Philipp Grubauer stared down Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry in a classic duel that ended with the Seattle Kraken winning in overtime for the first time in franchise history, 2-1 at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena Thursday night.
Adam Larssson won it for the Kraken at 1:17 of overtime when he came off the bench, got a pass from Alex Wennberg, and beat Jarry from high in the slot.
But the hero for the Kraken was Grubauer. The goalie kept his team in the game making 23 saves and continuing his hot play of late.
“Great job by everybody” Grubauer said. “We were playing really tight, didn’t give them a lot of room to make plays like other games. As long as you keep that at 0-0 you have a chance. Once they got that goal we went right back at it. I think we had games where we didn’t come back after giving up a goal. Tonight everybody did a good job.”
The two teams battled through the first 40 minutes on Thursday with neither goaltender blinking. Jarry was just as tough as Grubauer and ended the night by stopping 27 of 29 Kraken shots.
Pittsburgh went ahead at 8:41 of the third period when Evgeni Malkin made it 1-0 with a power-play goal on a wrist shot from between the circles and past a screened Grubauer.
The Kraken pushed from there, outshooting the Penguins 18-4 in the third period, but could not solve Jarry. After two failed power play attempts Vince Dunn lifted a shot from the point at 16:04 that was tipped past Jarry by former Penguin Jared McCann to tie the game and force overtime.
“Dunner is a great defenseman, I know he’s going to make a play, just tried to get my stick on it,” McCann said. “[Marcus Johansson] made a play there, got it back to Dunner.”
It was the second straight game with a goal for McCann who is two away from his career high of 19.
“It’s a good win in this building, it’s a hard place to win,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “For us it’s an enjoyable win but one that we worked for. Our game didn’t change a whole lot from the drop of the puck to the game winner in overtime… We pushed a little bit in the third period without any risk to our game and that’s a good characteristic to our team.”
Grubauer won the game on one shift in second period
As solid as Grubauer was all night, it was one shift with about four minutes left in the second that may have swung the game.
The Penguins hemmed Seattle in its own zone for over two minutes. Johansson broke his stick early in the shift rendering him nearly useless to help get the puck out. Pittsburgh had Malkin and Sidney Crosby on the ice and turned the Seattle zone into a shooting gallery.
The Kraken could not corral the puck to clear, but Grubauer stayed steady.
“Guys were blocking shots like crazy,” Grubauer said. “Getting in shooting lanes and letting me see the puck by boxing out guys, knowing where their forwards are… I think it’s building over the last couple games at home. Last game wasn’t our best one, but I think since we’ve come out of Christmas break, we’ve been playing our game, and everybody is buying in.”
Johansson ended up on the ice for a three-minute shift and Mark Giordano for 2:26. It was an incredible stretch and logic says that the Penguins should have scored.
Grubauer wasn’t just good there. He made saves in tight all night, including a stop on Jeff Carter midway through the period.
Over his last five starts, Grubauer is 4-1-0 with a .914 save percentage.
Kraken figuring out overtime
The past two chances the Kraken have had in overtime they’ve played well. Against the Chicago Blackhawks on the recent homestand, they dominated overtime, hit a post just before it ended, and got the win in the shootout.
“Over the break we had a chance to talk about how we want to manage the overtime,” Hakstol said. “Just try to manage our shift lengths, not try to force things, and take what the game gives you until there’s a breakdown. We got that on the game-winning goal.”
The talk over the break has created results and raised the confidence level.
McCann started the overtime and nearly scored on the first shift.
“We’re going to get one,” McCann said about what he was thinking just before the face-off. “We’re due. It was a good team effort, we played well, played to our strengths and we’ve got to build on this.”
Welcome to the SOH Liveblog for Kraken at Penguins. We will update this article throughout the game day, so check back often.
The Kraken begin a tough four-game road trip on the east coast Thursday against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that took them to the woodshed the first time these teams met.
The setup for this trip is odd. Seattle plays Thursday, then has back-to-back early matinee games against the two New York teams on Saturday and Sunday and closes it out with a night game on Tuesday in Boston. These four games in six days will lead right into the All-Star break.
This first game of the trip is daunting, especially considering the very brief history between these two clubs. When the Penguins visited the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Dec. 7, Pittsburgh scored three goals in the first 5:07 of the game and sent Philipp Grubauer to the bench after just four shots. It was one of those nights where Grubauer couldn’t seem to stop anything thrown his way.
When the dust settled, Jake Guentzel had two goals, an assist, and an injury, and the Penguins had marched to an easy 6-1 win.
Morgan Geekie scratched again, Chris Driedger officially cleared
Dave Hakstol confirmed in his morning press availability on Thursday that he would deploy the same lineup as Tuesday when the Kraken lost 4-2 to the Nashville Predators. That night, Morgan Geekie was the healthy scratch from the forward group, so this will be the second consecutive time the young forward will be held out.
Chris Driedger officially exited COVID protocol after a long stint there and will back up Grubauer on Thursday. Driedger participated in morning skate before Thursday’s game but was not officially cleared yet, so Joey Daccord was still on the bench for the game against the Preds.
Can Jordan Eberle get the monkey off his back?
Jared McCann scored Tuesday for the first time since Jan. 12 with a howitzer during a five-on-three power play. His linemate, Jordan Eberle, has been in an even deeper rut and has not found the back of the net since Dec. 6, which was ironically that 6-1 loss to these very same Pittsburgh Penguins.
Eberle had some great chances on Tuesday, but seemed to be trying to make one last move before pulling the trigger against Juuse Saros.
“That’ll turn around for him,” Hakstol said of Eberle’s scoring drought on Thursday. “When you look at the number of opportunities that he’s continuing to get, he’ll find the back of the net again. We’re confident in that, but for us, it’s not about one guy, one line or two lines. It’s not a luxury to have contributions from throughout the lineup, it’s an absolute necessity.”
March of the Penguins
The Penguins have won six games in a row, so… they’re due for a loss, right?!
They are currently in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 27-10-5 record. Tristan Jarry is expected to start in net for the Penguins against the Kraken. He is having an outstanding season and has posted a 23-7-4 record with a 2.12 goals against average and .926 save percentage.
Projected lineup
The latest
With Driedger cleared from COVID protocol, Joey Daccord has officially been assigned to the taxi squad.
First period highlights
It was a good road period for the Kraken, who didn’t give up much to an outstanding offensive team. Chances were officially pretty even, and Grubauer made a few solid stops, especially during a Karson Kuhlman penalty.
Ok, but seriously, holding the Penguins off the board for the first 20 minutes is a win for Seattle.
Second period highlights
The tight-checking feel of this game continued well into the second period. Grubauer kept it scoreless thanks to a massive sprawling save on Jeff Carter off a two-on-one just beyond the nine-minute mark.
The Kraken got penned in for what felt like an eternity, as Pittsburgh took advantage of the long change and Marcus Johansson playing without a stick. Grubauer made four or five big stops to keep the score 0-0 on what felt and looked like the Penguins were on a power play (to be clear, they were not).
In all, the Kraken were outshot 9-2 in the frame, but Grubauer kept the boys level through two periods.
Third period highlights
The Kraken got one of their best chances of the game when Eberle passed to Johansson on a two-on-one, and Johansson went hard to the net. He missed the net with his shot and ran Jarry over in the process, earning himself an unfortunate penalty.
On the power play, Evgeni Malkin showed why he’s Evgeni Malkin and finally broke the scoreless tie.
Jarry made a couple fabulous saves on Donato and Eberle before Jared McCann finally broke through against his old team, deflecting a Vince Dunn shot to tie the game 1-1.
In the final minute, Grubauer made a big save at one end, then Joonas Donskoi hit the outside of the net at the other end after finding a loose puck in the slot.
To overtime we went.
Overtime highlights
Alex Wennberg has taken plenty of heat from fans this season for passing up opportunities to shoot. In a lot of cases, the frustration has been justified, but in Thursday’s overtime period, he pulled up off a rush and dished to Adam Larsson. Larsson buried it and gave Seattle its first ever win in three-on-three overtime.
…And that, folks, is how you beat an elite team on the road. Great defensive structure, great goaltending, opportunistic goaltending. Boom. Kraken win.
The Seattle Kraken find themselves in Pittsburgh Thursday for a tough road matchup against the Penguins. Pittsburgh has been playing well with a 27-10-5 record which is good for second place in the Metropolitan Division, one point back of the New York Rangers.
Pittsburgh is especially tough at home where it has a 13-5-2 record, meaning the Kraken have their tentacles full Thursday night.
“This team feeds off of momentum in this building,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said after morning skate. “Typically, Pittsburgh starts well in this building, and they feed off of momentum that they generate, especially offensively. We’ve got to be really ready to meet that head on. This core group has won together, they’re a deep team… they start well, they compete very hard in this building.”
Philipp Grubauer will start again for the Kraken, and he’ll be up against Tristan Jarry who is in the middle of a great rebound season. Jarry struggled in the playoffs last year, earning the ire of the fans and local media; it’s hard to believe fans would blame the goalie, but there it was.
This season, Jarry has gotten his skates under him and comes into Tuesday with a 2.12 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. Oh, and his record is 23-7-4 which is not too shabby. Seattle needs to get traffic and shots on him to stand a chance.
This is the second meeting of the Penguins and Kraken
Back on Dec. 6, the Penguins came to Climate Pledge Arena and scored three times in the first period to skate away with an easy 6-1 win.
Pittsburgh played that game without Evgeni Malkin who was rehabbing an injury. He’s been been back now for eight games and, of course, has nine points. With Sidney Crosby playing like Sidney Crosby, Malkin’s return makes the Penguins that much tougher.
“I think Geno’s getting better with every game that he’s played,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Thursday. “He missed a lot of time, that’s not an easy challenge for any player coming back into the lineup. I give Geno credit for how hard he worked… his timing, his conditioning, just the intensity of an NHL game is difficult to simulate.
“I do think he’s getting better. You can see the impact he has on our team, particularly offensively with his instincts. We really like where we’re trending and we’re a much more difficult team to play against with him in the lineup.”
Just what the Kraken want to hear.
Other Penguins to watch
Your eyes are naturally drawn to Crosby and Malkin when Pittsburgh is playing, but their attack comes from more than just the two of them.
Up front, Evan Rodrigues has had a breakout season with 15 goals and 32 points. Jake Guentzel is having another strong season and leads the team in goals (21) and points (40).
On the back end, Kris Letang is killing it this year and has 37 points. Seattle needs to be aware of him joining the rush and make sure they keep a third man high in the offensive zone to prevent odd-man chances.
Some Penguins odds and ends
Pittsburgh can score. The Penguins are averaging 3.4 goals per game and the third period has been their most productive period from a goal scoring aspect.
With all the firepower they have, surprisingly they’re not dominant on special teams. Their power play is 23rd overall, and at home it’s been 28th in the league with a 14.9 percent success rate. Of course, that doesn’t mean you want to give Crosby, Malkin, et al a ton of chances with the man advantage.
They’ve won eight in a row at home, which it seems like every team the Kraken have played on the road of late has done, making Thursday’s night game just a bit more daunting.
BONUS EPISODE WITH A BIG-TIME GUEST ALERT! John Forslund deserves his own episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, so John Forslund gets his own episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast.
Darren and Andy spoke with the TV voice of the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena prior to Kraken morning skate last week. John does not disappoint. He tells fantastic stories that range from the beginning of Desert Storm to punching mascots, and he takes you through the journey that led him to becoming the legendary broadcaster that he is today.
This conversation will make you laugh and feel inspired all at once. When it’s done, you’ll think you’ve known John personally for years.
BONUS EPISODE WITH A BIG-TIME GUEST ALERT! John Forslund deserves his own episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, so John Forslund gets his own episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast.
Darren and Andy spoke with the TV voice of the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena prior to Kraken morning skate last week. John does not disappoint. He tells fantastic stories that range from the beginning of Desert Storm to punching mascots, and he takes you through the journey that led him to becoming the legendary broadcaster that he is today.
This conversation will make you laugh and feel inspired all at once. When it’s done, you’ll think you’ve known John personally for years.
Kraken game ops pulled out all the stops Tuesday, but it still wasn’t enough to take down the Nashville Predators. Not only did team dog Davy Jones bring a couple of his cutest puppy friends to the game, there was also a team-sponsored wave during a TV timeout (not sure how we felt about that), and—perhaps most importantly—Brandon Tanev “released the Kraken” as part of the pre-game show.
To Seattle’s credit, the team did come out looking good in the first period and even scored the opening tally, a rarity for this group, but the Predators took advantage of more of their chances than the Kraken did.
The 4-2 defeat is a disappointing outcome, as that’s the end of what could have been a very positive six-game homestand. Instead it ends with Seattle posting a mediocre 3-3-0 record. It is also the last time the Kraken will play at Climate Pledge Arena until Feb. 9, so a victory would have been a nice way to close out this stretch.
Anyway, here are our Three Takeaways from Tuesday’s Kraken loss to the Predators.
Takeaway #1: Hakstol didn’t love Grubauer’s game
Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer entered Tuesday’s game riding high after three consecutive wins. He looked dialed in early, confidently kicking out several shots off good chances from the Predators. But things turned for him a bit with 21 seconds left in the first period when Luke Kunin beat him with a slapshot from the top of the left circle.
You never want to give up goals in the first or last minute of a period, as those just seem to have more of an impact on the team’s psyche than goals against in the middle of a frame. That particular marker was extra tough because Seattle was about to close out a good first period with a 1-0 lead.
“We had a great period,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “We put ourselves in position to win the first period, and it’s a nothing play.”
Then in the second, with the Kraken back in front after an Adam Larsson goal, Filip Forsberg showed why he’s an elite scorer. After skating the puck almost the length of the ice, he let a shot go from outside. It beat Grubauer clean, though there was no traffic in front of him.
Now, there are two schools of thought here. One is that Grubauer probably should have had it, being that it’s one guy with no option to pass, there’s no screen, and the shot comes from distance and an angle. The other way to look at it is that Forsberg is an awesome player and made a perfect shot.
We’re somewhere in the middle on this one. Yes, the situation would indicate the goalie should make the save, but holy cats that’s a laser.
Hakstol was a bit harder on Grubauer in his post-game presser than we expected, being that Grubauer had just played three outstanding games in a row before this one, and even Tuesday wasn’t a *bad* game, per se. He really did make some excellent saves against Nashville, especially in the first period.
Hakstol is apparently on team “he should have had it,” though. Here’s what he said about Grubauer’s performance:
“He had some good saves early in the hockey game. There was one more in the third that was from a rebound from the slot. But the first goal, it’s a tough time and it’s a tough one— you know, he’s got to stop that. Second one as well. He’s facing a good shooter, but it’s from the outside there, so those are things that can push a team back on their heels. So, not his best. He’ll need to be better in Pittsburgh a couple nights from now.”
So, that was interesting.
Hakstol did later add, “I’m not mincing words. I mean, Phil’s played really well the last… three or four games, and tonight—like I said—he’ll do better in Pittsburgh.”
Takeaway #2: Jared McCann back to scoring, but Jordan Eberle is squeezing his stick
The Kraken got the luxury of an early five-on-three advantage when the Predators took two penalties within three seconds of each other. Seattle strung together several good looks in a row before Jared McCann one-timed a Mark Giordano pass by Juuse Saros. That shot was so hard, we could have sworn we heard the puck make contact with the net all the way up in the press bridge.
It was McCann’s first goal in seven games, despite getting oodles of chances to score over that stretch.
Meanwhile, his linemate, Jordan Eberle, has not found the back of the net since Dec. 6. Those two are the top scorers on the team, so having them both in a slump at the same time has been damaging for Seattle.
Getting the proverbial monkey off McCann’s back should hopefully open the floodgates again for him. As for Eberle, he was getting some great looks Tuesday, including a partial breakaway early where he caught a pass, stickhandled between his legs, and shot. Saros made a nice save on that one, but for the most part, it felt like Eberle was trying to make one last move, rather than quickly pulling the trigger when he had chances.
These are things that players do when they’re pressing. They try to make the perfect move to put themselves in the perfect position to score, rather than simply shooting when they have the chance.
“Hockey’s a weird game,” McCann said. “Sometimes you’re hot, sometimes you’re cold. I’ve gone through in my career just trying to figure out what works for me. I’ve had guys talk to me that have scored a lot of goals in this league and they don’t change a thing. They just keep going, and eventually they’re going to break through and go in for you.”
Takeaway #3: That was a weird game
This was a hard game to reconcile because the Kraken statistically outshot and out-chanced the Predators, but it just didn’t *feel* like Saros was under all that much duress during the course of the contest, especially beyond the first period. Perhaps that is a sign of a goalie that has things really locked down, but it was a bit surprising to see the stats from that game, based on what we had watched.
The Kraken now embark on a four-game road trip, then go right into the All-Star break.
The guys cover a LOT in this episode of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, and in the process, they introduce you to the newest member of the Seattle Kraken, Karson Kuhlman. Kuhlman was claimed off waivers from the Boston Bruins last week, so he talks about the whirlwind it has been to get to Seattle and get acclimated to his new team and city. He also shares some thoughts on playing for the UMD Bulldogs and the Bruins and explains why Darren is wrong about Duck, Duck, Grey Duck.
Aside from the chat with Karson, the guys also dig into the last three Kraken games since the previous episode, in which Seattle won two out of three against the Sharks, Blues, and Panthers. John, Andy, and Darren are especially amped up about the outcome of the Florida game. They also talk about the Coachella Valley Firebirds jersey and Darren defends Jeremy Lauzon again.
Before getting to the Kuhlman interview, they dig into the very difficult topic of racism in hockey, hoping that the conversation can fuel even the smallest change in a few folks out there.
After the Kuhlman interview, the guys move on to their segments, which this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Three Stars.
Savor Tuesday’s Kraken game, because it will be the last time we see the boys play in Seattle until Feb. 9. After this Kraken game against the Nashville Predators, Seattle will embark on a four-game road trip to the east coast, then go right into the NHL All-Star break. The Kraken have been playing well, but so too have these Predators, who have been one of the top teams in the Western Conference this season.
Remember, Seattle got its first win in franchise history on Oct. 14 against the Preds on a night when Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots and the Kraken were outshot 13-1 in the third period. The one shot for Seattle was an empty-net goal for Brandon Tanev that ended up being the game winner after Nashville got one back in garbage time.
Grubauer, by the way, has been playing some of his best hockey of the season lately. He looks confident in his crease and seems to be brushing goals off quickly, rather than letting things snowball, as they had been earlier in the season. He has three consecutive wins, and the Kraken as a team have won three of their last four.
The German Gentleman will get the nod against the Preds and will be backed up by Joey Daccord. Chris Driedger was on the ice at morning skate Tuesday, but coach Dave Hakstol indicated he is not fully back from a relatively long stint in COVID protocol.
Joonas Donskoi in, Morgan Geekie out
Hakstol raised eyebrows before Sunday’s thrilling 5-3 Kraken win over the Florida Panthers by scratching veteran forward Joonas Donskoi from the lineup for the first time. Donskoi, a $3.9-million-per-year player, has had a tough go offensively. We’ve generally really liked his game, but he has yet to find the back of the net this season. Hakstol called Sunday a “reset” for Donskoi and confirmed Tuesday that he would draw back in for the Kraken against the Predators.
With Donskoi back in, somebody has to come out for Seattle. That somebody is Morgan Geekie. With new friend of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Karson Kuhlman, now on the Kraken roster, there’s more competition among the forward corps. Hakstol shared Tuesday that he really liked how the fourth line of Kuhlman, Riley Sheahan, and Colin Blackwell played against the Panthers and didn’t want to split them up. So, that means somebody from the top nine has to come out. Geekie has one point in his last six games.
Jamie Oleksiak and Carson Soucy out
There’s been a carousel spinning on the Kraken blue line all season long, consisting of Haydn Fleury, Jeremy Lauzon, Will Borgen, and—in the early part of the season—Carson Soucy. Each of those guys has taken turns riding said carousel and popping in and out of the lineup.
Hakstol’s decision on who to scratch has become a bit easier with Jamie Oleksiak and Soucy out.
Oleksiak remains day to day with a lower-body injury. Soucy had an awkward collision with Frank Vatrano on Sunday and was having a hard time putting weight on his left leg when he left the game. Hakstol called him week to week.
In response to the two injuries, the Kraken recalled Cale Fleury, Haydn’s brother, to serve on the taxi squad in case he’s needed.
Haydn talked about his brother in morning press availability and generally had some interesting comments, so this video is worth your time.
Kraken lineup
The Latest
Kraken Twitter was abuzz before the game, trying to figure out who the mysterious special guest was.
Brandon Tanev is definitely in the building, but would his arrival require that much of a buffer before game time? Perhaps he’ll repel down from the rafters?
With two penalties called on the Predators three seconds apart, the Kraken got an early chance on a five-on-three and converted. After coming up empty for the first minute or so, Mark Giordano laid a pass into Jared McCann’s wheelhouse at the top of the right circle. McCann unloaded and blasted it past Juuse Saros, giving Seattle a 1-0 lead.
Seattle really did play a good first frame, and it looked like they were headed to the room with a 1-0 lead. But with just 21 seconds left, Luke Kunin ripped a one-timer through Will Borgen and through Philipp Grubauer to tie the game.
A mostly sleepy second period finally got some life injected into it when Yanni Gourde chipped a sneaky little pass through the legs of Roman Josi and onto the tape of Adam Larsson, who was pinching in from the point. Larsson let ‘er rip, and put it through the five hole of Saros at 12:21.
Filip Forsberg answered for the Predators three minutes later. Streaking up the ice on a nothing-looking play, he let a snapshot go from the top of the right circle. It was perfectly placed and beat Grubauer on the blocker side. Just an elite shot for his 21st goal of the season.
Mattias Ekholm followed up Forsberg’s goal with a lucky-bounce goal at 16:31. Ekholm tried a wrap-around. The puck rolled off his stick and into the crease, then caromed off the skate of Vince Dunn and into an empty net. The goal gave Nashville its first lead of the game.
Third period highlights
A tight-checking third period didn’t allow for much offense at either end. The Predators did extend their lead to 4-2 on the power play, after Seattle had taken a too-many-men penalty. Mikael Granlund shot from the point. He missed, but it bounced off the endboards to Matt Duchene, who snuck it under Grubauer’s arm before he could seal off the post.
That would prove to be enough for the Predators.
We will continue to update this article throughout the evening, so check back often!
The Seattle Kraken end their six-game homestand Tuesday night and welcome in a familiar enemy in the Nashville Predators. If you remember, it was in Nashville, back on Oct. 14 when Brandon Tanev’s empty-net goal gave Seattle its first win in franchise history, 4-3 against the Predators.
Tanev (out for the season with an ACL injury) won’t be scoring any goals on Tuesday, and the Predators have played well since that Kraken win.
Nashville comes into Tuesday with 55 points and winners of two in a row, which ties it with the St. Louis Blues for second place in the Western Conference. On the road, the Predators are 13-7-3 which means they play consistently, no matter where the puck is dropped.
“We’ve only seen them once, but they had a big win here a couple of nights ago and they’re playing pretty well right now,” Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm said of the Kraken after Tuesday’s morning skate. “I think we are as well, we got back out of that skid with a couple wins. So, we got some confidence back and hopefully we can just keep building our game, focus on what we need to do out there. Go out and execute all that good stuff. And hopefully get a win here. It would to be fun to come into a new place, new arena [and get a win].”
Calle Jarnkrok revenge game?
Jarnkrok missed his chance at revenge the first time the Kraken played his former team in Nashville but is looking forward to playing against them.
The feeling is mutual.
“I think I played with him for eight seasons and know him well, I know his family well,” Ekholm said. “It’s obviously weird that first time but I think I speak for both of us that when the puck drops, it’s game time and we both want to win with our respective clubs. So, it’d be fun to chat with him after and hopefully we can win the game.”
Jarnkrok also played briefly for the current head coach of the Predators, John Hynes.
“One, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great person,” Hynes said. “He was a great guy to coach, I think he plays the game the right way, all the time. You can rely on him. He’s dependable. He’s a smart player. He can play multiple positions, power play, penalty kill, he could play all three [forward positions]. And I just always really appreciated the work ethic and commitment that he had night in and night out.”
Just who are these Predators?
Nashville has a deep offensive attack with 12 players who have at least 15 points. At the top of that list is defenseman Roman Josi who leads the team in scoring with 42 points (13 goals, 29 assists). He won’t be afraid to jump into the rush tonight, so be aware.
The Predators are getting great seasons out of Matt Duchene with 38 points and former Portland Winterhawk Ryan Johansen with 33 points.
That balanced attack has the Predators averaging just over three goals per game, and they’re sixth overall on the power play with a 25.6 percent success rate. The scary part is that they’re even better on the road, with a 27.4 percentage which is fourth best in the NHL.
So, maybe don’t give them too many opportunities. The Kraken have been getting into a lot of penalty trouble lately.
Who will stop the puck for Nashville?
Hynes didn’t confirm a starter, but it is expected that he’ll start 26-year-old Jusse Saros in net tonight. Saros has won his last two starts and is one of the better goalies in the league. He’s earned a 22-11-2 record, 2.38 goals against average, and .925 save percentage.
It won’t be an easy task for the Kraken, although they did score on him thrice during their first matchup this season.
Predators talking Predators
“Guys are making an impact whether it’s on the scoresheet, or physically, or with their work ethic and intensity and guys have been very consistent. When you play the game the right way and you play a real strong team game and you have really good players, and they’re dependable and reliable and bring it every night… and you bring those things to the table night in and night out, more often than not, you’re going to get rewarded.” – John Hynes
