Kraken Sunday:
I tend to be a bit long winded on Sunday 9’s, because I like to be thorough with stories, especially when they involve stories from ‘old time hockey’. Today I’m limiting the verbiage.
Here goes …
1) Sunday’s Seattle at New York matinee game was nuts. When the Kraken went down 3-1 in the 2nd period after goalie Philipp Grubauer failed to knock down a big carom off the end boards following a shot wide and Rangers forward Vince Trocheck buried the puck into a yawning net, the body language was dire. ‘Grubi’ had already allowed a soft goal in the 1st period and things weren’t looking up at the 4:47 mark.
Later in the period the Kraken suddenly came to life, scoring five goals in a row and eventually going on to win 7-5. There’s no explanation for the surge, other than it’s typical of the unpredictable nature of this club’s behavior.
Less difficult to figure out was New York’s issues as the contest wore on. They failed to cover men in their own zone and they lost puck battles repeatedly. Things are awry in Gotham for a team not playing up to its talent level.
Regardless, this Kraken club, constantly on a see-saw in the standings in the Pacific Division, are once again back to .500 on the season after going 3-and-1 on their four game road trip.
2) Things got a bit dicey in the 1st period when Grubauer was clipped in the head by passing New York forward Filip Chytil. Grubi successfully embellished a bit to draw the goalie interference penalty, but then for a moment it looked like he might legitimately be dinged up.
There was no way head coach Dan Bylsma was replacing him. Joey Daccord, who was supposed to start, was ill, and the emergency back-up was former college goalie Michael Matyas, who dressed and sat on the bench. The only way he could come in was if Grubauer was actually injured. Apparently he wasn’t. Let’s just say “Phew”!
3) The next time Kraken GM Ron Francis makes the playoffs will be the 2nd time he’s made the playoffs as an NHL GM.
4) The Rangers appeared as though they might still be a bit discombobulated following the trading of their captain and hard-hitting, veteran D-man Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday for 25-year-old lefty D-man Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 4th-round NHL Draft pick.
The Rangers leveraged Trouba, some have referred to it as “blackmailed”, by threatening him with waivers if he didn’t lift his no trade clause. The turmoil surrounding his potential move had apparently been bubbling for at least a couple of weeks.
With the freed up money, the club gave top goaltender Igor Shesterkin a new eight-year contract worth $92-million on Saturday. His back-up, former two-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick, took the loss to the Kraken on Sunday.
5) Social media had some irritating fun on Sunday with the rumor that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had requested a trade out of Motown. Stay tuned. The reports up until now have mostly been shot down as erroneous.
Speaking of Larkin, if one were to apply the qualifications for the NHL’s annual Hart Trophy winner, “the player deemed most valuable to his team”, then the Michigan native and former Wolverine collegian would be a finalist every year. The Red Wings seem to be nothing without him in the line-up.
Nathan MacKinnon won the award in 2024, deservedly so, but by the letter of the law, or in this award’s case, if the language was applied as written, it wouldn’t or shouldn’t always just go to the guy the writers deem “the league MVP”.
Also, to truly be considered for practical purposes, the dude’s team needs to make the playoffs, although again, it’s a regular season award and reaching the postseason technically shouldn’t be a factor.
6) Kraken trivia slot: Do you know which Seattle forward once had a six-point game while playing for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League? Answer at the bottom.
7) Up the road in Vancouver on Sunday afternoon, the Canucks lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2.
Surprisingly, at first glance, the Kraken are just three points behind the Canucks in the Pacific Division standings. Upon further review, one will notice that Vancouver has three games in-hand on Seattle.
They’re also simply a deeper, better hockey team, one that’s suffered through a number of serious maladies/absences this season.
8) Google Jeff Marek, The Sheet.
My old pal with whom I’ve crossed paths with on television and radio over the last two decades in Canada has cranked up his new show/podcast. The former Sportsnet/Hockey Night in Canada, etc. etc. personality is back in action. Dude’s an encyclopedia of pucks. Look him up and tune in.
9) Remind me to tell you about the time I was driving to BC after a Canucks/Kraken preseason game in Spokane and ran into a thundering herd of elk, among other things. That’s next week …
Trivia Answer: Oliver Bjorkstrand had a hat trick and added three assists in a game against the Everett Silvertips on January 31st, 2015.
Recent “Kraken Canuckleheads” podcast you might find informative and entertaining … (subtitled: ‘What the hell’s wrong with the Predators”) …
Enjoy the Hockey Action!!!
