After enduring two rather uninspiring Seattle Kraken games this weekend, I didn’t have it in me to spend the time putting together my typical verbose narrative on the last week of Kraken hockey. To fill the void, I am going to dig into something that has been troubling this team all season: the lack of goal scoring.
The scope of this analysis is limited to aggregated team data and not individual player performance. I will spend some time examining the players’ performances in a future article, but for now, let’s explore to gain a deeper understanding of where this team has seen drops and try to understand why they have happened.
Average goals scored
Just to ensure we are all starting from the same point, let’s note that Seattle has had the largest drop in the NHL for average goals scored per game season over season and has the third-lowest goals scored per game in the league.
The lack of goal scoring was particularly evident in the last three games, where the Kraken only managed to score one goal in each. Sunday marked the 25th game of the season where the Seattle Kraken were held to one goal or less. They had only 15 such games last season, and even in the inaugural season, challenging as it was, they only had 16 games where they scored one goal or less.
Situations
Okay. We all know scoring is down, but where exactly?
The drop in even-strength goals is significant. There are still two more games to play, but the Kraken have seen a 35-percent drop in even-strength goals this season. Two factors could be impacting the scoring: the total volume of shots, shooting percentage, or both. Let’s examine the last two seasons.
The volume of shots on goal seems roughly in line with the league average, but there’s a significant drop from last season. A conservative estimate would still put Seattle with more than a 5-percent drop in shots on goal from last season. However, that’s not the whole story.
The real story of the season is the Kraken’s drop in 5-on-5 shooting percentage. Last season, they had the highest 5-on-5 shooting percentage in the league at 11 percent. While a drop was expected this season, this seems like an overcorrection that is unlikely to persist next season.
The Kraken will end the season with a 5-on-5 shooting percentage around 8.0 percent, compared to the league average of 9.3 percent. If they had shot at a league-average rate, that additional 1.3 percent would have netted them an additional 24 goals this season. Those 24 goals could have gone a long way for a team that lost 24 of their 38 one-goal games (adjusted for empty-net goals).
Quality of shots
The next logical question becomes why their shooting percentage was so low this season. A couple of theories could be related to talent on the ice or a systems issue, but for the scope of this post, I am going to look at the quality of shots that were taken. For this analysis, I will be leveraging the great work from Natural Stat Trick.
The volume of high-danger and medium-danger shots was down season over season, which means the mix of shot quality changed. With low-quality shots comprising a higher percentage of the overall shots, it helps explain why the overall shooting percentage is down.
For completeness, let’s examine the shooting percentage by shot quality.
Not only is the volume of high-danger and medium-danger shots down, but the shooting percentage of those two shot qualities is also down. In essence, it was a double whammy, lower quality-shot volume and lower execution on the quality shots.
Scratching the surface
This analysis covers a lot of ground, but it only scratches the surface. In the coming weeks, we will explore a couple of other areas that could be contributing factors to Seattle’s dearth of scoring. I plan to delve into the roster next week, but if there are other areas you want me to explore, please let me know, and I will see what I can do.
The Everett Silvertips were driving on flat tires on Friday night against the Portland Winterhawks. Portland exploded for eight goals on the evening, winning 8-2 in Game 1 of the WHL semifinals at Veterans Memorial Coliseum and taking a 1-0 series lead.
Game 2 is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday night in Portland.
Defensive units for Everett had their share of miscues covering open areas of the ice. With 13 players, including netminder Jan Spunar, having points for the Winterhawks, the Silvertips had trouble containing their opponents in dangerous areas and it easy for Portland to cash in. Being rather slow on closing gaps off the rush and an inability to block passing lanes like they normally do set the Silvertips up for failure.
Seattle Kraken prospect Tyson Jugnauth got the scoring started for the Winterhawks in what would turn out to be an impressive night for him offensively. A burst of speed across the blue line allowed him to shoot it over the glove side of Tyler Palmer for his first goal of the playoffs at 2:38 of the first period.
Everett allowed the pace to be dictated by Portland, forcing them to puck chase most of the night. If the Silvertips want to even up the series Saturday, quick patchwork is needed in stopping the relentless attack of the Winterhawks, as well as beginning to control possession battles again.
The game swung wide open during the middle portion of the first. Goals from Tyson Yaremko with his first of the playoffs and Josh Davies with his fourth made it a three-goal game.
Shortly thereafter, Tarin Smith jumped up into the slot and went above Spunar’s shoulder for his first goal of the playoffs, getting Everett on the board at 12:46. All three goals in this sequence came within the span of 54 seconds.
Injuries continue to persist as a thorn in Everett’s side, especially throughout Friday night. Co-captain and top-line forward Austin Roest was announced as absent from the Everett lineup before the game due to the undisclosed injury he sustained during Game 5 of the previous series.
In the second, Jesse Heslop had to be escorted to the locker room after falling near the bench area, and he missed the remainder of the game. And with Teague Patton missing for the entire first round and Friday night, that’s basically a whole forward line that coach Dennis Williams has had to do away with during these playoffs.
Kyle Chyzowski scored on one of his eight shots on goal, twice as many as the next leading player, and Portland got another from Jugnauth during the second period.
Jugnauth had a plus-three rating with two goals and an assist, while also doing some solid work in transition and in back-checking efforts. He was voted the game’s first star.
The second and final goal for the Silvertips on the evening came from Parker Berge who went to work at the top of the zone and found a power-play goal, his fourth tally of the playoffs at 7:20 of the second.
Palmer looked pedestrian for the Silvertips for the first time since Game 1 of the previous series against the Vancouver Giants. Palmer stopped only 23 of the 29 shots he faced and was again pulled for Ethan Chadwick before the third period.
After allowing only three goals over his last four playoff starts against the Giants, Palmer’s playoff save percentage dropped from second in the WHL to 12th at .907 after Friday’s performance.
A couple tallies from Nate Danielson and Jack O’Brien in the third period sealed the onslaught victory for Portland. The Silvertips were beaten at their own game on this night, with Portland controlling the shot totals at 47-23.
Spunar improved his playoff record to a perfect 5-0 with the win. 21 stops on 23 shots upped his playoff save percentage to .903.
Since Palmer had the lion’s share of the game with 40 minutes in net for the Silvertips, for Game 2 they might be willing to give Chadwick the start for the first time this playoffs. In his brief appearance in the aforementioned Game 1 against Vancouver, he looked ready to jump into the action by stopping 13 of 13. It was a similar story Friday night, in which he allowed two goals on 18 shots during the third period.
The roster for Everett might be even more depleted for Game 2, as forward Caden Brown took an unnecessary run at Portland’s Marcus Nguyen late in the game and cross checked him across the back, forcing him to ground and causing a skirmish.
Dexter Whittle might draw into the lineup for the Silvertips for the first time during these playoffs. Whittle has been injured for most of the season up to this point, only making a few appearances near the end of season.
This was the Silvertips’ 15th straight loss at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, with the last win coming on Nov. 16, 2021. Ben Hemmerling, Roest, and Whittle are the only players still currently on the Silvertips roster to have played in that game.
Header photo by Brian Liesse, courtesy Seattle Thunderbirds.
The anticipation for this Round 2 series, set to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, has been building all season long. The No. 3 seed Everett Silvertips know they have a tough task to get past the No. 2 seed Portland Winterhawks in a matchup between bitter rivals that were neck and neck in the standings throughout the regular season.
Round 1
Both squads were efficient in getting through their first round opponents, with Portland sweeping aside the Victoria Royals in four games, and Everett taking one extra game to get by the Vancouver Giants.
Both Everett and Portland had rocky starts to their respective Game 1’s, but once they got settled into grooves and found their offensive rhythms, both teams overwhelmed their opponents, as they commonly did throughout the regular season.
What to look for in the series
The Silvertips do well in transition through the neutral zone and into the attacking end, often headed by dynamic forward Ben Hemmerling, who is not afraid to skate and shoot the puck from anywhere. Hemmerling was fourth in the WHL during Round 1 with 27 shots on goal, while only shooting 11.1 percent with three goals.
Everett does the bulk of its offensive work getting to the front of the net, with Austin Roest and Dominik Rymon being the most active pests against Vancouver. Roest led the Silvertips with seven points during Round 1 (three goals and four assists).
Portland can at times struggle with allowing attackers to drift to the front of the net unimpeded and create opportunities, but more often then not they recover quickly and play much sounder than their opponents in setting up in transition. So taking advantage of the space they’re given will be crucial for the Silvertips in getting off to the start they need for this series.
It will also be a Seattle Kraken defensive prospect duel as Kaden Hammell and Tyson Jugnauth face off against one another. Hammell has two power-play goals, along with an assist thus far in the playoffs, while Jugnauth has not yet registered a point.
After his historic regular season, San Jose Sharks prospect Lucas Cagnoni adds an extra offensive dynamic to the blue line for the Winterhawks. With four goals and three assists against Victoria, Cagnoni is second in scoring among defensemen in the WHL playoffs. He, along with James Stefan, Gabe Klassen, and Nate Danielson, lead the offensive charge for the Winterhawks.
Special teams and goaltending
Special teams will need to be on point again for the Silvertips like it was in Round 1. After allowing three goals on the power play in Game 1 versus Vancouver, Everett went a perfect 14-for-14 on the penalty kill through the rest of the series. Granted, Portland has a more potent attack on the power play compared to the Giants, but things have trended in the right direction for the Silvertips in this area.
Portland’s six-foot-three netminder, Jan Spunar, is tough for any attacker to beat, but with the volume of shots Everett is known for achieving, and him allowing goals in bunches on a few occasions this season, keeping Spunar on his toes could bring offensive success for the Silvertips.
Silvertips goalie Tyler Palmer was arguably the best backstop in Round 1 with a 0.937 save percentage and a 1.63 goals against. He will see more consistent shot quality from the Winterhawks, as they find themselves at the top the circles and between the hashmarks more often the Giants. There’s a level of consistency and poise that’s needed out of goalies in the playoffs, and Palmer showed that against Vancouver. Can he keep his form against a much tougher opponent in the second round?
With there being potentially two or three back-to-backs in this series, Ethan Chadwick could also make an appearance or two.
Arena madness
There have been some hijinks from the WHL and the powers that be from Paw Patrol Live and Professional Bull Riding, which have created scheduling issues for this series.
Both teams were projected to go on deep playoff runs, yet Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett and Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland still scheduled overlapping events. Something funky was bound to happen, and it did.
It was decided by the WHL and both teams that Games 3, 4, and 5, if necessary, will be played at Angel of the Winds Arena instead of 3, 4, and 6. Game 3 will be on Monday night, and then there will be a three-day gap for PBR Live before games 4 and 5 on Friday and Saturday.
Then Games 6 and 7, if they become necessary, would be played in Portland on the Monday and Tuesday due to Paw Patrol Live creating another conflict.
Notes
• Austin Roest was absent for the majority of Game 5 of the Vancouver-Everett series. No further update on his status has been given.
• Everett has had issues when it comes to playing in Portland for the last two and a half years. Including playoffs, the Silvertips’ losing streak at Veterans Memorial Coliseum is at 14, with their last win there dating back to Nov. 16, 2021.
•Everett led 1-0 after the first period in each of the games they won in Round One.
That one was a little harder than the 5-0 score indicated for the Seattle Kraken, who were buoyed (no mascot-related pun intended) by an outstanding night from netminder Philipp Grubauer and rolled past the Arizona Coyotes.
Grubi stopped all 39 of Arizona’s offerings for his second shutout of the season, while Karel Vejmelka had a leaky night at the other end of the ice that featured two real stinkers. Seattle took advantage early, then jumped on Grubauer’s coattails to get through the second period before stepping on the gas pedal again in the third.
Shane Wright scored again, Justin Schultz had a goal and an assist, and Matty Beniers and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had two assists.
Here are our Three Takeaways from a 5-0 Kraken win over the Coyotes.
Takeaway #1: Stellar Grubi
I’ve spoken about this on many occasions and in many forums, but there’s an interesting phenomenon that happens for goalies where—on some nights—the puck finds a way to stay out of the net. It hits you even when you don’t see, and when you miss it, it somehow finds a way to hit a post, hit a stick, deflect wide… name a way for the puck to stay out of the net, and that’s what happens on these nights.
This was one of those games for Grubauer. There was a handful of chances in his 18-save second period when Arizona looked primed to get themselves on the board, and yet the Kraken escaped the frame unscathed thanks to a mixture of huge saves and several lucky breaks.
“There were a couple situations in the second period where they hit the post, and then it went through like a skate or hit me in the glove, a couple of those situations,” Grubauer said. “But overall, it doesn’t really affect my play or my mindset. It’s just like, you’ve got to let it go and then focus on the next shot.”
Of course, the opposite can also happen for goalies. Some nights you feel like you’re sharp, in position, and ready to make a save, and yet the puck just finds a way through. That was probably how Vejmelka felt for Arizona on Tuesday. The way it went for Grubauer on Tuesday is how you want it to go, and it was enjoyable to watch.
“Grubi is the story of the second period, really,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “We got off to a really good start. It’s what you want to do at home, get off to a one-goal lead going into a power play. You execute, that builds a two-goal lead, but as we scored the third goal in the second period, we stopped playing a little bit, and that’s where Grubi was really good.”
The total shot volume was high at 39, but the quality was also there for Arizona, which had a whopping 4.8 expected goals and a 73-percent share of the shot quality, according to Natural Stat Trick. Those are big-time numbers for Grubauer, who is having his best regular season with the Kraken.
Takeaway #2: Wright does it again
Shane Wright has put together an extremely impressive stint with the Kraken since being called up from Coachella Valley on March 31. With his goal Tuesday, he’s now tickled the twine four times and has one assist in his four games with the big club. The one he scored against the Coyotes wasn’t quite as pretty as the others, and it was certainly one that Vejmelka wanted back.
“I’ll take anything anyway I can get them,” Wright said. “I mean, they all count the same on the scoresheet, that’s what I’m going to say. But yeah, just kind of tried to get it on net there, and [got a] lucky bounce for sure. But we’ll take it.”
Aside from the goal, it was another solid night for Wright, who logged 15:51 of ice time and won 62.5 percent of his face-offs. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; Wright looks very different than he did on his previous times in the NHL.
“He’s a year advanced, right?” Hakstol said. “He’s just turned 20 years old. Everybody wants to spin the clock ahead and fast forward, it doesn’t work that way. So huge compliments to Shane and the way that he’s continued to elevate his game. He’s obviously done a lot of work there with his teammates and the coaching staff in Coachella, and his confidence and his overall play have taken a nice step.”
Despite his outstanding performances, we still expect Shane to be sent back to Coachella Valley within the next two games. If he plays nine or fewer NHL games this season, then his contract slides, and Seattle gets to keep him on his entry-level deal for an extra season. If he plays 10 games, he burns a year of his ELC, which makes no sense for the Kraken. Wright has played seven this season, so expect him to return to the Firebirds no later than Saturday night.
Takeaway #3: The Killer B’s
Our Twitter intern created this incredible piece of art after Oliver Bjorkstrand was acquired two offseasons ago, but it has hardly seen the light of day since.
That’s because Bjorkstrand has almost never skated with Beniers and Andre Burakovsky. The B’s might buzz together for at least another game or two, because they did look good together in this contest.
Burakovsky’s goal, which made it 2-0 just 2:14 into the game, came on a power play but was assisted by Beniers. Beniers and Bjorkstrand helped set up Schultz’s goal off a 2-on-1 rush, and Bjorkstrand added another assist on Will Borgen’s late-game leaker through Vejmelka.
🚨 BURKY BOMB! 🚨
Schultz shoots from the point, and it redirects right to Andre Burakovsky, who scores the power-play goal.
Of course, we would like to see injured Jared McCann return to the lineup ASAP, but the idea of the “Killer B’s” line is fun for now.
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.
Round 1 is done for the Everett Silvertips, who grinded out a 4-1 series win over the Vancouver Giants. Despite the efforts of Giants goalie Brett Mirwald to keep the Silvertips at bay, relentless pressure from Everett created the momentum they needed after they dropped the opening game at home.
Here’s how the series unfolded…
Game 1
It was a start to forget for the Silvertips early on in Game 1. Defensive pairings were caught flat-footed in the neutral zone, allowing the Giants many high-danger rush opportunities. An early breakaway goal from Cameron Schmidt started things off, and a power-play tally later in the period broke the dam open for the Giants to grab a 4-2 lead after the first period.
Defending rushes up the ice against a sneakily explosive Giants team was an issue for the Silvertips early on in the series, but Everett re-acclimated and returned to its offensive prowess as the game went on.
Everett was close to mounting a comeback, with two goals from Ben Hemmerling and one from Kaden Hammell, cutting the lead to one goal for the majority of the third period. But the bid proved to be unsuccessful, and the Silvertips fell 6-4 that night.
While offensive momentum may have shifted towards the Silvertips through the remainder of the game (Everett won the shot battle 42-23), they lacked physicality throughout.
“We expected it [to be physical],” Hemmerling said. “I thought they were more physical than us, and it showed.”
Starting netminder Tyler Palmer was relieved by Ethan Chadwick after allowing four goals on nine shots in the first period, and while a start like that can be tough for any goalie to overcome, assistant coach Mike Field referenced Palmer’s mental toughness as a big asset to his game and how it would be pivotal for him to bounce back the following night.
“He’s a resilient kid,” coach Field said. “He’s had bad games before, he’s had great games before. It’s going to happen again. It’s part of the position. I’m not worried about him, he’s really mentally sharp.”
Game 2
It is safe to say Palmer bounced back for Game 2. Everett was more focused on volume offensively, and defensively, the group played to its identity. Silvertips defenders were smoother with shutting down Giants’ passing lanes and being quicker to gain positioning in the middle of the ice.
Offensively, the Silvertips wore down Giants defenders by constantly applying pressure in the attacking zone, recording 55 total shots fired toward Mirwald. Only two found their way in, though, as Mirwald was tough to crack throughout the series; fortunately for the Silvertips, the two goals they got were all they needed in a 2-1 win, evening the series at one game apiece.
Everett had to be creative to get pucks past Mirwald, and Austin Roest‘s work in front of the net was pivotal in tallying both goals for the Silvertips that night. He emphasized that establishing proper positioning in front of the net as a key to Everett’s success offensively.
“If you look at all the goals we’ve scored in the past however many games, there’s either someone banging in a rebound or someone in front of the net screening the goalie,” Roest said. “That’s how we’re going to play, and that’s how we’re going to win. We have to play that way to be successful.”
Palmer looked more comfortable and seemed to better settled into Game 2, which Coach Field said didn’t shock him. Palmer stopped 20 of 21 and only allowed one goal on a highlight-reel play from Giants forward London Hoilett during the second period.
Games 3 & 4
The Silvertips were evolving as the faster team throughout the series and were more efficient with their ways of attack as a result. As the series transitioned up to Langley, British Columbia, Everett found success with getting to high-danger scoring areas immediately upon entry into the offensive zone.
Games 3 and 4 followed similar trajectories for the Silvertips, which followed with similar results. Parker Berge had three goals and two assists during the series and looked freer with his new defense partner, Niko Tsakumis, in place of Hammell. Berge had goals in both games in Langley.
Even with Mirwald continuing to be a rock in net for the Giants, stopping 85 of 92 shots across both games in Langley, the sheer volume was too much for the Giants back end to handle.
It’s hard enough to take even one game from a hostile environment like Vancouver, let alone both games, but that’s what Everett was able to do. The Silvertips held the Giants to just two total goals in the two games, winning 3-1 in Game 3 on Wednesday night and 4-1 in Game 4 on Friday night. The series headed back to Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett for Game 5.
Game 5
Sunday night’s Game 5 was the final nail in the coffin for Vancouver, as Everett delivered the final blow with five unanswered goals. Mirwald, for the first time since Game 1, looked ordinary with the shots he was letting through, including Dominik Rymon scoring from his knees.
Net-front presence was prominent from all four Everett forward lines the entire night, and the Giants looked out of gas. Everett closed out the series with a 5-0 cruise in Game 5.
This series was quite the team effort for the Silvertips, as all but two dressed players tallied at least a point. Palmer stepped up as well by shutting the Giants down after Game 1 and only allowing three goals between Games 2 and 5.
It is possible the Silvertips could be without Roest, one of their top forwards and co-captain, to start the second round. He took only two shifts during Game 5 and left after taking hits on both shifts that left him slow to get to his feet. Roest exited the game moving very gingerly.
#WHL/#Preds Here’s the end of both shifts Everett forward Austin Roest took in the 1st period before he left the bench & missed the remainder of Game 5.
Regardless of the playoff picture, I still enjoy watching the Kraken right now, especially when they win. The Kraken completed their California swing with wins against the Sharks and Ducks and a loss to the Kings in between. Sure, the victories were against two of the weaker teams in the league, but wins are wins, and you certainly wouldn’t want to see them lose to those teams, would you?
Shane Wright looks good
In my limited viewing of Coachella Valley Firebirds games and discussions I’ve had with people inside the Kraken, Shane Wright’s development has been very positive this season. The 20-year-old center has looked impressive since being called up on March 31, though I understand it has only been a few games. While I am excited about Shane, I remain cautious with prospects, knowing there’s an inherent bias in valuing something you possess. Nonetheless, we can appreciate what we’ve seen from him so far.
He scored a goal in his first game against the Sharks and added two against the Ducks on Friday night. However, his contributions extend beyond goal scoring. Wright plays sound defense, delivers quick, creative passes, and consistently positions himself well for scoring. He did make a few mistakes in his three games so far, but these should serve as learning opportunities.
When he was called up for three games in November, Wright appeared competent but cautious, often opting for the safe play to avoid errors. Although he wasn’t on a line with Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz that time, which might have altered his current role with the big club, he now exudes more confidence and poses a greater threat on the ice than before.
Tremendous give and go between Wright and Schwartz in the neutral zone and then another that ends in a royal road feed from Eberle to Wright for the goal pic.twitter.com/pn3bs2wj9I
When evaluating Shane Wright’s development, I often compare it to the development path of Quinton Byfield, the Los Angeles Kings’ centerman. Their paths are not identical, but Wright and Byfield share similarities. Byfield, drafted second overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, was an OHL player. Due to the pandemic, he was allowed to spend his draft-plus-one season in the AHL and began playing most of his games in the NHL from the 2021-22 season onwards. However, it wasn’t until this season, four years after his draft year, that Byfield began to hit his stride at the top level, just as pundits were speculating that he might be a bust.
Shane is currently in his draft-plus-two season and, by all indications, will become a regular in the NHL next year, his draft-plus-three season. If he follows Byfield’s trajectory, we might not see his full capabilities in the NHL until 2025-26. The broader point is that we still need to be patient. What we should look for is progress in his development, which we have undoubtedly observed since he joined the franchise.
Other Musings
Friday’s win against the Ducks was Seattle’s eighth regular-season win against Anaheim since the inception of the Kraken, the most wins they have posted against any one team. The Kraken have the chance to beat the Sharks for the eighth time on Thursday in Seattle.
Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton were scratched from games this week, a strategy often deployed when developing players to provide them with a different perspective of the game. This allows them to apply what they have learned from the handful of NHL games they’ve experienced at ice level and observe it from above. We would expect the duo to get another game or two at the NHL level before being sent back to Coachella Valley.
I would not pencil Morrison or Winterton into the lineup next year. Both show promise, but I am not convinced they will be ready to be regular NHLers next season.
Congratulations to Lleyton Roed on scoring his first professional goal on Sunday, just a week after signing his first professional hockey contract.
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) April 8, 2024
After experiencing lots of challenges this season, Matty Beniers has been finding the net more often, with goals in four of his last six games. Below is his 10-game moving average of goals scored per game, which shows his scoring trend over 10 games at a time.
The IIHF Women’s World Championship kicked off last week, and one of the marquee games of the opening round is Canada versus USA at 7 p.m. PT, airing Monday on the NHL Network. Check it out if you are so inclined.
Speaking of international tournaments, it will be interesting to see how many Kraken players will participate in the men’s version of the IIHF World Championships in Czechia, which kick off in May. One player expected to represent Denmark is Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard. I’ve discussed him extensively this year, but this will be an opportunity to see how he fares against a number of NHL players.
The Kansas City Mavericks, the Seattle Kraken’s ECHL affiliate, clinched the Brabham Cup over the weekend, an award given to the top team of the regular season. In full transparency, I had never heard of the Brabham Cup before.
We alluded to it last week, and now it has been confirmed: Jani Nyman is joining the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The Everett Silvertips closed out their first-round series against the Vancouver Giants on Sunday. They will face the Portland Winterhawks in the second round, which kicks off on Friday in Portland. The Winterhawks won six of the eight regular-season games between the two teams.
Player performances
Niklas Kokko (PEL/SEA) – Since last Monday, the Kraken goalie prospect won a decisive Game 7 in the opening round of the Liiga playoffs and then won the first two games of the semifinal matchup against his former team, Karpat. He has a .925 save percentage in those two games.
David Goyette (SBY/SEA) – The Kraken’s second-round selection from the 2022 NHL Draft had nine points, including four goals, in the Sudbury Wolves’ first-round series win against the Mississauga Steelheads. The Wolves won the series in five games and will now face Ty Nelson and the North Bay Battalion in Round 2.
Shane Wright (SEA) – We’ve talked about him a lot lately, but he has four points in his three games with the Kraken since he was called up.
Goal of the week
The goal of the week comes from the semifinals of the SHL playoffs, Växjö Lakers vs Rögle BK.
The analytics community has long understood that outhitting an opponent in a hockey game does not necessarily lead to more wins. The overarching idea is that if you’re outhitting an opponent, it likely means you don’t have the puck. Recently, I’ve noticed a broad group of media outlets highlighting hitting as if it were a key component of success on the ice. This has made me somewhat uneasy, so I decided to investigate how well the Kraken perform when outhitting opponents versus being outhit this season.
When the Kraken are “close” with their opponent in terms of the number of hits delivered, or they deliver at least four fewer hits than their opponent, their winning percentage is significantly higher.
The week ahead
The Kraken will play their last two home games this week, taking on the Coyotes on Tuesday and the Sharks on Thursday. Despite the challenges of the past six weeks, I’ll be sad to see the season end. I still love watching the team play, and if it weren’t for the unrealistic expectations created by last year’s team, I would have been content with this season. The Kraken are laying the groundwork to become a perennial playoff contender, rather than a team that gambles too early and risks having to rebuild. In short, while I would have been thrilled to see them in the playoffs, I appreciate the direction they’re heading.
I have a personal backlog of offseason analysis and investigation, but please let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to focus on as the season winds down.
Sadly for the Seattle Kraken, their win in Anaheim on Friday marked the last time they will play the Ducks this season. Seattle went 4-0-0 against Anaheim and put a cherry on top of that sundae with a 3-1 victory that featured two goals and three points for top prospect, Shane Wright.
After some sloppy play to start the game, Wright’s deflection of an Oliver Bjorkstrand shot at 16:08 of the first period got Seattle on track, and it was all uphill from there. Wright went on to add a second marker and an assist, factoring on all three of Seattle’s goals, while Philipp Grubauer was solid with 16 saves on 17 shots.
Here are our Three Takeaways from a 3-1 Kraken win over the Ducks.
Takeaway #1: Shane Wright Night
We’ve talked quite a bit over the past week about how different Wright has looked, both at the AHL level and now at the NHL level, compared with how he looked in training camp and in his first call-up this season. His skating stride looks more powerful than before, he’s battling to get to the front of the net, and he’s more willing to hold onto the puck (though there are still moments where he’s throwing it away too quickly).
Friday was a big night for the 20-year-old center, who got two goals and briefly thought he may have had his first NHL hat trick. Replay revealed, though, that his pass to the top of the crease in the second period deflected off Matty Beniers’ skate and through Lukas Dostal, so Wright would settle for two goals and an assist. Ho hum.
Wright doesn't score but he gets a point as he sends the puck net front where Beniers is in perfect position to redirect it in. 13th PPG against Anaheim in the past two seasons pic.twitter.com/Q5ejIkUUcM
“He was a confident player tonight,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “I thought he was a confident player with the puck, and he definitely did a good job on the defensive side as well.”
Wright is showing good chemistry with his veteran linemates, Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz.
“Each and every game, we’re always talking,” Wright said. “We’re always kind of growing that chemistry and talking on the bench after shifts, what we see out there, what we think we can do better. And yeah, each game that chemistry is going to grow. And hopefully we can keep rolling here.”
They showed that chemistry on Wright’s second goal Friday when Schwartz set up the youngster with a quick pass, and Wright one-timed it home.
Here, we see one of the attributes of Wright’s game that makes him such a touted prospect. His ability to get the puck off his stick in a flash is what made him a prolific scorer at the junior level and should give hope that he can be a consistent scorer in the NHL.
And the points on this night were nice, but there were also several plays Wright made that didn’t show up in the boxscore that supported Hakstol’s “confident player” statement.
Exhibit A, check out this pass Wright made to Eberle:
Exhibit B, watch this sliding block Wright made on William Lagesson with six minutes left in the game:
Takeaway #2: How about Cale Fleury?
It brought joy to our hearts to see Cale Fleury finally get some game action on Friday, and he performed well in his first NHL contest of the season.
Fleury has had a very strange tenure in the Kraken organization, spending almost two full seasons as a healthy scratch before finally getting passed through waivers to go to Coachella Valley at the start of this season.
He’s shifted from the perpetual healthy scratch to being the guy Seattle calls as insurance, in case one (or more) of its regulars can’t go, which has resulted in him being recalled from Coachella Valley… well… we actually don’t know how many times, but it has been a lot of times, only to be either healthy scratched again or sent right back before a game was even played.
Heck, on NHL Trade Deadline day, Fleury was recalled in case Seattle moved a defenseman, flew to Seattle in time to participate in morning skate, and was sent back down to the Firebirds before the Kraken played the Winnipeg Jets that night.
Finally, with Vince Dunn out Friday (that’s very concerning, being that he only returned from a 12-game hiatus two games ago) and Adam Larsson away for personal reasons, Fleury got a chance to play.
“Cale Fleury’s game tonight may not get a lot of mention, but I thought Cale was really efficient,” Hakstol said, unprompted. “I thought he moved the puck well, I thought he was really confident on the offensive blue line, so he went in and did a good job.”
We noticed Fleury making a lot of positive plays in his 13:30 of ice time, and he even made a couple punishing hits, including one on Isac Lundestrom in the third, making the Ducks forward pay the price for driving to the blue paint.
Fleury’s game was a reminder that he is a totally capable defenseman when called upon at the NHL level. Good on him for showing that.
Takeaway #3: Matty hits 100 points
It hasn’t been an easy season for reigning Calder Trophy winner, Matty Beniers, who has had some painfully slow stretches. Giving hope that he can return to his productive self next season, the 21-year-old center has come alive in the last few weeks and has four goals in his last six games.
After Wright banked a pass in off his skate on the power play Friday, Beniers hit the 100-point milestone for his career.
“He’s working through it, right?” Hakstol said. “I mean, we’ve seen the ups and downs of Year 2, and he continues to work. I think tonight’s goal is indicative… of that evolution he’s had net front, and one goes in off his skate. So offensively, that’s really important. It’s a continual learning process with and without the puck in this league, and Matty’s a guy that continues to learn and listen to the guys around him and continues to get better.”
While Beniers has had long times of quiet this season, there’s still no doubting his skill and hockey IQ. If he can add some size to his frame this summer (he’ll have a full offseason to train, which he didn’t have last year) and get off to a good start to next season, we think he can take a big step toward becoming a feared young centerman in the league.
“There’s a lot of games, and you can’t really worry too much about what happens in each game,” Beniers said. “You’ve just got to grow and try to build off it and build momentum, get better every day. I think those lessons apply to every year of hockey, but especially in the NHL when you’re playing that many games. It’s a lot about mindset, a lot about physicality and taking care of yourself.”
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
With the Seattle Kraken loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night, and the Kings defeating the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, the Kraken have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. If the Kraken were to win out the rest of the season, they would top out at 89 points, and the Kings currently sit at 91 points. The Kraken have seven games remaining, and with that 89-point maximum, Seattle has been mathematically eliminated.
How the Kraken did this week
Mar. 30 — 3-0 shutout loss to the Stars
Apr. 1 — 4-2 win versus the Sharks
Apr. 3 — 5-2 loss at the hands of the Kings
As mentioned in last week’s playoff update, if the Kraken lost two games this week, that would be enough to eliminate them from playoff contention. Seattle did just that this past week, going 1-2-0. Both losses came against teams currently in playoff position, but the Kraken did not look like they belonged in either of those contests. The win against the lowly Sharks did feel good, and the Kraken dominated the play for a lot of the night but drooped in the second period to let San Jose back in the game.
The Kids
Shane Wright was called up from Coachella Valley this week. The 2022 No. 4 overall pick centered a line with Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz. In the game against the Sharks, Wright scored on a 2-on-1 rush with Eberle.
In the two games Wright has played during this current call-up, he has looked improved and has averaged over 15 minutes of ice time and two minutes of power-play time per game. The only nitpick I had on Wright’s game was that there were three occasions where he made a pass, only to look up and realize nobody was there. Two of those passes were to the front of the net, though, so I was glad to see him trying to get the puck off the boards and to the center of the ice.
Overall, Wright looks good, and we expect him to make the big club full time next year.
Logan Morrison and Ryan Winterton also have remained with the club. Morrison has played in three games and Winterton in four. Neither forward has registered a point yet, and both were scratched against the Kings. Still, they are getting valuable time in the NHL to adjust to the speed of the game. It has been fun watching them play on the fourth line with Tye Kartye and generate some offensive chances.
At times, Ryker Evans has been on the ice with the fourth line. It has been amazing to see four players on the ice at the same time that are working their way through the Seattle Kraken development path. Morrison and Winterton do not have guaranteed roster spots on the Kraken next year. Development Camp should continue to get more and more competitive as these players push for spots.
Returning to Coachella Valley
At some point the “kids” will be sent back to Coachella Valley for the AHL playoff run. Wright can play four more games before burning a year of his entry-level contract. If Wright plays one more game for the Kraken, he would not be eligible next year for the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s rookie of the year, but this is probably not a big item on the mind of general manager Ron Francis.
Morrison and Winterton are not eligible to have their contracts slide this year, as both are over 20 years of age. So, there is no rush to send them back to the Firebirds. There is a possibility they will stay with the Kraken for the rest of the season before going back down and contributing to the Firebirds’ playoff run.
Kraken Games this coming week (Apr 5-11)
Apr. 5 — Kraken @ Ducks
Apr. 9 — Coyotes @ Kraken
Apr. 11 — Sharks @ Kraken (last home game of the year and fan appreciation night)
The Kraken have a pretty easy week playing against three “Tanker” teams. The Kraken have a combined record of 5-1-2 against the Ducks, Coyotes, and Sharks. With 75 games played, the Kraken have a .500 points percentage, earning 75 points. This week is against lower-quality opponents, so a winning record can be expected. After this week, the Kraken will finish up their season with a four-game road trip against some tougher competition (Dallas, St. Louis, Winnipeg, and Minnesota).
Paint the Ice
Just a side note here, as the Kraken have been eliminated from playoff contention, there is an end-of-season event to look forward to called the “Paint the Ice” event. This event is for season ticket holders and requires a ticket, but it far exceeded my expectations last year. I highly recommend going if you have the option. “Paint the Ice” is scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 13, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Here are the results from the last year’s event at Climate Pledge Arena.
Please leave any comments or questions below and follow me @blaizg
Everett Silvertips fans, as well as hockey fans in the Pacific Northwest in general, should become acquainted with the name Landon DuPont.
The Everett Silvertips won the Western Hockey League prospects draft lottery last Wednesday and will pick No. 1 overall in May’s WHL Draft, thanks to the first-round pick they acquired in the trade that sent Olen Zellweger to Kamloops last season.
The consensus top prospect is DuPont, a defenseman from Calgary, Alberta. He is considered a generational prospect.
“This is a player that can perform at a high level but also make everyone else around him better. When that starts to happen, you start to build a real window (of contention),” said Joel Henderson, the director of scouting for Puck Preps and a WHL scout for FC Hockey.
“He does so many things well. … He’s mobile, he’s fluid, he’s smart.”
This lottery could net the winner maybe the second player ever granted exceptional player status in the WHL. Landon DuPont is that good and HNLive has been along for part of his ride with @edgeschool at U15 and as an underage U18 player. Where does he land!? #landonduponthttps://t.co/sYH48ZtwKApic.twitter.com/xCtDpFN844
DuPont hasn’t decided yet if he’ll play in the WHL or go the NCAA route. Regardless, Zoran Rajcic, the Silvertips’ chief operating officer, told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald that the Silvertips will take DuPont No. 1 overall, calling it “a no-brainer.”
“I don’t know any player who is a top player in any draft that wouldn’t look at every option. I would be surprised if DuPont and his family didn’t do their due diligence,” Henderson said. “I can’t speak to anything in particular, but if I’m betting money, he gets exceptional status, and he’s in Everett’s lineup next year.”
“Exceptional status” is a designation given out by Hockey Canada that allows players to play in the Canadian Hockey League before they turn 16. Only seven players total have received it, including Kraken prospect Shane Wright.
If given exceptional status, DuPont would be the second WHL player to receive it, with the first being Connor Bedard.
“I think it would be a disservice (to his development) if he doesn’t get exceptional status,” Henderson said.
Landon Dupont could be going to Tri-City, Everett, or Kelowna.
Here are some quick facts on how dominant DuPont has been this past season
His 62 points (19 goals and 43 assists) were third among all players and first for defensemen in CSSHL U18. Worth noting, DuPont is still just 14 years old, playing in a U18 league.
It’s the most points all time for a defenseman his age in CSSHL U18, and it’s not particularly close – Wild prospect Carson Lambos is second with six points in 2017-18.
His 2.07 points per game trails just Bedard and Matthew Savoie among players of that age in CSSHL U18.
DuPont is the No. 1 ranked player in North America, according to PuckPreps. For the WHL draft in particular, the No. 1 pick is the grand prize.
“With no disrespect to any of the players in this draft … the dropoff from Landon to No. 2 is significant and the dropoff from No. 2 is significant as well,” Henderson said.
Publicly, DuPont is drawing comparisons to Cale Makar due to his offensive skill set. For Henderson, there’s shades of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram in DuPont’s game.
“By all metrics he’s ahead of where Bowen Byram was at this point pretty substantially,” Henderson said. “But he’s that type of player who can quarterback an offense, he can move the puck consistently, he’s really smart with his decision making, he’s got powerful, smooth, skating strides. … He’s a really unselfish player. If anything I’d want him to be a little more unselfish.”
DuPont and Everett are an excellent marriage, according to Henderson.
“There aren’t too many landing spots in the WHL that suit Landon’s playing style better than the way Everett plays,” Henderson said. “Everett’s going to really enjoy him.”
