For the Kraken to finish their four game road trip with a positive mark, as in 3-and-1 or 2-1-and-1, they need to have a successful result Sunday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Finishing 2-and-2 on this eastern roadie simply means treading water, pinging four more games off the schedule, and remaining exactly where they are in the standings. As in, out of the playoff picture.
The Rangers have been a major nemesis for the Kraken, with Seattle having just one overtime win in their history against the Broadway Blueshirts.
— By the way, that’s a team reference to days gone by and to New York City in general. The current Garden sits between 7th and 8th avenue and between 31st and 33rd street in Manhattan. It’s not on Broadway, the street, or that entertainment district —
New York freed up money over the weekend by trading their D-man captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks — somehow they got Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek to take on the entire cap hit — to sign their elite goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92-million deal.
Although the trade deal involved some coercion, threatening Trouba with waivers if he didn’t lift his no-trade clause, the team might be settling into their new reality following a couple weeks of tumult.
The Kraken can’t worry about it; they simply have to worry about themselves. Seattle must play with a fierce forecheck for a full 60 minutes.
They’ve played a 1/3 of the NHL season and remain four points out of a playoff spot, needing to hop over three very good teams.
With Joey Daccord sick, Philipp Grubauer starts in net for the visitors with Jonathan Quick going for the Rangers. Puck drop is a few minutes past 10 am Pacific time.
