanson said. “I got a ton of texts from back home, and a lot of people reaching out, just saying, ‘Congratulations.’ It’s awesome to have that support and see all that.”
Odds and ends
Just a few more quick tidbits…
For those wondering why Joey Daccord wore his standard white gear instead of his black setup with Seattle’s Abyss jerseys on Monday, he said he felt he looked smaller in the black gear and that the holes appeared more visible. Coincidental or not, he’d been giving up more goals in that setup, so he reverted to white.
Adam Larsson was absent from practice Wednesday, but Lambert said he’s just “under the weather” and will be fine.
Aside from Larsson being replaced by Josh Mahura, the team ran the same line rushes we saw against Vancouver.
Jani Nyman was reassigned to Coachella Valley on Tuesday. Here’s what Lambert said about that: “Jani did a lot of good things here, and I think for him, part of his development was certainly being here—and he’ll be back again—getting to understand the way things are done, how we’re doing things here. And it’s important for him to keep playing as well, and it’ll be nice for him to go down there, playing the power play, have some success that way, and get himself ready to come back whenever that might be.” Lambert added that he wants Nyman to focus on what he is supposed to do when he doesn’t have the puck.
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.
With the calendar year winding down, it felt like the perfect moment for a quick midseason check‑in on the 2025–26 Seattle Kraken. It’s been a wild couple of months with streaks, swings, and surprises, yet the Kraken somehow find themselves hovering right on the edge of the wild‑card race, depending on how you choose to sort the standings. So we gathered the Sound Of Hockey crew for another Kraken Roundtable to take stock of where things stand and where this season might be headed next.
What’s your overall perspective on how the team has performed so far this season?
John: It’s been okay. If you had told me before the season that they’d be floating around a wild‑card spot at this point, I would have taken that. The reason I say it’s only “okay,” though, is that they started the year relatively strong and raised expectations early.
Coming into the season, I just wanted to see competitive hockey, and they’ve delivered on that. They lead the league in one‑goal games and, with only a few exceptions, have had a legitimate shot at points almost every night. They’ve picked up wins against Vegas, Edmonton, Anaheim, and Los Angeles. One of their best performances of the year might have actually come in a loss to the league’s top team, the Colorado Avalanche.
And by the way, they’ve done all of this despite a glut of injuries to some of their top players. I’d really like to see how this team stacks up with a fully healthy roster.
Blaiz: Overall, I have been impressed with how the team has performed. When head coach Lane Lambert came in emphasizing improved defense, I wondered if it would turn into more of the same. From a standings perspective, the 1-9-1 stretch was rough, but many of those losses were competitive games where the Kraken came up short.
More recently, the Kraken have gone 4-0-1 and picked up nine of a possible 10 points. Even so, I thought they played stronger, more complete hockey during parts of Losing Streak Darren than in some of those wins. That gives me confidence the process is trending in the right direction, even when the results have not always followed.
Darren: I’d like to clarify that it was two separate named losing streaks, named by the National Losing Streak Service as Camille and Cynthia respectively. Never has the NLSS considered using “Darren.”
As for the Kraken, I too am in the “okay” territory, but man, if only they could have gotten a few more wins during that miserable stretch. Even if they had gone, say, 4-6-1 in those 11 games, they would be 19-11-7, good for 45 points and still second place in the Pacific Division.
That said, I’ve generally been very impressed with Lane Lambert and think he’s an excellent coach who tells it like it is. I am hopeful that the adversity of the losing stretch builds some character for the team and that the injury woes that have made things so much more difficult will be put to rest when Jaden Schwartz and Brandon Montour eventually return in January.
Curtis: I think the coaching staff has done a solid job implementing a system and instilling a play style that should keep the team competitive most nights—even as the team searches for consistent goal scoring. The staff has also shown a willingness and ability to adapt when the results haven’t been there, as exemplified by the changes to the penalty kill scheme.
On the player side, I’d say the goaltending has been better than I would have expected, the offseason skater additions have missed expectations as a group, the team’s young skaters have not yet taken a leap, and the veteran, incumbent skaters have been a little too injured to pick up all the slack. Night to night and week to week, the win-loss results have been a bit, let’s say, chaotic. On balance, though, the team is competitive around the mid-tier of a relatively weak Western Conference, which is about where I thought they would be.
From a team standpoint, what has been the biggest surprise positively or negatively of the season to this point?
Darren: I never expected the Kraken to score the lights out, but if I imagined them as a playoff contender coming into the season, it would have been with a few more goals going in. It’s bonkers how bad this team is at scoring–ranking 30th in the NHL at 2.57 goals for per game–and yet it still has a winning record and a pretty solid chance at clawing back into the postseason.
They’ve had a few guys get a little hotter lately, with Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen, and Chandler Stephenson all contributing. Hopefully Jared McCann can stay in the lineup as well, which should help on this front.
John: I’m really hoping, and fully expecting, that this will age poorly, but the penalty kill has been particularly ineffective so far this season. With the additions of Ryan Lindgren and Frederick Gaudreau, plus the defensive‑minded approach of Lane Lambert, we expected the PK to be one of the team’s strengths. That has not been the case. The Kraken currently rank 31st in penalty‑kill percentage at 71.4 percent.
There was an especially rough stretch in which they allowed seven power‑play goals on eight shorthanded opportunities across three games. That slump landed right in the middle of their first major tailspin of the season, a six‑game losing streak.
However… since that three‑game disaster, the penalty kill has actually been quite good. From that point forward, the Kraken have killed 85.7 percent of their shorthanded situations, the sixth‑best mark in the league since Dec. 7. Here is a look at how the penalty kill has performed over the season by looking at a five-game moving average.
Blaiz: Goaltending. It has not mattered who is in net, as the team in front of them is playing the same system. That consistency has allowed Philipp Grubauer to excel and arguably helped him post one of his strongest stretches in a Kraken uniform, posting a 6-3-1 record with a .917 save percentage.
Curtis: I agree that goaltending has been the biggest positive surprise, followed closely by solid success on the power play. The Kraken are 10th in the league in man-advantage conversion rate (20.7 percent). Improved tactics designed to pull defenses out of position and chemistry amongst the players has elevated an underskilled unit that has struggled to produce in the past.
What’s one area where you’d most like to see the Kraken improve?
John: Can I say health? I understand injuries are part of the game and every team has to deal with them, but the Kraken have been hit especially hard this season, and they just don’t have the depth to absorb those losses the way some other teams can. I’m dying to see how this group looks with a healthy lineup that includes Jared McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Kaapo Kakko, Vince Dunn, and Brandon Montour.
Darren: That’s it. Health.
Blaiz: I’ll take the low-hanging fruit and agree with Darren’s “surprise” from the previous question, goal scoring. It is hard to win games if you do not get on the board. Since the 9-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 4, the Kraken have played 12 games and gone 5-6-1. In that span, every game has been decided by a single goal when excluding empty-net goals.
Scoring first has also mattered. Seattle scored first in eight of those 12 games and went 5-2-1. They are 0-4 when they fail to open the scoring. The games have been competitive, but a little more offense would go a long way toward turning close losses into wins.
Curtis: There is no easy answer to this one, but one area I’d be most pleased to see a second-half step would be offensive production from the team’s young trio of Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Berkly Catton. Between them they have only 10 goals in 98 games this season. Wright and Catton in particular seem to be fighting it when they have the puck in shooting positions.
Which player has surprised you the most this season — for better or for worse?
John: Unfortunately, Shane Wright hasn’t quite looked like the player we saw in the back half of last season. He was one of the guys I really expected to take a step this year, but he has just six goals through 37 games. Lately, he hasn’t looked like much of a threat.
Over the last two games, he’s been centering Berkly Catton and Jared McCann, a combination I like, but it will probably take some time for that line to build real chemistry.
Blaiz: Eeli Tolvanen. He is tied for the team lead with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) alongside Jordan Eberle. Some of that production has come as a result of injuries elsewhere in the lineup, but Tolvanen has made the most of the increased opportunity.
Over his first 10 games, Tolvanen averaged just under 15 minutes of ice time and produced 0.5 points per game. Over his most recent 10 games, his ice time has jumped to more than 19 minutes per game, and his production has climbed to 1.2 points per game. If that usage continues, he is on pace for a career-high 55 points.
Darren: Philipp Grubauer. I was fully on the buyout train over the summer and was shocked the team kept him around. Yet, I’ve eaten my words, because he’s been a massive part of the success the team has had this year and is putting up stellar numbers. He looks so confident and sharp every night, and we haven’t seen the questionable goals that plagued his first four seasons in Seattle.
Curtis: I’m with Darren on this one: Grubauer has been the biggest surprise for me. Pick whatever metric you want, the German netminder has completely re-written his story this season.
His .917 save percentage is, in some sense, a return to form. From the 2014-15 season through the 2020-21 season—his last before joining Seattle—Grubauer had a .916 save percentage or better every year. This is difficult to square with the player who never topped .900 in four seasons with Seattle. If Grubauer can keep this up, he’ll be a modest asset for the Kraken—whether on the ice or in a deal down the road.
Given how the Kraken are playing right now, how do you think they should approach the trade deadline: buy, sell, or stand pat? And why?
John: Stand pat. I’m not suggesting the team shouldn’t listen to any and all offers, but I do think there’s value in giving this group a real opportunity to make the playoffs. If they’re sitting right on the bubble at the deadline, they should hold steady. However, if an opportunity arises to add a player like Jordan Kyrou, someone who fills a clear need and has meaningful term left on his contract, the Kraken should absolutely jump at it.
Blaiz: The Kraken are only two points out of a playoff spot with two games in hand. They are firmly in the hunt, but I do not think this is a team that should be buying rental players at the deadline or trading away it’s future. There is still a need to build and develop, and short-term moves do not align with that path.
I agree with John that if the right opportunity presents itself, they should explore it. For now, the best approach is to stand pat. Selling would signal giving up on a team that has a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, and I have never been a fan of tanking. If this group has a chance to get in, they should be given that chance.
Darren: I’m not a full-fledged buyer, but I also need the team to get better moving forward. So, I’m looking for hockey trades that bring back good offensive players with term on their contracts. If those deals don’t present themselves, then I agree to stand pat. Give them a chance to make a run if they’re still in the playoff mix, but there’s no reason to trade away prospects if a playoff appearance looks unlikely.
Curtis: For me, it’s a mixed approach. I agree with all that they should be looking for a “hockey trade” to bring in a player packing offensive punch who could be with the team for a while. If, as John posited, the Blues get motivated to deal Kyrou, I would want the Kraken to be in on that conversation.
On the other hand, I don’t think the team will be bringing back all of its expiring veterans (Jamie Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle, and Eeli Tolvanen). I’d expect the team to engage with these players to see if relatively modest contract extensions are possible. If not, I think seller trades should be on the table even if the team remains competitive through the Olympics break.
The Seattle Kraken came up just short on Monday, dropping a 3-2 decision in a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks. Seattle was—without a doubt—the better team in this one, but while the Kraken generated oodles of offensive chances despite playing on tired legs, they only got two pucks behind goalie Kevin Lankinen.
Lankinen was outstanding with 37 saves through regulation and overtime and then stopped Freddy Gaudreau, Eeli Tolvanen, and Jordan Eberle in the shootout.
“We played a good hockey game,” coach Lane Lambert said. “We had some real good looks, real good chances to score in regulation, for that matter. Their goaltender played well, and if we keep playing that way, we’ll have success more often than not.”
Win Streak Caroline, we hardly knew ye.
Here are Three Takeaways from a 3-2 Kraken shootout loss to the Canucks.
Takeaway 1: Did a fight turn the tide?
In his two games since returning from his second injury hiatus of the season, Jared McCann has been firing the puck (almost) every chance he gets. In this one, he got an opportunity on a 4-on-3 power play and showed why the Kraken want him shooting.
Just four seconds after the face-off to start the rare numerical advantage, Vince Dunn and McCann played catch at the top of the zone, and the second time Dunn passed it to McCann, he one-timed a missile past Lankinen to open the scoring at 8:50 of the first.
MCCANN CAN! 🚨
4 seconds into a 4-on-3 for the #SeaKraken, Vince Dunn tees it up, and Jared McCann blasts it home.
But McCann was also involved in some extracurricular activity that may have ultimately cost the Kraken more than it helped them. After Conor Garland elbowed McCann in the face with a total cheap shot, McCann was seen barking at Garland on the bench and asking him to “go.” Indeed, the two dropped the gloves on their next time out and had a spirited bout.
“He kind of elbowed me on the one play there beforehand, so I asked him to go,” McCann said. “He said yeah, and that was the end of that.”
Said Lambert: “I think it just shows a lot about the character of Jared McCann. And Garland accepted. I thought it was hockey, and sometimes things happen, and I’ve got a lot of respect for Jared, again… He took care of it on his own, and sometimes you’ve got to do that.”
For a lot of reasons, I personally would prefer McCann never drop the gloves with anybody, but it is commendable that he’s willing to stand up for himself.
In the other team’s dressing room after the game, though, the Canucks players were raving about what the fight did for their morale, seeing the diminutive Garland hang in there with the bigger McCann. They had a terrible first period, but the fight seemed to spark some jump for them, and they scored to tie the game 1-1 just three seconds after the bout.
“Maybe we were a little slow in the start, but Garland definitely got us going,” said Elias Petterson (the forward, not the defenseman… having two players with the exact same name on one team should be illegal). “And obviously, we scored five or so seconds after, so yeah, really good on him.”
Takeaway 2: Fourth-line magic
I’ve absolutely loved Jacob Melanson’s game since he was recalled from the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Dec. 13. He fits like a glove on the NHL fourth line, bringing energy and physicality and backing down from nobody.
Against Vancouver, he bowled over public enemy Tyler Myers to the delight of Climate Pledge Arena and also set up Ryan Winterton’s goal that gave Seattle a 2-1 lead late in the first period.
After Elias Pettersson (the defenseman this time, not the forward) and Myers ran into each other, Melanson flew up the left flank and sent a cross-crease pass to a crashing Winterton, who redirected it over Lankinen’s skate. That gave Melanson his first NHL point and Joey Daccord his third assist of the season.
“I had a feeling it was coming across,” Winterton said. “Just some good speed by ‘Mel’ and great vision to see me. I kind of saw their D get tangled up there, so I thought we had a break, and I was lucky enough to get it.”
“It’s awesome to be able to have ‘Winnie’ score that goal,” Melanson said. “We got drafted together and also played in CV together for a few years, so I mean that’s a pretty cool memory to have.”
It’s worth noting, Winterton was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Flyers but drew back in Monday in place of Tye Kartye.
“They impact the game lately,” Lambert said of the fourth line. “They’re responsible, they’re quick, they’re physical. Obviously, a huge goal for us by Winterton. Melanson made a nice play on that. But they create energy for our hockey team, and they do it responsibly.”
Takeaway 3: A golden opportunity missed
After the Kraken swept a back-to-back last week for the first time since the 2022-23 season, they had a golden opportunity to do it again on Monday. They had plenty of great looks in the third period, all of which were thwarted by Lankinen, and they even had a second 4-on-3 power play at the end of overtime.
After scoring on the previous 4-on-3 in just six seconds, they were more measured in their approach the second time and, in the end, didn’t get Lankinen moving laterally enough to beat him on the late advantage.
“We probably could have created a couple of more [opportunities],” Lambert said. “They were able to clear the puck a couple of times, which takes some time off it, there’s no question about that. But certainly, there were a couple of passes that we felt like we had some empty-net opportunities.”
Alas, the Kraken failed to convert, and the Canucks goalie then stopped all three Seattle shooters in the shootout to improve to an astounding 17 for 17 on the season in that situation.
San Jose won on this night, so the Kraken dropped to two points out of the final wild card spot, though they still have two games in hand and a better points percentage than the Sharks.
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.
Believe it or not, the Seattle Kraken have stormed their way right back into the playoff picture. While still on the outside, they’ve climbed to within a single point of the final wild-card spot, currently held by the San Jose Sharks, who actually have a lower points percentage than Seattle. The Kraken reached that position thanks to a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, stretching their season-long win streak to four games and giving themselves their first named win streak of the season.
By the way, we heard back from the National Win Streak Service, and although I was hopeful we could call it Win Streak Darren, they have informed us that this streak is called Win Streak Caroline. We will explain the thought process of the NWSS on the next Sound Of Hockey Podcast.
In this game, the Kraken once again leaned on outstanding goaltending from Philipp Grubauer, plus the offensive production of their three hottest hands: Jordan Eberle, Chandler Stephenson, and Eeli Tolvanen (who potted not one, but two empty-net goals).
Here are Three Takeaways from a 4-1 Kraken win over the Flyers.
Takeaway 1: Tolvanen, Eberle, and Stephenson are rolling
The lack of offensive production from the Kraken has been maddening for long stretches this season. The last few games haven’t been all that different in this area, but Seattle now has a few players who’ve gotten hot and are creating just enough offense to fuel the winning streak.
Eberle has four goals in his last three games, Tolvanen has points in six straight (3-7=10), and Stephenson has 12 points in 11 games (6-6=12), with his lone scoreless outing coming in Seattle’s 3-1 win at Anaheim on Dec. 22.
Eberle and Stephenson both scored pretty goals Sunday, with Stephenson’s coming directly off an outstanding play by Tolvanen.
On Eberle’s icebreaker at 3:48 of the second period, Matty Beniers—facing a 1-on-3 disadvantage at the blue line—drove low to buy time for Eberle and Kaapo Kakko to catch up. He then dished to Kakko in the right circle, and Kakko lofted a perfect saucer pass into Eberle’s wheelhouse. Eberle once again picked the top right corner.
O, CAPTAIN! 🫡 🚨
What a setup by Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko, and Jordan Eberle places his shot perfectly inside the post.
“We’re just finding ways to score,” Eberle said. “I think on that goal, Matty did a good job, driving in and finding Kaapo, and then he did a great job finding me.”
Clinging to a 1-0 lead deep into the third period, it felt like the next goal would decide the game—and Tolvanen and Stephenson made sure it did.
After a stretch of back-and-forth in Seattle’s zone, Adam Larsson settled the puck and sent a forehand lob up and over everyone to the far blue line. It was too far for Tolvanen to sprint onto, but he didn’t quit on the play. Dan Vladar misplayed the puck behind his net, and Tolvanen beat Travis Sanheim to it, hit the brakes, one-handed the puck off the back of the net—sending Sanheim crashing into the boards—and found Stephenson streaking down the slot. Stephenson buried it for a 2-0 lead.
STEVIE DOES IT! 🚨
What a play by Eeli Tolvanen to bank the puck off the back of the net to himself, then feed Chandler Stephenson cruising down Lenny Wilkens Way.
“The biggest thing about the goal for me, and he’s been doing it all year long, is [Tolvanen] got in on the forecheck,” coach Lane Lambert said. “He separated the puck from the man and made a heads-up play to Stephenson in the slot. But he’s moving his feet, and he’s heavy on the forecheck.”
While no Kraken player will sniff the top of the NHL scoring charts, Eberle is now up to 14 goals, Stephenson has 10, and Tolvanen leads the team with 18 assists. Tolvanen also paces the Kraken with 25 points (7-18=25), while Eberle (14-10=24) and Stephenson (10-14=24) are tied for second in scoring.
Takeaway 2: McCann and Dunn return
Jared McCann and Vince Dunn both returned to the lineup Sunday after injury-related absences of different lengths. Dunn missed just one game following a high hit by Ross Johnston in Anaheim, while McCann missed seven in his second extended absence of the season. It was only his 12th game of the campaign, which has been derailed by two separate lower-body injuries.
“It’s kind of tough,” McCann said. “Obviously, this is the first time in my career I’ve kind of gone through something like this. Mentally, it’s been tough, but I’ve got great teammates here who’ve been supportive with me, and I’m just trying to make it through a game at this point. So, I’m looking forward to the future.”
I liked McCann’s shooting mentality in this one—any time he found himself in a position to put the puck on net, he didn’t hesitate—but there were also some miscues between him and linemates Shane Wright and Berkly Catton.
“I thought we had some good chances,” McCann said. “Obviously, Cats made some good plays tonight; you can see the offense coming for him. And me and Wrighter are still trying to work with each other and create good offense.”
There were a few noticeable misfires, including a first-period 2-on-1 where Wright got handcuffed and couldn’t get a shot away. If that trio sticks together, expect the execution to improve in the coming games.
“I liked his performance,” Lambert said of McCann. “He adds an element that we need. I think that line becomes that much more dangerous right now. And I thought he did a lot of good things, thought he was good on the walls, made some heads-up plays, had some opportunities. So, obviously, he’s a key player for us, and it’s good to see him back.”
McCann finished with two shots on goal in 13:27 of ice time.
Takeaway 3: The PK (and Grubauer) came up huge
Grubauer earned first-star honors, frustrating Flyers shooters into just one late, largely inconsequential goal that spoiled his bid for his first shutout of the season. He finished with 31 saves on 32 shots and improved to 6-3-1, with a 2.44 goals-against average and .917 save percentage—stellar numbers from a goalie who had never previously topped .900 in a Kraken uniform.
“The numbers are always a reflection of how the team plays,” Grubauer said. “So without the team in front of us, we couldn’t do this, right? The way we played, the way we blocked shots, boxed out, let us see the puck, the way we worked back in our zone as a five-man unit. Without that, it wouldn’t be possible [to have these stats].”
Grubauer was especially impactful during Seattle’s three penalty kills—twice in the opening period and once in the second after Catton jumped on early, and the Kraken were nabbed for too many men.
While Grubauer made a few acrobatic saves during those kills, the penalty killers deserve a ton of credit for eliminating seam passes and applying pressure up top.
I’ve written about it several times now, but the formation change has completely transformed this penalty kill, which bottomed out during Losing Streak Camille. The new diamond setup still stretches when the puck goes high, but it puts two players across the slot instead of one, and those two have worked in tandem to erase passing lanes and force perimeter shots.
By the way, Lambert was not thrilled with that too-many-men penalty, and I ended his presser on a sour note by asking why it bothered him so much.
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.
