Kraken Pessimist?
One could foresee the Seattle Kraken giving back three of the nine wins they just piled up. It’s not being pessimistic, it’s being realistic considering the current state of the hockey team as it wraps up a lengthy road trip.
After just two straight losses, the Kraken sit in 6th place in the Pacific Division with 47 points, tied with the Calgary Flames. What does that do to the club’s psychology?
By the way, the two closest teams Seattle is chasing have played a handful less games than the Kraken.
Co-scoring leader and top pair defenseman Vince Dunn missed his second consecutive game and the club seemed to respond well in New York, coming out with lots of pressure and plenty of shots on Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin. They couldn’t solve him consistently.
Where does Dunn fit into that? Maybe not to the extent of Quinn Hughes with the Vancouver Canucks or Cale Makar with the Colorado Avalanche, but Dunn is the straw that stirs the Kraken’s drink more often than not.
One would hope he’s back for Thursday night’s game against the Oilers in Edmonton to wrap up the trip.
There won’t be center Matty Beniers, now on injured reserve, and there may not be an Andre Burakovsky … again.
It’ll be the Kraken’s 3rd game in four nights against a team that’s won eleven NHL matches in a row.
With a record of 2-6-and-1, Seattle has not fared well head-to-head against Connor McDavid and the boys. The Oilers beat the Kraken twice in November, once in overtime.
Kraken Optimist
There’s no question the Kraken will work hard on Thursday night in Alberta. They’re want to exercise those Edmonton demons, they’ll want to finish the road trip on a high note, and they’ll want to end what could become a losing skid at two.
Seattle might get a couple of key bodies back. Postgame at Madison Square Garden, Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol again alluded to something “going through the team”. It sounds like a handful of players are feeling sick or dragging a bit while coming out of illness.
By the way, should they lose, how Seattle puts the game in Edmonton behind them will matter a lot. As we discussed over the weekend, Seattle has a very favorable schedule coming up. The club will want to reap the benefits, no holds barred.
Maybe the Oilers will suffer a bit of a letdown after their emotional comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
One can hope.
Earlier:
— Did A Bug Hit The Kraken, We’ll Know In Short Order
