The Anaheim Ducks will be thinking; what better way to right the ship than getting a win against the upstart Seattle Kraken. The Seattle Kraken should be keeping things very simple; just keep doing what you’re doing.
The Kraken are 6-1-and-1 on the road and a win in Anaheim would extend their franchise record road winning streak to five games. It’s another Pacific Division match-up, where the Kraken have gone 5-2-and-1 with a current three game winning streak.
Seattle beat the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night 4-2, the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday 8-5 and the Los Angeles Kings in overtime a week ago Saturday 3-2. Seattle will see the Kings again in LA on Tuesday night.
Kraken First Things First
Take care of business against the Ducks by playing a full sixty minutes; that’s one of the simple messages from Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol at this point. Presume nothing.
Anaheim sits in last place in the Pacific with 13 points, 14 points behind Seattle who also have a game in-hand on the Ducks. Anaheim’s power play is dead last in the NHL at 11.3-percent. The Kraken’s is twice as good at 22.4%. The Anaheim penalty kill is also 32nd in the league at a pathetic 65.8-percent. Seattle’s isn’t a whole lot better, ranked 29th at 72.6%.
Regardless of that apparent mismatch opportunity, the best penalty kill remains staying out of the box. Why tempt Anaheim’s young talent, led by uber-skilled center Trevor Zegras. He’s second in team scoring to his winger Troy Terry.
This “other” SoCal franchise has taken a step backward. After starting last season hot, they faded to finish with 76 points, sixteen ahead of the inaugural Kraken, but where Seattle has stepped up the talent and performance level, Anaheim has continued the slip. At least so far.
Seattle doesn’t want this evening to be the time they snap out of it.
— Martin Jones starts in net for the Kraken, John Gibson for the Ducks.
Ducks:
Adam Henrique – Trevor Zegras – Troy Terry
Derek Grant – Ryan Strome – Frankie Vatrano
Sam Carrick – Isac Lundestrom – Jakob Silfverberg
Max Jones – Mason McTavish – Brett Leason
Cam Fowler – Dmitry Kulikov
Simon Benoit – Colton White
Nathan Beaulieu – Kevin Shattenkirk
John Gibson
Anthony Stolarz
