There was a lot to like from Seattle’s game against Nashville Thursday, but the good guys ultimately fell 2-1 in a shootout. The Kraken had good defensive structure throughout the game, and they got some looks offensively. But they couldn’t break through more than once in regulation, then came up empty in overtime and in a shootout.
Seattle had been consistently closing things out in three-on-three overtime lately, but they actually played almost the entire five minutes at four-on-four Thursday (more on that in Takeaway #2), a situation in which they aren’t as good. The result was a trip to a shootout, where the Kraken remain winless on the season.
“This time of year, when there’s a lot on the line, that’s the type of hockey that it’s going to be,” said coach Dave Hakstol. “It came down to the shootout. So unfortunately we didn’t get the extra point, but we’ve got to turn the page quickly.”
Here are our Three Takeaways from a 2-1 Kraken shootout loss to the Predators.
Takeaway #1: The Kraken aren’t good in shootouts
Shootouts are such a weird thing in the NHL. If you lose in a shootout, it feels different than losing in overtime for some reason, even though it means getting the same single loser point. Dropping a shootout game is usually like losing a coin toss. You think, Meh, it’s a shootout. Could have gone either way.
The thing about coin tosses, though, is that eventually you win one even if you’re on a bad streak. We’re starting to think it’s less about bad luck and more that the Kraken just aren’t very good at scoring in shootouts. Seattle is now 0-4 in the skills competition on the season after going 3-1 in that area last season.
On this night, Hakstol chose Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle as his shooters. He didn’t get to send a third shooter, because by that time, Nashville had already sealed it with goals by Matt Duchene and Philip Tomasino. McCann did hit the post, and Eberle made a nice move, but Juuse Saros made a blocker save.
The players have regularly been practicing their shootout moves since this started to show itself as a problematic piece of the puzzle, but apparently to no avail.
We’ve seen folks saying they’d like to see Matty Beniers get a chance in the shootout, and at this point, we might have to agree. Throw out a whole new look the next time a game gets to this point.
Takeaway #2: A weird nuance to overtime hurt the Kraken
While the Kraken are not good at shootouts, they are pretty good at three-on-three overtime. Seattle is 9-4 in games that end in overtime but don’t make it to the shootout, and that record comes despite the team dropping its first three OT opportunities of the season. Since those three straight losses, the Kraken have shown outstanding patience in three-on-three, and they clearly have a lot of confidence in that situation.
A nuance in overtime rules hurt the Kraken against the Predators, though. Brandon Tanev took a boarding penalty with 1:31 left in regulation—a call with which he vehemently disagreed—and 29 seconds of that infraction carried into overtime. Instead of playing three-on-two in overtime (because that would be dumb), the team on the power play gets a four-on-three advantage. When the penalty ends and the penalized player comes out of the box, the teams then play four-on-four until the next whistle.
After Tanev got out of the box, the next whistle didn’t come until there were only 20 seconds left, meaning almost the entire OT period was played at four-on-four.
The Kraken have proven they are good at playing a rope-a-dope three-on-three, waiting for their opportunity to strike and then capitalizing. But at four-on-four, it’s much harder to hold onto the puck.
“You get into a shootout, anything can happen,” said Eberle. “We’ve been obviously cold in the shootout this year, so we tried to end it earlier. It’s tough with four-on-four, though, but it was a good hockey game. We had our chances.”
This overtime period was a lot more back and forth than what we’ve seen from the typical OT period for Seattle, when each team has just three skaters. They never managed to possess the puck for an extended period with four skaters, and once they got to the shootout, they were cooked.
Takeaway #3: Daniel Sprong and Joey Daccord earned the point
The loss stings, as a regulation win over Nashville would have been huge for solidifying Seattle’s playoff hopes. Instead, Nashville inched closer to Seattle in the wild card hunt and now sits six points behind the Kraken with a game in hand.
Still, every point is crucial right now, and Daniel Sprong and Joey Daccord helped Seattle get one.
Sprong is still one of the most fascinating stories of the season for the Kraken. We’ve talked a lot this season about Sprong making the team off of a professional tryout in training camp, then playing his way into a consistent role. But Hakstol went back to his old ways of periodically scratching Sprong as the season wore on and Sprong’s offensive production dwindled.
Well, back in the lineup for the last two games, Sprong has two goals and an assist playing on the fourth line, and he is now just two goals shy of potting 20 for the first time in his career.
His goal against the Preds was creative. After an elite pass from Morgan Geekie, Sprong ran out of room and looped around Saros. Instead of trying to wrap it around to the other side, he hit the brakes and saw that he had pulled Saros out of the goal crease. He told Piper Shaw between periods on the ROOT Sports broadcast that he was trying to bank it “off his ass,” but instead hit Saros’s skate and got it to carom over the line.
DING DONG! 🚨
Awesome goal by Daniel Sprong, who receives an outrageous pass by Morgan Geekie, then banks the puck in off Juuse Saros.
That's Sprong's 18th of the year and second in two games. Just to remind you, he's a fourth liner… with 18 goals.
Daccord, meanwhile, made his second consecutive start for the first time as a Kraken. He earned the nod after a solid outing Tuesday in Dallas, and he made Hakstol look pretty smart for the decision. The Kraken did a good job of insulating Daccord for most of the game, but when the Predators did get through, he came up big.
“He didn’t have a lot to do in portions, especially the first half of the game,” said Hakstol. “They built some momentum in the second period, and that’s when he had to be at his best. He was sound, he was solid, made pretty good decisions with the puck.”
Daccord’s best save came in overtime, when Luke Evangelista fought through a check and tried to tuck the puck around Daccord’s pad. Daccord flared out his left leg and just got enough of the puck to kick it wide. The lone goal Daccord allowed in regulation came off a big rebound that happened to land right on the stick of Kiefer Sherwood. In all, Daccord stopped 23 of 24 shots and was a key part of Seattle earning a point.
The Kraken will face these same Predators in Nashville in a Saturday matinee. That is a huge game for both sides.
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.
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.
The Kraken needed that one, and so did the folks here at Sound Of Hockey. We will explain why the victory was cathartic to us in Takeaway #3, but for the Kraken, a win against the Stars was important for several reasons.
First and foremost, standings points are still crucial for Seattle right now. There remains a long road ahead to clinching the franchise’s first playoff berth, and the team hasn’t been playing the most inspiring hockey over the last few weeks. By winning Tuesday, the Kraken are back to a six-point cushion over Calgary, the first team out of the playoff bubble, and a seven-point gap over Nashville, Seattle’s opponent for the next two games of this road trip.
It was also important because there were some little demons that seemed to be forming recently in the Kraken’s minds. The group had been struggling to close out games, and the Dallas Stars had been one of the teams that exploited that. Plus, there is a chance the Kraken could play the Stars early in the playoffs, so getting a win against that club could end up being important for the psyche at some point,
Here are our Three Takeaways from a big 5-4 Kraken overtime win against the Stars.
Takeaway #1: It wasn’t easy, but the Kraken got it done
Seattle played a good game on this night, but being able to shut teams down in the desperation six-on-five scenarios has been a thorn in the team’s side. That was the case again Tuesday, as Jamie Benn cross-checked his way to a tying goal with .7 seconds left.
We thought the Kraken had two chances to clear the zone in the dying moments of regulation; once when Matty Beniers softly rimmed the puck behind the net, and a second time when Vince Dunn tried to pass out of the zone instead of simply chipping it. The result was the Kraken again getting pinned in for way too long and the inevitable equalizer.
To their credit, the Kraken didn’t let the devastation of the buzzer-beating tying goal carry into the overtime period. And even when Dallas maintained possession of the puck for the first minute and a half of three-on-three play, the Kraken stayed structured defensively and waited for their opportunity to steal the puck. Once they finally got control, they wasted no time in sealing the win.
NEVER A DOUBT! LARSSON WINS IT IN OT! 🚨
Incredible bank pass by McCann to send the Big Cat in on a breakaway. Great patience, puck protection, and hands by Larsson to tuck it behind Oettinger.
Recognizing that Seattle had gained possession, Adam Larsson—yes, stay-at-home defenseman Adam Larsson—quickly got behind the Dallas defense. Jared McCann saw the opportunity to spring Larsson on a breakaway and made a deft delivery off the boards and around Evgenii Dadonov. Larsson raced in and showed patience, puck protection, and his sneaky silky mitts to tuck it around goalie Jake Oettinger and send the Kraken on to Nashville in a happy mood.
Takeaway #2: An “unsung hero” kind of night
Seattle’s depth returned to take a starring role in this one, with its fourth line contributing three goals. Early in the game, Daniel Sprong—who has often been a healthy scratch lately—looked like he was tired of being a healthy scratch. He created Brandon Tanev’s first goal by poking a puck past a Dallas defender at the blue line, then hustling into the offensive zone and throwing the puck toward the net. Tanev deflected it out of the air to give the Kraken an early lead.
THE FOURTH LINE STRIKES EARLY! 🚨
Sprong throws it at the net, Turbo takes it out of the air.
Sprong followed that up by showing off his deceptive shooting ability, looking off Larsson on a two-on-one, and twisting a funky-looking shot through Oettinger’s pads.
DING DONG! 🚨
Daniel Sprong gets his second point of the game and 17th goal of the season. What a deceiving little shot there, through the wickets on Oettinger.
He's indicating he would like to not be scratched anymore.
Late in the game, Tanev added his second of the night after a beautiful backhand saucer pass by Morgan Geekie.
It was a big night for that fourth line, which has been such an offensive force at times this season but cooled off recently.
Let’s not forget Kraken netminder Joey Daccord. He was called up on an emergency basis to replace Philipp Grubauer, who is recovering from illness, and given the start over Martin Jones. It was only Daccord’s second start in the NHL this season, and while he gave up four goals on 29 shots, we thought he looked really confident. There were a number of prime scoring opportunities that Daccord calmly kicked away, and he moved the puck like a true veteran.
“It was a pretty crazy 24 hours,” said Daccord. “But, just super excited when they told me I was gonna get to play right away. It just didn’t really give me any time to think, just get right in there and do it, so super fun.”
Takeaway #3: We needed that one too
We’re sure you’ve heard the tough news by now, but our good friend, Andy Eide, suffered a stroke just prior to Saturday’s game at Climate Pledge Arena. It has been a tough few days for us at Sound Of Hockey, as we’ve waited anxiously for news about Andy’s status. To say we’ve been emotional about it would be an understatement; we love Andy, and he and his kind, gentle soul do not deserve to be going through this right now.
An exciting Kraken victory gave us a brief jolt of excitement and enthusiasm and was actually quite cathartic. Seeing the team celebrate, and being able to cheer from afar gave a nice little shot of joy in an otherwise tough stretch of worry and glumness.
As long as we’re on the topic, we will never be able to thank the hockey community enough for the support and love you’ve shown for Andy over the past 36 hours or so, since the news became public. Your words have been so kind, and your donations have been beyond generous.
It has truly been overwhelming to see how many lives Andy has touched over the years. It’s a testament to how great of a guy he is, but also a reminder that the hockey community sticks together and takes care of its own.
We love you all. We love Andy. Thank you.
If you would like to donate to help Andy and his family, please visit AndyEide.com.
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.
The Kraken got off the schneid with an important—albeit uncomfortably tight—2-1 overtime win over the Sharks on Thursday. With the team getting back to Seattle in the wee hours of the morning, we expected coach Dave Hakstol to nix practice Friday, favoring rest and recovery for his team. Instead, he did call for a brief on-ice session at Kraken Community Iceplex that lasted all of about 13 minutes.
Hakstol explained that with Seattle’s next game against the Edmonton Oilers coming Saturday at 1 p.m., there won’t be time for a morning skate prior to that game. “This just gives us the opportunity to get a sweat, to touch the puck, to get our bodies moving,” said Hakstol. “You know, it was a late night last night, so it was important to get up and get going.”
An important win in San Jose
We’ve talked many times on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast and on this website about the ebb and flow of an 82-game season. Sometimes things are going your way, and sometimes they’re not, and that’s just part of the journey. Things were going well for the Kraken when they won five straight games between Feb. 28 and March 5, but the Kraken fanbase was understandably on edge when the team followed that up with a loss against Ottawa and two more losses against Dallas.
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Kraken got a desperately needed win in San Jose Thursday to stop the bleeding and get things going back in the right direction.
Hakstol gave a lot of credit for the win to netminder Philipp Grubauer, who made 31 saves on the night and only allowed a penalty shot goal to William Eklund. “We didn’t give up any ten-bellers, but we gave up a few chances,” Hakstol said. “He was solid, he was calm, we got going, and obviously the tying goal was a big play for us and got us going back in the right direction.”
Gourde / Tolvanen / Bjorkstrand back together
Another key in the win was the reunited line of Yanni Gourde, Eeli Tolvanen, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Bjorkstrand had the game-tying goal in the third period off a great stretch pass by Gourde and assisted on Vince Dunn’s overtime game winner.
Hakstol had split that trio up prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 28. He had seemed reluctant to break them apart, as the three had been his most consistent line for some time. But he ultimately slid Bjorkstrand into a top-six role with Jaden Schwartz and Alex Wennberg, replacing Andre Burakovsky on the wing. That change temporarily worked; the Kraken immediately went on a five-game win streak, and we don’t think that’s a coincidence.
But with things going sideways more recently, and the team back on a three-game skid, Hakstol went back to the trio that he knows and trusts for the San Jose game.
“Ollie’s a guy that— he’s found success with Wenny and Schwartz,” said Hakstol. “You know, he’s done a nice job there. But the chemistry that those three guys, he and Gourdie and Tolvy, have is really good.”
Hakstol added that the comfortability between the players stems from being good friends and teammates both on and off the ice.
“They spend a ton of time together off the ice. Half the time, when you walk around the corner of the facility, if you find one of them, you’re going to find all three of them.”
Gourde, Bjorkstrand, and Tolvanen sit in a row next to one another in the dressing room. We asked Bjorkstrand Friday if he likes playing with Tolvanen, and he joked, “No! Hate it!” before Tolvanen responded with a loud, sarcastic laugh.
**Editor’s note: Sound Of Hockey actually had an extensive conversation with both Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen Friday. We hoped to bring you a lot more insight from those players directly, but we had a recording mishap. So, summing up the conversation from memory, they really like playing together and trust one another. The chemistry is certainly there, even in the dressing room.
John Hayden makes his presence known
John Hayden was recalled from AHL Coachella Valley this week. There was no corresponding roster move made, so Jesper Froden remained with the Kraken. After the trade deadline, rosters expand, meaning teams can carry more than the 23 players that were allowed before March 3. This gives the Kraken a bit more roster flexibility, as they had carried two extra defensemen and just one extra forward since the Jaycob Megna deal in early February. Now, Hakstol has the option to insert a physical presence in Hayden when he sees fit.
“He’s just a character, straight-line guy,” said Hakstol. “You know what you’re gonna get, he’s honest in his approach off the ice, he’s honest in his approach on the ice. That [physical] element is a welcome element in our room, and he’s done a nice job whenever he’s been in the lineup for us this year.”
Hayden was physical early and often in San Jose. He laid a big hit on Logan Couture in the first period, and later crashed the net before getting in a skirmish behind James Reimer.
From the clip above, you can see how comfortable Hayden is pushing his opponents around, a quality that doesn’t exist for a lot of Kraken players.
Edmonton Oilers rolling into town
The next game for the Kraken is a big one, as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers visit Climate Pledge Arena Saturday. The intra-division matchup against the world’s best player always brings a heightened level of excitement, but now there are serious playoff implications on the line. Seattle officially trails the Oilers by just one point in the standings but holds a game in hand.
Getting back into the third spot in the Pacific would mean Seattle would take back an “automatic qualifier” spot that gets awarded to the top three teams in each division. Dropping out of the top three means Seattle is in the wild card conversation and fighting with teams in both the Pacific and Central for the final two spots in the postseason.
With the win against the Sharks, the Kraken have a four-point cushion over the Jets, who are in the last wild card spot, and a seven- and eight-point gap over Calgary and Nashville, two teams currently outside the bubble.
So, Seattle is still very much in the playoffs, but sitting in the top three in the division is a much more comfortable place than the wild card race, where there are so many more teams at play.
The Oilers are coming off a convincing 4-1 win over the Stars, a team that just beat the Kraken twice at Climate Pledge Arena. After Saturday’s game, Seattle will go on the road to play Dallas (again), Nashville twice, and Minnesota.
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.
It was far from a masterpiece, but the Seattle Kraken managed two huge standings points Thursday by coming from behind to get an overtime win. A goal from Vince Dunn with just over three minutes left sealed a crucial 2-1 win against the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center.
“Just fortunate I think,” Dunn said. “[I was thinking] just get it on net and try not to turn it over. If you miss that shot wide it can turn the other way and it’s an odd man rush the opposite way. For me, just give myself a chance. I think it was a fortunate goal for me, kind of caught them on the change.”
Dunn was the offensive hero, but this game was won on the back of goalie Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer was a rock and ended the night by kicking away 31 shots and was only scored on via a penalty shot by San Jose rookie William Eklund.
“The end result is extremely important, we got the two points,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “I really liked our first two periods… I said it before the game, this is going to be a tight, hard-fought game. They skate, they check, and I don’t know if anyone noticed the skill that they have. We knew it was going to be that kind of game that we have to push it through 60 minutes.”
Seattle has been stymied by Sharks goalie James Reimer, who had shut out the Kraken for over 149 minutes before Oliver Bjorkstrand tied the game in the third period with his 15th of the season.
Bjorkstrand added an assist to his goal, and Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann, and Adam Larsson each had assists as well for the Kraken (38-23-7), who snapped a three-game slide and avoided a fourth loss in a row, something they have done all year.
“I think they’re a really fast team even though they aren’t playing for anything right now,” Grubauer said. “Especially in the first period, I think they had some really good chances there. Tight game, they didn’t give us too much, we needed everybody on board tonight.”
Eklund scored for the Sharks (19-36-14), who earned an overtime point in the second straight game.
The game started as a classic goalie duel as both Reimer and Grubauer were looking unbeatable. It wouldn’t be until the third period that either guy flinched.
At 1:18 Eklund got behind the Seattle defense and was in alone. He was hooked as he took the shot and was awarded a penalty shot, the first of his career. He glided in and took a quick shot that beat Grubauer to give San Jose a 1-0 lead.
The goal gave the game an uneasy feeling and even though the Kraken were outshooting the Sharks at the time, it felt like they weren’t going to score.
“I wasn’t really worried about it,” Grubauer said. “It was just a matter of time before we would find the back of the net.”
They would.
At 7:03 Yanni Gourde sent a seeing-eye lead pass over 100 feet to a streaking Bjorkstrand. He took the pass clean and was behind everybody, and a quick shot tied the game at 1-1 and changed the feeling of the game.
Overtime started with some trepidation as Alex Wennberg broke his stick on the opening face-off, and Seattle had to deal with a shift where they were essentially down a player. The Kraken got through it.
Then at 1:58, it would be Bjorkstrand whose stretch pass found Dunn. The defenseman fired a wrist shot after a few strides that beat Reimer through the five hole and gave the win to Seattle.
“There was a will to [Dunn] tonight that you could see,” Hakstol said. “His confidence, offensively with the puck he was, I thought, in control of some of the play, and it’s maybe fitting that he was the guy who made the play on the winning goal.”
Huge points
The Kraken are in the space where every point matters. The night would have been positive just getting into overtime, but the extra point earned with the win was meaningful.
“Points are very important right now,” Dunn said. “They don’t always have to be pretty but we just have to find a way to get two. Every point really matters right now.”
Seattle kept pace and stayed one point behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place in the Pacific Division. More importantly, with Nashville losing, the Kraken are eight points ahead of the Predators and seven ahead of the Calgary Flames, who are the ninth-place team in the West.
Tentacle Tales
Dunn extended his point streak to a career-best 11 games.
Dunn leads all NHL defensemen in scoring since Jan. 1.
He became the third Kraken defenseman to score an overtime winner in franchise history, joining Justin Schultz and Adam Larsson.
Eklund is the youngest player in Sharks history to score on a penalty shot.
You may have thought you felt the wind pick up late Thursday around the Seattle metropolitan area. But that wasn’t actually wind you were feeling; that was the entire Kraken fanbase simultaneously breathing a huge sigh of relief as Seattle snuck by the San Jose Sharks with a crucial 2-1 overtime win.
Things are starting to feel too close for comfort in the Western Conference standings. After losing three straight at home, Thursday’s game against a lowly San Jose team felt like a must win for Seattle. It wasn’t easy or pretty, but the Kraken barely got the job done and earned the desperately needed two points to stop the bleeding and stay seven points ahead of Calgary in the wild card race.
Philipp Grubauer out-dueled James Reimer and stopped 31 of 32 shots, and Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn gave the team just enough offensive output.
“Last time we were in here, it wasn’t the game we were looking for,” said Grubauer. “We didn’t grab the points, so we wanted to make sure we got the points today.”
Here are our Three Takeaways from a relieving 2-1 overtime Kraken win over the Sharks.
Takeaway #1: Thank goodness for Oliver Bjorkstrand
As we arrived at the third period with the score still tied 0-0, there was a sense that the first team to score would end up winning this painfully tight game. Just over a minute into the frame, 20-year-old rookie William Eklund found himself behind the Kraken defense. He got a shot away, forcing Philipp Grubauer to make what seemed like an important save, but he also took a slash in the process from Ryan Donato and drew a penalty shot. Eklund converted on the penalty shot, giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.
This is when dread set in for Kraken fans, who surely remember a miserable 4-0 loss to the Sharks at SAP Center on Feb. 20. Like that night, Seattle was again playing down to a lesser opponent Thursday and giving San Jose a chance to win, while struggling to muster any kind of success against Reimer.
Fortunately for Seattle fans, Oliver Bjorkstrand is a Kraken.
Prior to this game, coach Dave Hakstol moved Bjorkstrand back to his old line with Eeli Tolvanen and Yanni Gourde, and the move paid off. Seven minutes into the third period, Gourde fired a 110-foot pass from behind Seattle’s net to Bjorkstrand in the neutral zone. Bjorkstrand raced in and buried a shot over the glove of Reimer, leveling the score at 1-1 and giving the Kraken and their fans hope they could salvage this game.
Oh, thank goodness. 🚨
Yanni Gourde makes a 100-foot pass to Oliver Bjorkstrand, who goes in alone and finishes.
Sure enough, when overtime hit, it was Bjorkstrand who paid it forward to Vince Dunn with a smart stretch pass of his own, and Dunn went in and scored the game winner.
Without Bjorkstrand, the Kraken could be in a dire situation right now.
Takeaway #2: Thank goodness for Vince Dunn
Speaking of Dunn, he has had quite the second half to this NHL season. The puck-moving defenseman has blossomed offensively, and he could truly be in the Norris Trophy conversation if he continues to produce at this same breakneck pace for the rest of the season. He won’t win it, but he could be in the conversation.
Dunn extended his franchise record point streak to 11 games with his overtime goal Thursday, pushing the Kraken back within one point of the third-place Edmonton Oilers. He also set a new career high for goals with his 13th of the season, and with 56 points, he has far surpassed his previous career high in that category.
His latest point was a bit fortuitous, but it had a big impact on Seattle’s playoff hopes. With the three-on-three overtime period well underway, Bjorkstrand circled back in the Kraken zone and recognized that all three Sharks had shaded to one side of the ice. That left Dunn open on the other side at the San Jose blue line. Bjorkstrand hit Dunn with a perfect pass, and Dunn made a simple play to skate in, drift toward the slot, and shoot for Reimer’s five hole.
Reimer—who was on a dominant streak against the Kraken—came back down to Earth in that moment and allowed the puck to squeak through the wickets.
“Just reading the pre-scout and everything, [goalie coach Steve Briere] said if he’s feeling it, throw one five hole,” said Dunn. “I don’t know if [Briere] is that smart, or if I was just a little lucky, but maybe kudos to him.”
Dunn has proven to be one of Seattle’s two best selections in the Expansion Draft—along with Jared McCann—and could be a building block for the future of this team. The 26-year-old’s contract is expiring after this season, but he will be a restricted free agent. What kind of a raise will he get on his next deal?
Takeaway #3: It was *almost* a night of missed opportunities
We mentioned Reimer’s dominant streak against the Kraken in Takeaway #2, and for almost the entire hockey game Thursday, it felt like he was going to pull out another win. In four appearances against Seattle, Reimer has now stopped 122 of 127 shots for a .961 save percentage and a 1.25 goals against average.
Aside from Bjorkstrand’s game-tying goal in the third period, the Kraken had several chances in regulation that looked like sure goals. But in every case, the puck would skitter through the crease, hit the post, or fly wide of the net. That’s just how it goes when you’re facing a goalie that has your number, and Reimer definitely had Seattle’s number.
The most egregious miss came after an errant clearing attempt by Reimer landed on the stick of Jaden Schwartz. Reimer was way out of the net, so Sharks players threw themselves into the crease to try to stop Schwartz from scoring. Looking for an opening, Schwartz stickhandled, but never actually got a shot away.
That wasn’t the only near miss, though. McCann had a wide-open look from the slot in the first but fired wide, Adam Larsson hit the inside of the post early in the second, and John Hayden tipped a shot through Reimer’s legs in the third, only to have it slide outside the left post.
To Seattle’s credit, the group stuck with it and found just enough offensive output to get the desperately needed two standings points.
“[The two points are] very important right now,” said Dunn. “They don’t always have to be pretty, but we just have to make sure we find a way to get two. Every point really matters right now, so that’s very big for the team to get back on track here.”
The Kraken now face a much tougher—and even more important—test Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.
“Coming up, it’s a pretty big test,” said Grubauer. “We’re playing teams that are even with us in the standings or within a couple points. So you can’t waste any points tonight.”
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.
In the two weeks before the NHL Trade Deadline every single team projected into the playoffs or within four standings points of projecting into the playoffs made a trade—that is, except for the Seattle Kraken.
Of course, it is not breaking news at this point that the Kraken sat out the flurry of league activity at the trade deadline. The team did make a minor deal four weeks before the cutoff date for depth defenseman Jaycob Megna. Kraken general manager Ron Francis explained that the team needed to protect itself with Coachella Valley defenseman Gustav Olofsson injured at the time.
After the deadline, Francis explained that the first day of free agency and the trade deadline are the two most dangerous dates on the calendar for an NHL front office. The risk of overpaying scarce draft assets and salary cap space for a player is acute.
Ultimately, the Kraken did not see a deal they liked. But did they miss opportunities? Today, I wanted to dive into some of the better trade acquisitions at the deadline to see if there was a fit Seattle could have explored to their advantage. After that bit of work, we’ll be in a position to make an informed assessment of the team’s decision against buying or selling at the trade deadline.
One caveat: I’m going to do my best to avoid speculating about deals that did not happen. This means avoiding counterfactual assumptions except to the extent rooted in commentary of NHL front offices. For example, I’m not going to suggest that Francis should have convinced Tampa Bay to part with five draft assets for Daniel Sprong or Ryan Donato instead of Tanner Jeannot. In that case, I assume the Lightning zeroed in on the specific player and no amount of salesmanship by Francis and his team would have made a difference. Likewise, I am not going to speculate that Seattle could have acquired a player I liked (such as Detroit defenseman Jake Walman, for example) if they had simply offered enough.
OK, let’s dive in.
What was available on the trade market?
Sorting through the deadline trades, I was able to quickly eliminate the large majority of the acquisitions as either (a) overpayments the Seattle front office was correct to avoid (such as for depth centers Lars Eller or Nick Bjugstad) or (b) deals that I could not rationalize as a fit for Seattle (such as trading a first-round pick for young defenseman Rasmus Sandin). In the end, I settled on a list of ten potential targets that were available on terms relatively favorable to the acquiring team. This should give us a better sense of what trades Seattle could have been in on.
Deal No. 1: The New Jersey Devils acquire forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks for forwards Fabian Zutterlund and Andreas Johnsson, defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, a 2023 first-round pick, and second- and seventh-round picks in 2024. Meier is a restricted free agent after the season.
The target. Timo Meier is a well-rounded All-Star-level winger in his prime at 25 years old. He can shoot, forecheck, and get to the front of the net, generate shots for his teammates, and play defense. He is in the final year of his deal and a restricted free agent this season. He is likely to seek an eight-year extension valued at between $8 million and $9 million annually.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. Timo Meier is the real thing—a bona fide first-line player who generates high-danger scoring chances at a rate far higher than anyone currently on the Kraken roster. And he is in his prime. With Beniers competing at a high level from the jump, the Kraken have a window to compete with their current veteran core this year and next. Adding Meier would have been a real difference maker in this window. He is also young enough to bridge into the next wave of players such as Shane Wright. His contract demands are easily justifiable based on what he brings.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. The Kraken have done a good job drafting so far, but the talent pool is still shallow after just two drafts. The Kraken need to build out their prospect pipeline to supplement the NHL roster as veteran players like Jordan Eberle or Jaden Schwartz phase off the team in the years ahead. A trade like this would significantly reduce the team’s margin for error in the medium term. If prospects like Wright and Jagger Firkus don’t pan out, the team could get stuck in the mediocre middle of the league for the next half decade. Finally, the positional fit is not ideal. As I’ll refrain here, winger is probably the team’s deepest position, and it could use an upgrade at virtually any other position first.
The verdict. I have been opposed to making deals parting with premium assets, but the price New Jersey paid was reasonable. An analogous deal from the Seattle Kraken could have looked something like this: Eeli Tolvanen, Ryker Evans, Kole Lind, and first-, second-, and seventh-round draft picks. (The Kraken may have had to do more since they play in the same division as the Sharks.)
If the Kraken wanted to go all in, this was the player to be “all in” on at this deadline. That said, at the end of the day, I’m not going to fault the front office for bypassing this deal. It is almost always better to try to complete a deal like this in the offseason—as with Oliver Bjorkstrand. If Anaheim winger Troy Terry came available this offseason, for example, the cost would probably be lower. All of that said, I think New Jersey did extremely well here. Even when accounting for the trade deadline hype, Meier is still underrated.
Deal No. 2: The Ottawa Senators acquire defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2023 first-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, and 2026 second-round pick. Chychrun has two more years on his contract at $4.6 million per season.
The target. Jakob Chyrchrun is a 24-year-old, top-pair left defenseman with a strong shot and solid play-driving results both on offense and defense. He is under contract for two more years at a below-market rate.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. The Kraken are looking at a tough negotiation with pending RFA, top-pair left defenseman Vince Dunn. Chychrun would provide insurance against the team and Dunn failing to reach a compromise contract moving forward. In the immediate term, Chychrun would have greatly improved the team’s depth on defense for a playoff drive.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Acquiring Chychrun would have come at a significant cost in draft assets, even if it was not so much as we originally expected. At this price, the team would likely be able to acquire a higher-impact forward such as Timo Meier. This acquisition could also nudge Vince Dunn toward the exit after this season or next. The team could be better off re-signing Dunn and allocating its cap and draft assets elsewhere.
The verdict. Though the price fell below expectations, I think it was still too rich for the Kraken to consider.
Jakob Chychrun waits for a faceoff at Climate Pledge Arena (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Deal No. 3: The Winnipeg Jets acquire Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators for a 2024 second-round pick. Niederreiter has one more year on his contract at $4 million.
The target. Niederreiter is a 30-year-old winger who plays a physical, offense-driving game at even strength. He signed with Nashville this past offseason for a remarkably light two-year, $8 million contract when his market did not materialize following a strong run with the Carolina Hurricanes (and former GM Ron Francis).
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. Niederreiter can play anywhere up and down the lineup and drive good outcomes at even strength. His play style fits the cliché of a “playoff” player: He can play through his opponents in all three zones and compliment less-physical linemates by taking on the “dirty work” for a high-performing line. The acquisition cost was a premium pick, but it still represents good value for a top-six forward on a team-friendly contract for another year.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Niederreiter is a pure winger with another year left on his deal, making him an uneasy fit for Seattle. Andre Burakovsky is skating again, and when he returns, Seattle’s depth on the wing is one of team’s biggest strengths. And the extra year on Niederreiter’s contract creates an offseason conundrum: The team’s top-nine forwards are all under contract for next season and Seattle may be adding Shane Wright to that crowded situation already. He doesn’t really address a “need” now and would likely force an offseason trade of another player. The cost was a valuable pick.
The verdict. Hard to pass on the opportunity to acquire Niederreiter on his contract. A 2023 second-round pick (of which Seattle has three) likely would have gotten the player. I understand why Seattle did not do it given the team’s needs and roster, but it was a very good deal for Winnipeg in what was generally a tough market for buyers.
Deal No. 4: The St. Louis Blues acquire forward Jakob Vrana from the Detroit Red Wings for a 2025 seventh-round pick and AHL defenseman Dylan McLaughlin. Detroit retains 50 percent of Vrana’s salary, and Vrana has one year left on his deal.
The target. Jakob Vrana is a 27-year-old Czech winger, who scored 49 goals in a two-year stretch for the Washington Capitals from 2018-2020. He shoots at an elite rate: 14.2 percent for his career. (For context, Andre Burakovsky is a career 14.4 percent shooter and Jared McCann is at 12.2 percent for his career.) He has one more year left on his contract. Detroit retained 50 percent of his salary and therefore he will count only $2.625 million against the Blues’ cap next year.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. The acquisition cost was close to “zero.” McLaughlin is not a prospect. A 2023 sixth-round pick (of which Seattle has two) would have easily bested St. Louis’ offer.
If Vrana can stay on the ice (more on that below), he is a clear top-six, offense-first winger. Scoring is the hardest thing to do in hockey and Vrana is great at it. To make things more appealing, some of Vrana’s most successful seasons came paired with Andre Burakovsky in Washington. With Burakovsky, Vrana, and Jared McCann topping the lineup, concerns about “where will the goals come from?” should go away. There is no long-term risk, and the cost for next year after the salary retention is akin to an average third-line forward.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Vrana’s strengths do not fit with Seattle’s “needs.” He is a pure offense-first winger, and, unlike Niederreiter, he cannot play down the lineup. Furthermore, while Vrana is still in his “prime,” he is several seasons removed from his best performance. He did not live up to expectations in Detroit. And it has to be noted that he spent much of this season in the NHL Player Assistance Program. I don’t want to speculate about the reason for that, but it is fair to question whether you can bank on his availability going forward.
The verdict. This was pure value proposition. While acknowledging the unknown of his off-ice situation, Vrana’s on-ice talent is immense. I would not be surprised if he finds his stride in St. Louis, scores 15+ goals heading into the trade deadline next year and fetches the Blues a premium draft pick. A good bit of business that makes more sense for St. Louis than Seattle, but it still feels like a missed opportunity.
Deal No. 5: The New York Islanders acquire forward Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2024 third-round pick. Engvall is a pending unrestricted free agent.
The target. Much maligned in Toronto for what he supposedly cannot do (hit and grind in the corners), Engvall is a 26-year-old, tall, fast, and talented winger who was jettisoned to make room for the small gang of players the Maple Leafs acquired at the deadline. Engvall has tallied 15 goals in 2021-22, 12 goals in 2022-23, and 12 goals this season with limited offensive opportunities playing down the lineup on a strong Toronto team.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. Seattle likely could have completed a deal without parting with a first- or second-round pick, which is a priority due to the value of those picks. A third-round pick in 2024 (of which Seattle has two) and a sixth-round pick in 2023 (of which Seattle also has two) probably would have topped the Islanders’ offer.
Engvall generates offense like a top-six winger and appears to be an undervalued asset. He doesn’t bring the defensive value Jared McCann does, but otherwise his situation reminds me of McCann’s difficulties breaking through before he came to Seattle. The on-ice contributions have been good, but he has never had enough opportunity to compile raw counting stats.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Engvall is an unrestricted free agent and could prove to be just a “rental” if he preferred to go to market. Engvall is not a fourth-line player. He does not fit a glaring roster need, assuming Burakovsky is on his way back.
The verdict. This was an opportunity to get a prime-aged, undervalued forward in the organization and evaluate him for a contract extension. On the other hand, the fit as a “rental” for a playoff push without future control isn’t ideal.
Deal No. 6: The Nashville Predators acquire forward Rasmus Asplund from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2025 seventh-round pick. Asplund is a restricted free agent after this season.
The target. Asplund is a 25-year-old depth winger, having tallied only 49 points across 167 career games, but generates solid value driving play on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. The acquisition cost was negligible and Nashville has control of Asplund moving forward as a restricted free agent. With Seattle he would fit as a bottom-six, penalty-killing, defense-first forward for years to come. The Kraken do not have a player that fits that profile moving forward aside from Brandon Tanev.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Asplund would likely be in-and-out of the lineup as a fourth-line candidate for the remainder of this season. Needless to say, that kind of player does not move the needle for the playoff push. Furthermore, acquiring Asplund would have caused the Kraken to move a similarly talented depth player off the roster.
Verdict. While there was no clear role on this year’s team, Asplund is an NHL-caliber bottom-six forward who was available essentially for free. This was a good deal for Nashville and would have also been a win for Seattle, particularly if joined with a trade of a bottom-six forward off the existing roster for a real asset.
Deal No. 7: Carolina Hurricanes acquire defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2026 third-round pick. Gostisbehere is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
The target. Gostisbehere is a 29-year-old, offense-first left defenseman with a good shot and ability to set his teammates up for shots. Defensively, he is best deployed in a sheltered third-pair role. He can quarterback a power play but will not help on the penalty kill.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. The Kraken have been looking for a player to unlock their power play. And it just so happens Gostisbehere has been doing exactly that for the Hurricanes. He has two goals and two assists on the power play in five games with Carolina. Given the modest price Gostisbehere ultimately fetched, it is probable that Seattle could have traded a player like Carson Soucy in conjunction with acquiring Gostisbehere and come out net positive in their draft assets.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Shuffling the blue line at the trade deadline is a gamble. Soucy has struggled at times, but he clearly fits what Seattle is trying to do on defense. Gostisbehere verges on “defensive liability” and may not be a very good fit for a team with deep playoff aspirations, particularly with a somewhat similar player, Justin Schultz, already on the team.
Verdict. It seems clear to me the team was not interested in Gostisbehere. Seattle could have beaten Carolina’s offer by moving a 2024 third-round pick (of which the team has two). I’m not going to question it if Seattle felt that Gostisbehere’s defense would not work down the stretch.
Shayne Gostisbehere stick handles at Climate Pledge Arena (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Deal No. 8: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquire center Nick Bonino from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team deal for a 2023 seventh-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick, and the rights to European defenseman Tony Sund. Bonino is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
The target. Nick Bonino is a solid, depth center who can win face-offs and kill penalties. I identified Bonino as a lower-cost alternative to other forward targets like Noel Acciari and Sam Lafferty.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. Bonino would buoy the Kraken in two areas they have struggled (face-offs and penalty kill at times, although that has improved) without hurting them otherwise. He would have also extended the team’s center depth for the playoff push. As it stands, the team is one center injury away from playing Ryan Donato or Jared McCann as a center, neither of which is ideal. The acquisition cost was in the range the Kraken could comfortably do. A 2023 sixth-round pick (of which Seattle has two) and a 2024 fifth-round pick likely would have secured the player.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. While Bonino is a solid fit on the ice there is some question about how an acquisition like this would have impacted the locker room, since he would likely play over Morgan Geekie. Francis mentioned that team chemistry concerns factored into their evaluation. Furthermore, an acquisition like Bonino is unlikely to move the needle on Seattle’s playoff performance, should the team get there.
Verdict. I think it would have made sense for Seattle to be involved in these discussions. Bonino could take some key draws and kill some penalties, helping on the margin. Bonino could also sit on the bench as depth. Either way it would have been an acceptable outcome given the minimal acquisition cost.
Deal No. 9: The New Jersey Devils acquire center Curtis Lazar from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Lazar has two more years left on his contract a $1 million per year.
The target. Lazar is a fourth-line center who can help keep pucks out of the net at even strength and on the penalty kill. He doesn’t have a strong record on the face-off dot though.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. Lazar is on a team-friendly deal and could be a good start to a re-shaped fourth line moving into next year, particularly if he could be paired with a left-handed forward who can also take face-offs and play the wing. He would provide some depth for the stretch run this year.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. Putting Lazar in the lineup would likely decrease the fourth line’s offensive production, and Lazar could not be used situationally to win key face-offs. It is unclear he would be an upgrade right now. An acquisition would be more of a futures move.
Verdict. This player has value, is signed to a team-friendly deal, and moved for reasonable compensation. That said, I do not see a clear role on this year’s team, so it makes sense to me that Lazar would not have been squarely on Seattle’s radar.
(Potential) Deal No. 10: Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk. van Reiemsdyk is a free agent at the end of the year.
The target. James van Riemsdyk is a veteran forward who still gets to the front of the net and generates scoring chances at even strength and on the power play.
Reasons for the Kraken to do it. van Riemsdyk was not traded, but we have it on good authority he was available and the acquisition cost would have been minimal. Since-dismissed Philadelphia general manager Chuck Fletcher said he was looking for a third-round pick and was willing to retain salary or take back another player’s salary, but he did not find a taker. Accordingly, we can be relatively confident that a future fourth-round pick would have secured the player. For the Kraken, van Riemsdyk would have been insurance up front in the way that Jaycob Megna is insurance for the defense. In the short term he would add some scoring until Burakovsky returns. Over the balance of the season he would create competition for bottom-six ice time.
Reasons for the Kraken to pass. This would have been strictly a depth addition, and the Kraken are already deep on the wing. Historically, he has performed well on the power play, but that slipped a bit this year. And the Kraken like to play at a high pace, but that is not van Riemsdyk’s game at this point.
The verdict. Here again it is easy enough to understand why the Kraken did not feel compelled to pull the trigger given the team’s depth on the wing.
Did the Kraken make a mistake sitting out the trade deadline?
After sorting through a handful of potential acquisitions, my top line takeaway is that the market did not break Seattle’s way. The prices for interesting defensemen (like Chychrun, Rasmus Sandin, or Mattias Ekholm) were too high. Some auxiliary parts that I had targeted as fits for the Kraken—such as forwards Sam Lafferty and Noel Acciari—were packaged with other players in larger deals that the Kraken had no business matching. For example, on Feb. 27, Chicago sent Lafferty and defenseman Jake McCabe in a packaged deal to Toronto for a first-round pick and a second-round pick. I profiled both of those players as fits for the Kraken. But the combined cost did not make sense for this Seattle Kraken team.
There were some deals for depth players that may have made some sense for Seattle—such as the Asplund or Bonino deals—but those transactions were unlikely to move the needle in the short or long term and are hardly worth second guessing. Beyond that, every deal the team could have made also brought question marks for the Kraken. I would like to think the Seattle front office investigated a Vrana acquisition after Detroit made it clear they would give him away, but it is difficult to criticize that choice given the risk profile.
I do not fault the Kraken for resisting the seller market either. Think back to when the trade deadline actually happened: Hands were hovering over the panic button. The Kraken had suffered consecutive losses to San Jose, Boston, and Toronto, followed by uninspiring victories over deadline sellers St. Louis and Detroit. With market prices high, a player like Carson Soucy likely could have fetched a favorable return, but a move like that had the potential to worsen Seattle’s skid. It would be hard for the front office to recover if it made a move that contributed to a late-season collapse and knocked the team out of the playoffs.
With the benefit of hindsight, I’d give the Kraken a solid grade for standing pat at the deadline. The worst outcome would have been to overpay for a marginal upgrade, or even something that negatively impacted the chemistry. Seattle avoided this pitfall, unlike many of its rivals. The team will still have four picks in the first two rounds in a deep draft this summer. This is what is most important at this stage in the organization’s trajectory.
The Seattle Kraken dropped the second half of a two-game set to the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Monday night at Climate Pledge Arena. Each team tallied two even-strength goals, but special teams was the difference: Dallas went three-for-four on the power play, while Seattle came up empty in two attempts.
This reversed a recent successful trend from Seattle’s penalty kill. As reported by Fox 13’s Curtis Crabtree earlier Monday, in 24 games since Jan. 15, the Kraken had killed 89.8 percent of power plays, the second best mark in the league in that stretch. Seattle did not find the same success Monday night, and it cost them any chance at competing with the Central Division-leading Stars.
Stock Down
Penalty Kill. Kraken coach Dave Hakstol told reporters after the game that the team’s failure on the penalty kill was multi-faceted. The penalty kill got caught puck chasing in its first opportunity in the first period, ultimately leaving Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson unchecked to coordinate on a goal. In the second period, Joe Pavelski sent a high slot tip past Martin Jones—one the goalie probably would like back. And then in the third period, Robertson’s long-distance shot deflected off Jamie Oleksiak’s stick to beat Jones from distance.
Odd-Man Rushes. Alex Wennberg admitted after the game that he felt like Seattle was chasing the play most of the night. This manifested in frequent breakaway and odd-man rush chances for the Dallas Stars. The Kraken need to clean up their neutral-zone coverage if they want to flip the script on the Stars when the team visits Dallas next week.
Martin Jones. Jones’s recent skid continued. Though he was victimized by a few late tips, he gave up several goals from the perimeter in this one. Money Puck tallied Dallas’s total shot quality at 3.72 xGoals. Natural Stack trick registered just 2.26 xGoals for the Stars. The Kraken desperately need Jones to rediscover his early season form.
Third period offense. The life went out of the Kraken after Robertson’s goal early in the third period. Jared McCann fanned on a prime opportunity at the weak side of the Dallas goal with just over 12:00 minutes remaining, but otherwise the team did very little. The Kraken had just three shots and none were particularly threatening. It was a disappointing end to the night and one the team will need to shake off if it is going to get back on the winning track in San Jose on Thursday.
Yanni Gourde. Gourde was a pest in front of the net, particularly in the first two periods tonight. He was credited with a goal in the first period when he dove to the front of the Dallas goal for a loose puck. Then, in the second period, he took away space from Jake Oettinger when he parked himself in the crease in front of an Eeli Tolvanen tip in. And he was equally tenacious in his own end: He wasn’t on the ice for any of Dallas’s five goals.
Vince Dunn. Dunn tallied two assists and extended his active point streak to ten games. He leads the Seattle Kraken with 55 points and is producing like a franchise defenseman right now.
Seattle Pride Night. The Seattle Kraken collaborated with local artist Simson Chantha on Pride Night warmup jerseys in this one. This continued the team’s commitment to partnering with diverse artists in the Seattle community for the team’s Hockey is for Everyone games. The team represented its community well.
Parting thought
You can’t miss opportunities in this league. The Seattle Kraken held a lead over the Stars in the first game of this series Saturday night with just over a minute remaining in the game. Two points were in their grasp. But the defense was unable to clear the zone and conceded a chaotic sequence in front of Philipp Grubauer that culminated in a Joe Pavelski goal. The Kraken then went on to lose in overtime despite the fact that the team from the Pacific Northwest controlled the five-on-five play for long stretches and had the puck for the majority of the overtime period.
It’s tough to give away a game like that, but particularly so when you turn around and play that same division-leading team for a second straight game. You had to expect that the Stars would bring a better effort in the second game, and, unfortunately from Seattle’s perspective, that is precisely what happened. The Kraken leave the home stand with just three points in four games and now face a crucial contest in San Jose to stem the tide.
