It’s been an up-and-down week for the Kraken, but they are still in a good spot for making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So, on the latest Sound Of Hockey Podcast episode, John and Darren discuss the postseason landscape and where the Kraken might fit into it.
They start the show with a breakdown of the latest Kraken games, then give some updates from around the Western Conference.
Next, they go over to the WHL for some info about the upcoming playoffs, then to the PHF for a recap of their Isobel Cup championship game, and finally to the NCAA for a quick preview of the upcoming Men’s Frozen Four.
Once they’ve gotten through all that stuff, they shift to segments, which this week include:
This is a bit of a tough episode for John and Darren, who recorded this one without their good friend, Andy Eide, who collapsed at the Kraken game Saturday. As of the posting of this episode, Andy remains in ICU, recovering from a stroke. So, John and Darren give some background on what has been going on on that front, share their favorite memories of their ongoing friendship with Andy, and give thanks for the incredible outpouring of support from the hockey community.
That discussion lasts for about the first 17 minutes of the episode, so if you want to get to the more lighthearted stuff, you can jump ahead to that point in the episode. The guys hope you’ll hang around, though, because there’s some good, emotional conversation in there.
Once they get through that, John and Darren shift their focus to hockey talk, because that’s what Andy would want.
So, they talk about the latest Kraken games against San Jose, Edmonton, and Dallas. Once they walk through those games, they go “Down on the Farm,” where the Coachella Valley Firebirds have clinched a playoff spot in their first season. They then discuss the recent Wisconsin women’s win of the NCAA tournament and the men’s NCAA hockey bracket being released.
Finally, they shift to segments, which this week include Bad Boys, Weekly One-Timers, Tweets of the Week, and Three Stars.
This is a special episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, as ROOT Sports / Kraken Host & Reporter Piper Shaw joins the guys IN STUDIO for the entirety of the episode. Piper plays along with all the bits and segments and shares her story of how she got to where she is now, working in TV and covering an NHL hockey team.
Once they progress through Piper’s story, the show shifts to its more typical cadence, starting with a breakdown of the latest Kraken games.
Next, Andy gives a brief WHL Update, before Piper gives her thoughts on Tony Granato being fired from the University of Wisconsin, where she previously worked.
Finally, Weekly One-Timers, Tweets of the Week, and Four Stars.
The Kraken are rolling again with a five-game win streak, including a recent perfect four-game road trip. The Sound Of Hockey Podcast is here to bring you up to speed on all the latest news surrounding the team, from Andre Burakovsky getting back on the ice to Philipp Grubauer’s improved play. John, Andy, and Darren also give their closing thoughts on an uneventful NHL Trade Deadline for Seattle.
After they close out their Kraken talk, the guys shift toward segments which include:
Seattle Kraken prospect and Moose Jaw Warriors forward Jagger Firkus has a lot of tools in his bag. The diminutive but electrifying winger scores goals and creates chances with his skill and creativity.
But when it comes to Jagger, it’s more of his swagger that differentiates him.
“He’s an infectious guy,” Moose Jaw head coach Mark O’Leary said. “He’s loud, he’s energetic, he’s a positive person, and it brings out the best in his teammates and makes him a popular teammate.
“Guys flock to him because of that positivity. He’s a cheerleader, whether it’s in the gym or we’re practicing or if guys are playing soccer or ping pong around the room. Jagger is encouraging, and he’s usually fired up about it. He’s trying to win, but he’s trying to cheer on his teammates as well. I think that over the course of a long season, guys like that.”
Firkus’ presence has been felt by O’Leary and Moose Jaw’s players since Firkus first joined the Western Hockey League, which is not an easy feat for a rookie entering a dressing room full of 19- and 20-year-olds.
“Even when he was called up as a 15-year-old, he was buzzing around the room,” O’Leary recalls. “He wasn’t that quiet kid sitting in the corner not saying anything; he was a little guy with the big red hair and a missing front tooth that wanted to play hockey and contribute.”
That confidence is what makes Firkus, the 35th-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the player he is on the ice. The 18-year-old forward is on pace for back-to-back 80-point seasons in the Western Hockey League, the first of which postured him as one of the most intriguing forwards in his draft year and a top prospect in the Kraken system.
Part of his uniqueness comes from his creativity on the ice, his ability to maneuver through tight spaces, and the quick release on his shot. But his size — Firkus is listed at just 5-foot-10, 156 pounds — is what makes him a curious case as a prospect.
Most pundits agree Firkus has the tools to be an NHL contributor, but his size sprinkles mystery into his case for playing at that level.
However, while he’s well aware of his perceived limitations, it’s not something that bothers Firkus.
“I just embrace it,” Firkus said. “People are going to ask you about that, and I have an answer for it. So it doesn’t really worry me. I can’t change my size, so I can’t worry about that. It doesn’t really change me.”
One thing that’s working in Firkus’ favor: the stigma around smaller hockey players is slowly fading away as players like Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, who Firkus said he likes to watch and incorporate details he sees into his own game, excel at the NHL level.
Another diminutive forward with experience in Moose Jaw comes to mind for O’Leary.
“He’s not necessarily Brayden Point, but he has a lot of Brayden Point in him,” said O’Leary, who was an assistant coach for the Warriors during Point’s career in Moose Jaw. “One of the things that made (Point) special was his ability to put pucks in places around his body and around his feet where he protects it and be hard on it … there are things as a smaller guy you can do to play heavy and I think Jagger does that.”
“He’s also a slippery guy. He plays with his head up, and like Brayden Point, he seems to be very good at being evasive of hard and heavy contact.”
Firkus’ durability backs up O’Leary’s claim, as he’s only missed four games in the last two WHL seasons.
The Irma, Alberta native also said he has tacked on a couple of pounds during the season and plans to be more aggressive with gaining weight during the upcoming offseason.
But right now, Firkus’ focus is more on the ice, in particular on rounding out his game, something the Kraken have worked with him on in video sessions during the season.
“There’s one specific thing they want me to work on and that’s just spacing with the puck,” Firkus said. “For a smaller guy, you need to find open ice so you can give yourself room and that’s one big thing that they’ve been helping me.”
O’Leary also called out that Firkus’ defensive game has expanded this season, which earned him a spot on Moose Jaw’s penalty kill.
But make no mistake, Firkus still is imbued with the freedom to make plays offensively. This season in particular, he’s played primarily on a line centered by Brayden Yager, who is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The two have been “attached at the hip” since they both entered the WHL and showcase good chemistry with each other on and off the ice.
“He’s a fun guy to play with and just an unreal guy off the ice, too,” Firkus said.
Others would likely say the same thing about Firkus, whose aforementioned creative play style earned him the “Firkus Circus” nickname, which has an unknown origin but started in Moose Jaw and has spread to the rest of the hockey universe.
“I embrace it, I think it’s funny someone came up with that,” Firkus said.
Will the circus ever make its way to Seattle? That’s the burning question with any prospect, but especially one like Firkus, who harnesses more upside than most with his ability to put the puck in the back of the net and function as a playmaker for others.
He certainly has his supporters, including O’Leary, who is adamant that Firkus will crack the NHL.
“He’s got too much to offer,” O’Leary said. “He’ll find a way.”
The loss of Andrew Poturalski for the season and Jesper Froden to NHL callup have hurt the Firebirds’ depth, but Cameron Hughes and Tye Kartye have been integral in filling the void. Hughes has 15 points in his last 10 games and Kartye is nearly scoring at a goal-per-game pace with eight in that same stretch.
Kokko excelling on loan
Kraken goaltender Niklas Kokko, who was loaned to SaiPa in Finland’s top league last month, has been red hot for his new squad, posting a .949 save percentage in his last four starts.
It’s been an encouraging stretch for Kokko, who was selected by the Kraken 58th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Not only has the 18-year-old netminder posted encouraging numbers in Finland’s top league, Kokko shined for Finland’s U19 squad in an international tournament last month.
Wright healthy once again
After missing eight games with a lower-body injury, Shane Wright returned to the Windsor Spitfire’s lineup on Feb. 23. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 draft has two goals and three assists in five games since his return.
The prized prospect started off sweltering hot for the Spitfires with over two points per game before his prolonged absence. We certainly aren’t sounding the alarm due to his drop in production, but we’re keeping an eye on it.
The Spitfires certainly could use more out of Wright. Windsor, which has dropped four of its five games since Wright re-entered the lineup, is trailing the Ontario Hockey League Western Conference leading London Knights, which feature Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton, by two points. The Spitfires have eight games remaining in the regular season, with the Knights holding a game in hand. Windsor ends the season with back-to-back matchups with London.
Playoff update
OHL
Ty Nelson (third-round pick in 2022) and Kyle Jackson (seventh-round pick in 2022) of the North Bay Battalion have clinched a playoff spot and are currently the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. North Bay is 10 points off Ottawa for the top seed and unlikely to catch the 67s, but it is fending off the Barrie Colts for home ice in the second round. The Battalion is three points up on the Colts with eight games remaining, none of which are against each other.
Tucker Robertson (fourth-round pick in 2022) and the Peterborough Petes are still vying to secure their spot in the playoffs, but are more than likely to make it. The Petes are jockeying with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Mississauga Steelheads, and Sudbury Wolves, who feature Kraken forward prospect David Goyette, for home ice in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Petes have the inside track, with 65 points to Hamilton’s 64, Mississauga’s 62, and Sudbury’s 60, and have a game in hand on the Bulldogs.
WHL
Firkus and the Moose Jaw Warriors are likely locked into the 4-5 matchup in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Warriors lead Lethbridge by five points, with the Hurricanes holding a game in hand, for home ice in the first round. But watch out for Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats. They likely can’t catch Moose Jaw, but they are only five back of Lethbridge with a game in hand. A first-round matchup pitting Firkus and Bedard against each other would be highly entertaining.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Jacob Melanson (fifth-round pick in 2021) and the Sherbrooke Phoenix are currently in a tight battle for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Phoenix lead with 89 points, but the Gatineau Olympiques are hot on their tail with 88. Two of Sherbrooke’s nine remaining games are against Gatineau.
Liiga
Jani Nyman (second-round pick in 2022) and Ilves are in a dead heat with Tappara for the league’s top seed, with both teams boasting 110 points and Ilves having a game in hand. With three games remaining in the regular season, it may come down to the two teams clashing on Sunday in Ilves’ penultimate game of the campaign.
Kokko and SaiPa and Ville Ottavainen (fourth-round pick in 2021) of JYP will both miss the playoffs.
British Columbia Hockey League
Ben McDonald (third-round pick in 2022) and the West Kelowna Warriors are third in the Interior Division standings but are fending off Salmon Arm and Prince George, who is one point and four points back, respectively, with six games remaining. Salmon Arm holds a game in hand.
United States Hockey League
Barrett Hall (sixth-round pick in 2022) and the Green Bay Gamblers are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. There’s plenty of runway, however, with 16 games remaining in the regular season.
NCAA
Justin Janicke (seventh-round pick in 2021) and Notre Dame fell to Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament in a best-of-three series. The fourth-seeded Fighting Irish won Game 1 but failed to advance after dropping the next two to the Spartans, the No. 5 seed, and seriously jeopardized their chances of making it to the NCAA tournament. Janicke recorded one assist in the series.
Tyson Jugnauth (fourth-round pick in 2022) and seventh-seeded Wisconsin were swept by second-seeded Michigan in their first-round series. Jugnauth recorded two assists in the final two games of his freshman season. Also noteworthy: Wisconsin fired head coach Tony Granato, who ran the program for seven seasons.
Josh Horton
Josh Horton is a freelance writer, former newspaper journalist, and erstwhile Western Hockey League writer for the Everett Herald and The Spokesman-Review (Spokane). He is NOT a juggler, nor is he a former professional baseball player. Follow him on Twitter @byjoshhorton.
Making his first return to Columbus since being traded to the Kraken, all eyes were on Oliver Bjorkstrand Friday night as Seattle continued its four-game road trip. But, it would be a different former Blue Jacket who would score the game-winning goal in the third period and take the spotlight. Alex Wennberg scored a power-play goal in the final 20 that put the Kraken ahead in a 4-2 win against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.
“Obviously, it’s really nice to get that goal,” Wennberg said. “I think the last time I scored a goal was against Columbus as well. So I mean, it’s a little nice for me to come and play your old team and have that success to score goals. But I mean, right now, it doesn’t really matter who scores. We got to win these games. It’s back-to-back and it’s a huge game to step up and get this win. We’ll take it and move on.”
The Kraken have started their four-game road trip with three-straight wins. Wennberg would add an assist on the night. He was originally a first-round draft pick by Columbus in 2013 and played six seasons with the Blue Jackets.
After Adam Boqvist scored on a rebound to tie the game 2-2 at 4:53 of the third period, Seattle went on a power play. Wennberg was in front of the net; he pivoted and slid the puck past goalie Elvis Merzlikins for his 11th of the season and gave the Kraken a 3-2 lead.
Brandon Tanev scored an empty-net goal for the second game in a row, at 19:12 to finish the 4-2 final.
“We were pretty consistent throughout a lot of specialty teams,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “On a back-to-back, I’d rather see a little bit more five-on-five, but you know, really consistent effort.”
Jared McCann scored a goal to become the first Kraken to reach the 30-goal mark and added an assist. Jordan Eberle scored a goal, and Vince Dunn had two assists for the Kraken (35-26-6), who will wrap up their trip in Colorado on Sunday. Philipp Grubauer made 21 saves.
Patrik Laine and Boqvist each had a goal and assist for Columbus (20-36-5), who end the season series against Seattle 0-2-0. Elvis Merzlikins gave the Blue Jackets a chance by making 31 saves.
Laine broke up what looked like a goalie battle with a snipe on the power play at 10:18 of the second period to make it 1-0.
“We’ve been good on the PK,” Hakstol said. “When you make a mistake against that guy, he’s gonna find a hole and it was an elite shot on his part. But, we’ve been good [on the PK]. We’ve been consistent and working hard there.”
The Kraken would react, scoring twice in less than a minute. It would be McCann first, who blasted a shot from the top of the circle, which is becoming his favorite shooting spot, at 13:20 to tie the game at 1-1. It was the third straight game he has at least one goal, and this one was his 30th.
“It’s awesome,” McCann said of scoring 30 for the first time in his career. “Like, it’s great, but at the same time, we’re still trying to accomplish something as a team and we have a great group of guys in here that I’m happy that things stayed the way they were.”
McCann would be involved in the second goal of the period, at 14:08 to give the Kraken a 2-1 lead. McCann’s shot was stopped by Merzlikins, but the rebound went to Eberle who quickly fired it on net and scored his 14th goal and 50th point this season.
Merzlikins kept Blue Jackets in it
Seattle led in nearly every offensive category and could have won the game a lot easier if it weren’t for Merzlikins.
The Kraken outshot Columbus 35-23, including an 11-5 advantage in the second period. On top of those numbers, Seattle took 55.6 percent of the shot attempts while at 5-on-5, and had 71 percent of the shot advantage in the second period.
Tentacle tales
Bjorkstrand played just over 12 minutes, and had an assist, but left the game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He did not return to the game, and Hakstol did not have an update after.
Believe this is Oliver Bjorkstrand's last shift tonight, before he left with a lower-body injury.
He's in the frame for most of this video, disappears for a moment, then cuts his shift short and heads to the bench. Nothing obvious. #SeaKrakenpic.twitter.com/OjVVcO4fFC
