Game On! Seems like a while ago since the last Seattle Kraken game, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. The local boys have put that one behind them while preparing for tonight’s (Thursday’s) match against the New York Rangers at Climate Pledge Arena.
Should fans be concerned about winger and leading scorer Andre Burakovsky, who took another practice day off on Wednesday for maintenance? He also left practice early on Tuesday.
Nope. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol reiterated it was just a maintenance day. Jaden Schwartz took Wednesday off as well; a semi-regular occurrence this season.
Kraken fans could also see the return of goalie Philipp Grubauer sooner than later. “Grooby” left the game on October 21st against the Colorado Avalanche with a lower body injury and was put on injured reserve effective October 25th.
“Today is his second full day of practice and yesterday went well,” Hakstol said Wednesday. “He felt great coming into today and had another good work day, so again, we’re just one step at a time.”
Broadway Blueshirts
The New York Rangers are 8-6-and-3 this season with a 4-and-3 road record. Following a 4-1 home victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday and then three days off, the Blueshirts begin a four-game road trip in Seattle that will also take them to San Jose, Los Angeles, and Anaheim.
They’re led in scoring by winger Artemi Panarin’s 22 points, followed by center Mika Zibanejad’s 19 points. Former Norris Trophy winning defenseman Adam Fox also has 19 points and is riding a six-game point streak.
Both the Kraken and the Rangers presently have top-10 NHL power plays, both hovering around a 23-percent success rate. Twelve of Panarin’s points have come on the power play; eleven of Zibanejad’s.
The Kraken lost both games to the Rangers last season, 3-1 at home on October 31st and 3-2 (NYR celebrating a late game winner in photo above) at Madison Square Garden on January 30th.
Hockey Fights Cancer
Tonight is the Seattle Kraken’s installment of Hockey Fights Cancer night, a special event repeated by all of the NHL’s 32 teams. The club’s warm-up jerseys and a special HFC mask created for Grubauer will be auctioned off to raise money to fight the disease. Learn more from Kraken content man Bob Condor here.
It’s a Dog’s World
It’s a generalization, but I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest most people like dogs. Or love them. Or absolutely adore them. As one who gets along very well with the canine set, I enjoyed seeing the Kraken staff and ‘Bakes’ from the Seattle Times referencing and covering the team’s “Players and Pups” calendar shoot Wednesday on social media.
The club went to the dogs and hockey fans will soon be able to purchase the results. Lots of fun and great marketing, because whether it’s movies, cartoons, talks shows or calendars, folks love “human kind’s best friend.”
Bow Wow, and Enjoy the Hockey Action !!
