by Darren Brown | May 2, 2023 | Uncategorized
The Seattle Kraken shocked the world in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by knocking off the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in Game 7. Darren was in the building for the game, and John was home having heart palpitations, so both give their thoughts on that thrilling experience.
They then shift their focus to the second round, where the Kraken will take on the Dallas Stars.
Next, the guys go Down on the Farm to chat about Jagger Firkus joining the Coachella Valley Firebirds and to give an update on the Firebirds’ playoff run. They also do a quick WHL Update to talk about the Seattle Thunderbirds, then take a trip around the NHL.
Finally, they shift to segments, which include:
- Weekly One-Timers
- Tweets of the Week
- Three Stars
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by Darren Brown | May 1, 2023 | Uncategorized
Holy cannoli! They did it! The Seattle Kraken beat the defending champion Colorado Avalanche in a deciding Game 7 on the road, creating a core sports memory that will stick with the team’s fledgling fanbase for decades.
“I think it’s huge for us, for the team, and for our confidence,” said Oliver Bjorkstrand. “As a group, bouncing back from last year, and then for the city of Seattle— you feel the excitement there and how much they want to back us up.”
Philipp Grubauer stood tall to keep the game scoreless in a dominant first period for Colorado, then Seattle turned on the jets in the second. The team’s video coaches came up with a gutsy offside challenge in the third to keep the Kraken ahead, and the team locked things down the rest of the way to skate off with a historic win in their first-ever playoff series.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Yanni Gourde. “I’m so proud of this group. We battled so hard, especially in our second year in this league, just making the playoffs is an accomplishment… Getting the win here in Game 7 shows how much character, how much care we have for one another.”
Here are our Three Takeaways from a momentous 2-1 Kraken win in Game 7 over the Avalanche.
Takeaway #1: What a series by Philipp Grubauer
Philipp Grubauer left us no choice but to start with his outstanding series as our first takeaway. He stepped up and played so well against his old team, with Sunday’s performance serving as the crown jewel in his impressive seven-game set.
“Colorado was great tonight,” said coach Dave Hakstol. “They pushed us in every way you can imagine, and our goaltender was the best player on the ice.”
You could tell from the jump that pucks were going to be hitting Grubauer again Sunday, as a shot hit the knob of his stick in the first period, and he turned away a Grade-A opportunity from the slot by Nathan MacKinnon with nine minutes left in the opening frame. Grubauer joked after the game that the shot that hit the shaft of his stick was off the net, so that one didn’t really matter.
“Sometimes you can’t see it, and it hits you; those are obviously great moments for a goalie,” Grubauer said. “Even Mikko [Rantanen] hit the post there in the second period. Obviously, we love the post; we like that.”
The Kraken got worked over in the first 20 minutes, yet Grubauer stopped all 16 shots fired at him and carried Seattle into the dressing room with a 0-0 tie.
The German Gentleman made another ten-bell save on MacKinnon at the seven-minute mark of the second period, sliding to his right and sealing off the angle just in time before one of the world’s two best players could slip the puck inside in the post.
But it wasn’t just those couple of key saves for the Kraken netminder. There were so many moments where we said to ourselves, Oh, boy, here comes a goal. Yet Grubauer would calmly make the stop and melt it down for a face-off, making dangerous shots from all-world players look harmless. He would get his team a whistle, Seattle would lose the next face-off (the Kraken won just 33 percent of defensive-zone face-offs), and Grubauer would do it over again. Rinse, repeat, all game long.
Grubauer took a lot of heat from Kraken fans last season, as things went sideways. He had a better regular season in 2022-23, but a group still gets on him whenever Seattle loses. This series had to have bought him a lot of goodwill from even the most curmudgeonly of fans, because without Grubauer, Seattle’s season would be over.
“Personally, I don’t know what to say,” Grubauer said. “It means a lot, ending their season and beating the defending Stanley Cup champions. So, lots more to come for our group, but that’s only series one.”
In all, Grubauer had 33 saves in Game 7 and improved to a .926 save percentage in the series.
By the way, we witnessed a heartwarming moment in the dressing room after the game. When Grubauer finished his media availability, he was asked by Kraken social media to take a picture with a stuffed fish, an ongoing bit they’ve been doing. He proudly posed for the photo, then asked if he could keep that fish for his own personal collection. This win was special for him, and he wanted a memento.
Takeaway #2: A heroic night for Oliver Bjorkstrand
Our good friend, Alison Lukan, likes to point out that Oliver Bjorkstrand has a history of rising to the occasion of the big game. He had the clinching goal for the Lake Erie Monsters in the Calder Cup Final in 2016 and for Columbus against Tampa Bay in 2019. He also came through in a big way in Game 7 of this series.
“I’m obviously excited to play those games,” Bjorkstrand said. “You want to give it your best and— I don’t know, I feel like I’ve just kind of been fortunate to have some key moments, and it’s been fun.”
After being held to just two assists and no goals through Game 6, Bjorkstrand played like a man possessed Sunday. He got rewarded with a good bounce off Ben Meyers’ hand, a goal that was initially awarded to Brandon Tanev, to open the scoring at 3:24 of the second period. Four minutes later, Yanni Gourde shoveled a puck around the end boards in the Seattle end to Eeli Tolvanen, who poked it past a pinching Devon Toews at the blue line. That sent Bjorkstrand on a partial breakaway, and he sniped it off the post and in to make it 2-0.
That play, which went from Seattle being on defense to being on the attack in a flash, would ultimately prove to be the game-winner, another notch in Bjorkstrand’s big-game belt. He could have had four more goals in addition to the two he scored in Game 7, as he also hit three posts and got robbed by Alexandar Georgiev off a three-on-one in the third period.
That line with Gourde, Tolvanen, and Bjorkstrand was so, so good in this game. All series, they were tasked with defending against Nathan MacKinnon and—often—Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar.
“The biggest thing is they never went away,” Hakstol said. “Their confidence never wavered, their compete level never wavered, their willingness to go back and play in that role never changed. Tonight they did a hell of a job.”
In Sunday’s game, the Gourde line had its best effort of the whole series, and its relentless forecheck slowed Colorado’s superstars almost to a halt. The result was that line scoring two goals at five-on-five and allowing zero at the other end.
“[MacKinnon] is an unbelievable player,” Gourde said. “The way he skates up the ice, you’ve got to respect that every time he takes a stride, he’s taking five feet off of you. It’s crazy, but we defended as a unit of five. Everyone knew where he was; we had a little bit of a game plan against him that we executed.”
Takeaway #3: A video challenge for the ages
MacKinnon and Rantanen did break through once on the only power play of the game for either team, and that goal came with just 28 seconds left in the second period. It put the Avs back within one goal of Seattle heading to the third and gave life to the home fans.
You could sense a second goal coming for Colorado to even the score, and the Avs appeared to have gotten it at 3:37 of the third when MacKinnon blasted a one-timer from the top of the slot that beat Grubauer.
BUT…
Have no fear, Kraken fans; video analysts Tim Ohashi and Brady Morgan were there!
“They nailed it,” Hakstol said. “That is not an easy task.”
Just when we thought the lead had slipped away, the officials announced Seattle was challenging for offside. Ohashi and Morgan noticed Artturi Lehkonen entered Seattle’s zone about a foot ahead of the puck 17 seconds earlier. That negated the goal, sending the Ball Arena crowd into a frenzy.
It was the second successful offside challenge in as many games for the Kraken, and it was such a bold call. If they had gotten that wrong, the game would have been tied, and the Kraken would have been back on the penalty kill.
Hakstol said the video team had communicated to the bench even before the shot that they had flagged it for possible offside. When the time came to challenge, they expressed full confidence to Hakstol that the goal would be overturned.
“Oh, I knew before he scored it was offside,” Grubauer quipped with a side-eyed glance to show that he—in fact—had no idea it was offside. “No, that’s obviously a huge turning point in the game, right? If they tied it up, it’s 2-2, it’s maybe a different game.”
Seattle did a great job locking things down the rest of the way, relieving some of the pressure off Grubauer and only allowing six shots in the final frame.
—
Let’s go start a whole new series in Dallas, shall we? From Denver, the Kraken planned to hop on their plane Monday and—instead of flying home—heading south to the Lone Star State, where they now set their sights on the Dallas Stars.
by Darren Brown | Apr 28, 2023 | Uncategorized
Before Game 4 at Climate Pledge Arena, with the Kraken trailing the Avalanche 2-1 in their first-round playoff series, players joked with one another that it was, in the words of Jordan Eberle, “the biggest game in Kraken history.” Well, as Seattle continues its first postseason journey, the stakes will get higher and higher with every passing game.
Now leading 3-2 and coming home for Game 6 with a chance to close out the Stanley Cup champions, it is safe to say Friday’s game is significantly bigger than any of Games 1 through 5.
“It’s huge,” said Yanni Gourde. “Game 6 at home, Friday night in Seattle. I mean, I think the crowd is going to be super excited.”
Gourde—a grizzled veteran of playoff hockey and a winner of two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay—says the fourth win of a series is always the hardest one to get. “I think we still have more [to give], and I think we can still take steps and we can still build. But like I said, this game tonight is a big one. It’s going to be the hardest one of the series.”
Gourde also reminded us that several players in the Kraken dressing room have been in this situation before, and they know what it takes to close out a series.
Harnessing the excitement
If there is an added level of excitement for Kraken players, you couldn’t sense it in their dressing room Friday morning at Kraken Community Iceplex. Across the board, they seemed quietly confident and ready to go to work against a Colorado team that will be desperate to bring its best game.
The vibes from the team were “Normal,” according to the always even-keeled Adam Larsson. “Just another day,” he said. “We know what’s at stake, and we’ve played good so far. I don’t think we should overthink the situation and just go out and play the game.”
Larsson added the team knows the fans are on their side, so he hopes that will fuel the effort in Game 6. “They’ve done a tremendous job so far. I mean, now we know what to expect. I thought the first home game, we got caught up in the moment a little bit. We came home after a roadie, 1-1, pretty good spot, and we kind of came out flat that game. The second home game, I thought, was much better.”
The Swedish defenseman also said that even as of Friday, with the Avalanche pushed to the brink, the Kraken still do not sense any pressure, an advantage for any playoff team.
Jamie Oleksiak—who went to a Stanley Cup Final with Dallas—said the Kraken have handled the ups and downs well so far. “This is our first time in the playoffs together, so I think we’ve learned a lot as a group about identifying those momentum swings.”
Laying it all out there
One thing that stuck with us from Game 5 was just how good of a job Seattle did at blocking shots at crucial moments in the game. Jaden Schwartz, Oleksiak, and Matty Beniers all got body parts in the way of blasts from Avalanche players, then hobbled to the bench at different stages in the game.
Aside from that, Alex Wennberg showed off his impressive soccer skills (he does have a background in soccer from his youth) when he managed to corral a puck up the wall with only his feet and kick it deep in the Colorado zone in the final minute of the second period. “That was a huge play,” Gourde recalled.
It’s those kinds of extra individual efforts that help a team win in the postseason.
“I mean, that’s playoffs, right?” said Jamie Oleksiak, who played the last 2:27 of the game Wednesday with Seattle facing an extended six-on-five attack. “That’s kind of the desperation, and you got to get bounces once in a while, and you’ve got to put yourself on the line. I think we’ve done a great job of that.”
Oleksiak said it’s not just a few players stepping into lanes; even guys you wouldn’t typically associate with making those kinds of painful blocks have been throwing themselves in harm’s way. “Whenever you see a guy go down and put their body on the line, it’s special for everybody.”
Larsson occasionally skating with Oleksiak
We’ve noticed the Kraken coaching staff has deployed Larsson and Oleksiak together at times during this series, especially against Nathan MacKinnon. While we didn’t get much insight on the reasoning—coach Dave Hakstol played that close to the vest when we asked—we have a theory that the Kraken simply view those two as their best defensive defensemen. So, to shut down the elite skill of players like MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar, Hakstol and defensive coach Jay Leach have occasionally paired the two together for key moments in games to make sure they hold the Avs off the board.
“Yeah, it’s a matchup thing; that’s all, nothing more, nothing less,” said Hakstol. “I mean, it’s as well as I can describe it… The other piece that comes into play there is who’s fresh and ready to go over the boards.”
It’s been an interesting periodic shift, though, after Larsson and Vince Dunn spent almost the entire regular season together. It’s a fine example of how little strategic changes can be made in a playoff series, as you get the benefit of facing the same team for multiple games in a row.
“I’m playing with [Oleksiak] on the PK and end of a power play, or whatever it might be,” said Larsson. “So, I’ve had a couple shifts with him during the season, too, and it’s working fine. Whatever name is called, we’re all just sitting there, patiently waiting for our next shift, so that’s just how it is.”
No news on Jared McCann; Tye Kartye ready to play in his spot
Unsurprisingly, Jared McCann was still missing from morning skate, and we do not expect him in the lineup Friday. Hakstol did not give an update on his status, which tells us there is no change to his availability from Game 5.
Tye Kartye was the biggest story of Game 5 for playing in McCann’s spot on the top line and contributing with a pivotal goal, his first in the NHL. Now, the 21-year-old Kartye is preparing for his first home game as a Kraken. “I’m fired up,” Kartye said. “I heard the crowd is really good here, so I’m excited to see what it’s all about.”
Kartye scored on his lone shot on goal Wednesday to make it 2-1, but he was also physical and looked comfortable on his line with Eberle and Beniers. He called the last few days a “whirlwind,” and said he hasn’t had too much time to think about everything that has been going on for him. “I’m kind of just taking it as it comes.”
Based on what we saw and heard at morning skate, we do not expect any changes to the Kraken lineup from Game 5.
by Darren Brown | Apr 27, 2023 | Uncategorized
It wasn’t easy, but the Kraken did the damn thing Wednesday, earning a hard-fought, well-played, 60-minute, total-team victory, 3-2 over the Avalanche. Every player in the lineup, including just-called-up Tye Kartye, contributed to the win in some way.
The closing minutes pushed Kraken fans’ heart rates to unthinkable levels, as Colorado pulled within one goal with Alexandar Georgiev on the bench and skated six-on-five for what felt like an eternity. But the Kraken stayed with their structure, continued blocking shots, and regained the series lead 3-2.
Here are our Three Takeaways from another thrilling Kraken win over the Avalanche in Game 5.
Takeaway #1: The legend of Tye Kartye is born
After Jared McCann was ruled out of Game 5, speculation quickly began about how the Kraken would try to replace their irreplaceable 40-goal scorer in the lineup. We knew a call-up was coming from Coachella Valley, and the team had briefly brought up Tye Kartye and Max McCormick at different times during this series.
In the end it was Kartye who got the call, which didn’t totally surprise us. Then, he was slotted into McCann’s spot at morning skate, alongside Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. That also didn’t surprise us, because in Game 3, when Morgan Geekie was unavailable due to the birth of his child, Jesper Froden looked like he was preparing to play in Geekie’s spot on the Alex Wennberg line. That night, Froden only played a handful of minutes, though, and with different line combinations, so we figured something similar was in store for Kartye in Game 5.
WRONG!
Well, mostly wrong. While Kartye’s minutes did get throttled back toward the end of the game, coach Dave Hakstol used him in a top-six winger role for a lot of the contest. Kartye, with his parents in attendance at Ball Arena, rewarded Hakstol for the gutsy lineup decision by scoring his first NHL goal on his first NHL shot in his first NHL game. Did we mention this was also in Game 5 of a Stanley Cup Playoff game?
Kartye’s parents, by the way, dropped everything and made the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Kingston, ON, to Toronto, then jumped on the first flight to Denver to see their son make his NHL debut. They showed up a couple minutes late but were there in time to see their son’s magical moment.
“Great night for Tye,” said Hakstol with a smile. “We were able to get his parents in here. It’s quite a way to start your NHL career, jumping into Game 5 in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.” The Kraken coach raved about Kartye’s poise and apparent comfort with the situation and said those were factors in the team’s decision-making process about how to use him. “He’s ready to be here, and that’s why we felt comfortable putting him in.”
Kartye’s story over the last two seasons, leading up to his Wednesday heroics, would seem almost far-fetched if it weren’t true. Playing his junior hockey with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, he did not get drafted by an NHL team. He came to Kraken training camp as an invitee before the team’s inaugural season, impressed the brass there, had a solid 20-year-old season back in Sault Ste. Marie, and got signed by Seattle as a free agent. He then went to Coachella Valley for his first pro season and caught fire in the second half, ending up with 28 goals and 29 assists on the year and taking the AHL Rookie of the Year award.
“A year ago, a year and a half ago, this was my wildest dream,” said Kartye. “So, this day has been pretty special.”
The fact that the Kraken threw him right into his first NHL game in that spot, on that line, and that he delivered is truly remarkable.
“It’s pretty crazy,” added Kartye. “It was a whirlwind, but I’ve been working hard for a long time, and it feels pretty good.”
His goal was a banger, too. After Nathan MacKinnon and Will Borgen touched skate blades in the Kraken end, and while MacKinnon was busy blowing a gasket complaining to the referee about being tripped, the play came back the other way. Jordan Eberle carried the puck through the neutral zone, deep into the offensive zone, and circled the wagons before sliding a pass into Kartye’s wheelhouse. Kartye wasted no time in showing off his best offensive asset, a lethal shot that was off his blade and in the back of the net in an instant.
“I was just kind of driving to the net, and I saw he had the puck and tried to get open,” said Kartye. “Obviously, he made a pretty special pass there.”
The goal made it 2-1 and improved Kartye’s NHL shooting percentage to 100 percent.
People will remember the goal Kartye scored, but he was generally impressive on this night. He looked like he belonged in the NHL and even on a top-six line.
“[The goal] was awesome, but he was all over the place,” said Gourde. “He was in everyone’s grill, he was on the forecheck, on the backcheck, he was great in the D-zone, he finished every hit he had.”
Takeaway #2: Kraken are who we thought they were
With Kartye and Gourde scoring Wednesday, they became the 12th and 13th Kraken players to register goals in the five games of this series. That’s nothing new; depth scoring has been the story of this team all season. But aside from that, they’ve shown why we believed they would be a tough match for the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Kraken play with good enough defensive structure to at least slow down Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and (when he’s not suspended) Cale Makar. They also go the extra mile to block shots, win battles low in the offensive zone, and—as of the beginning of the calendar year—kill penalties. When they are on their game, they truly can skate with any team in this league, something they proved throughout the regular season.
Game 5 was no different. Seattle got huge, timely shot blocks from guys like Matty Beniers, Jamie Oleksiak, and Jaden Schwartz, and the only goals they allowed were off a rim attempt by Philipp Grubauer that didn’t quite make it past Rantanen and off a bad-luck double deflection from two Kraken players at six-on-five.
“When you get to this time of year, the stage is a little bigger, it’s a little brighter, there’s a little bit more on the line, and everything means a little bit more,” said Hakstol. “But you still have to fall back on who you are.”
Wennberg was especially good Wednesday, his second starring performance of the series. In this one, he created the icebreaking goal at 6:35 of the second period by winning the race to a dumped-in puck, fighting off a Bowen Byram check, and making a perfect pass to Schwartz. Schwartz shot, and Papa Geekie cleaned up the rebound.
Then, with a minute left in the second period and the Kraken killing a crucial penalty, Wennberg—who had broken his stick—somehow managed to kick the puck past Byram, control it along the boards with his skates, and boot it again all the way below the Colorado goal line.
There were plenty of gritty, hard-working plays by just about every guy in the Kraken lineup, but Wennberg resorting to his soccer-playing past, doing everything he could to help kill that penalty, really stood out to us.
Takeaway #3: Kraken take a 3-2 lead
We won’t say anything here to jinx it, but it is bonkers that Seattle is even in this position, up 3-2 heading to Game 6 at home on Friday against the champs. Nobody in the greater hockey world gave the Kraken a chance coming in, and they have proven through every step of this series—even in the losses—that they can beat the Avalanche if they play their game.
So far, they’ve gotten contributions from everyone on their roster, and the result has given the group a rare opportunity to surprise everyone.
“That’s the situation you want to be in in a playoff series,” said Gourde, a grizzled veteran of the postseason. “You want to be up, but we all know in this league the fourth game is the hardest one to win, and it’s going to take everything out of everyone in this locker room to get that one.”
After experiencing the atmosphere in Game 4 on Monday, we truly cannot wait for Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena.
by Darren Brown | Apr 26, 2023 | Uncategorized
On this latest “.5” episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, John and Darren are joined by SOH contributor, Curtis Isacke. The trio wax poetic about the two recent Kraken home playoff games, then break down each contest in detail and uncover some interesting trends.
After that, they dive into the Mailbag for the remainder of the episode, answer questions from listeners about a wide range of topics from coping with the stress of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to tactical changes being made by the Kraken.
Fun episode. Enjoy!
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by Darren Brown | Apr 25, 2023 | Uncategorized
Are you experiencing the following symptoms? High blood pressure, elevated heart rate, wild mood swings, insomnia, fatigue, and general inexplicable sweatiness? Well, that, my friend is Stanley Cup Playoff hockey. The Kraken officially infected their fans with said disease by getting their first home playoff win against the Avalanche in heart-stopping 3-2 overtime fashion Monday. The victory tied the first-round series 2-2, meaning the home fans are guaranteed at least one more postseason game at Climate Pledge Arena.
After jumping out to a two-goal lead in the first period, only to then see Mikko Rantanen score twice in the second, the Kraken stuck with it and treated their fanbase to a magical moment. It was a night that will surely go down in Kraken lore.
“We were kind of joking around before the game that this is the biggest game in Kraken history,” said Jordan Eberle, who scored the deciding goal. “You kind of want to make this a hockey town and have people love going to Kraken games and enjoy the product of playoff hockey.”
After that experience Monday, it’s plain to see Seattle has embraced the Kraken, so mission accomplished, Jordan!
It was a big win, but also a costly one, as Jared McCann, the leading goal scorer for the Kraken in the regular season, was injured on a bad hit by Avalanche superstar Cale Makar. That seemed to ignite tempers and likely morphed this series into one with more hostility than before.
Here are our Three Takeaways from an unforgettable 3-2 overtime Kraken win over the Avalanche.
Takeaway #1: Eberle and Schwartz were the OT heroes
Two minutes into overtime, Jaden Schwartz stole the puck along the wall in the defensive zone and fired it across to Brandon Tanev, who carried it to center ice. Schwartz took off as soon as he passed it, and Tanev hit him in stride at the Colorado blue line, sending Schwartz in on a partial breakaway. He got a good shot off, as his legs were taken out from under him, and although Alexandar Georgiev made the save, Schwartz drew a penalty on Josh Manson.
“I threw it over to [Tanev], and then I just tried to get as much speed as I could,” said Schwartz. “He made an awesome sauce pass, kind of through a couple sticks, and right onto me with speed. So I had a step and was able to draw the penalty and get a decent shot there.”
On the power play, Daniel Sprong—who also sniped a nice power-play goal off the post to make it 2-0 in the first period—took a shot from distance that got partially blocked. The puck skittered to Jordan Eberle, who passed to Schwartz. Schwartz tried to shoot, but that too got blocked, and it again went right back to Eberle. This time, Eberle pulled the trigger and beat Georgiev.
Bedlam ensued in Climate Pledge Arena.
“I was actually in a pretty good spot, and I think one of their players had a big block,” said Schwartz. “And then Eberle had a good, quick stick, good reaction, and it happened fast.”
“Any time you even a series up, it’s a big goal,” said Eberle. “I thought for the most part, we played well tonight. We had a lot of chances, and that’s a really good team over there. We’ve been kind of the underdog since day one, and we’re just trying to fight back into this series, so we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us.”
Coming into Game 4, the Kraken power play had been abysmal in this series and had been held off the board, except for a late, garbage-time goal by Schwartz in Game 3. We can’t help wondering if that meaningless marker may have given the power play a little confidence boost coming into Monday’s game.
The team also seemed to have a simplified approach that worked wonders. There were very few attempts to make—as John Forslund would call them—“fancy Dan passes.” Instead, Seattle was getting pucks to the top of the zone, sending traffic to the front of the net, and shooting. Simple.
When the team got a manpower advantage early in overtime, the group knew it had to convert.
“You’ve seen a lot of the OT goals in the playoffs, a lot of them, especially early on, have been on the power play,” said Eberle. “It’s kind of been a sore spot for us in the series so far, as far as producing with the man advantage. I know we got one late last game, and maybe that kickstarted us a bit. We get one early in the game, and then obviously the winner.”
Takeaway #2: The script was flipped from Games 2 and 3
After an outstanding first period by the Kraken, you knew the Avalanche and their stars would eventually get on the board. Sure enough, Rantanen potted two in the second period, including a power-play goal that felt like a backbreaker at the very end of the period.
After Rantanen had drawn a cheesy penalty (there were several of those against Seattle on this night) by skating into Borgen’s outstretched arm and grabbing on to make it look like Borgen had wrapped him up, the Kraken had an impressive kill going. They scrambled, blocked shots, and seemed to be giving everything they had to get back to five-on-five, and they almost did it. But Rantanen scored his second of the period with just two ticks left on the penalty and 49 seconds left in the period.
You could almost touch the “here we go again” vibes from the fans in the arena, as the teams went to the dressing rooms tied after 40 minutes for the third game in a row. To their credit, the Kraken didn’t let the results of the previous two contests affect their play late in Game 4. They stuck to their tight structure that allowed them to statistically dominate a lot of this game (Seattle outshot Colorado 43-22 and had 71 percent of the expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick) and pulled off a well-earned win.
“[We just stuck] with it,” said Schwartz. “Every game is back and forth, and we were doing a lot of good things. We know what our game looks like when we’re on, and we just [kept] wearing them down.”
The historic win cut the series down to a best of three now, with the Kraken riding high and heading back to Denver, where they’ve proven they can play with the defending Stanley Cup champs.
Takeaway #3: Jared McCann injured; Cale Makar the culprit
With the Kraken killing one of the several strange penalties called against them in this game—specifically the one where Bowen Byram pinned Yanni Gourde behind Colorado’s net for an extended period, then refused to drop the gloves, so only Gourde got a penalty—Jared McCann got a shorthanded breakaway opportunity. His shot was deflected by Georgiev up and over the glass.
Whistle blown, play dead. Right?
Wrong. Cale Makar blasted McCann into the end boards for seemingly no reason. McCann, who surely wasn’t expecting the hit, took an awkward fall and hit his head on the ice. He stayed down for some time, and after several minutes of attention from Seattle’s medical staff, glided to the tunnel, doubled over in distress. He unsurprisingly did not return.
“It’s never good to see a guy that battles super hard for us all year long go down like that,” said Gourde. “I don’t know what to say about that hit, but it’s tough to see Jared go down there.”
Makar was initially assessed a five-minute major for interference, but after reviewing the penalty, the officials bumped it down to a two-minute minor. For what it’s worth, Sprong’s goal did come on the ensuing power play to make it 2-0. Nonetheless, Hakstol was furious with the hit after the game.
“[It’s] a late hit, where the puck is out of play,” said Hakstol. “Canner shoots that puck, it goes immediately out of play, straight up into the netting, and I don’t know how many feet— I don’t really care about that. I believe the puck is being caught by a fan as Canner is being run into the end wall. So, late hit; really late. No puck in play… Our 40-goal scorer was not available for the rest of the game.”
The Kraken coach said McCann will also be unavailable for Game 5, at least, and likely longer.
Kraken fans did their part by voicing their displeasure with Makar for the rest of the game, aggressively booing him every time he touched the puck, and sometimes just for stepping onto the ice.
Through three games, this series was tame relative to others across the NHL. But after McCann was knocked out of Game 4, it took a feisty turn. There were scrums after seemingly every whistle, and the first period ended with all ten players on the ice splitting off and finding partners with which to skirmish.
Gourde, who has been such an impactful player for Seattle, was the last Kraken player still engaged with Manson when all others had been separated. For his grit, the home crowd saluted Gourde by chanting, “Yanni! Yanni!”
We asked Gourde if he had ever heard fans chanting his name before, and he said: “I think it happened before, yes. Sorry to kill the moment.” Ah, well. It was still pretty awesome. Gourde added, “The fans are so great. This building gets so loud, and they love this game, they love the team, and they’ve been supporting us the first two years. It’s so good to play in a playoff game in front of them.”
This series has surely pivoted into one with more vitriol than it had before.
“It’s playoffs,” said Hakstol. “You get into the middle part of a series here, that intensity continues to rise… It’s not going to go the other direction. It continues to move forward as we get into Game 5 here.”
Ah, yes, Game 5, Wednesday in Denver. Bring your armor.
