The Need to Knows
The Time: 7 pm PT / 10 pm ET
The Place: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Where to Watch: ROOT Sports Northwest or ESPN+ for out-of-market fans
Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM
An Opposing Viewpoint: Eyes on the Prize
Know Your Enemy
Seattle and Montreal have a unique hockey history that dates back to 1917, where the Seattle Metropolitans beat the Canadiens to become the first American team to win the Stanley Cup.
The current Canadiens are probably not going to make the Stanley Cup Finals, as they are in the middle of a rebuild. A rebuild that started with them having the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft with the presumptive first overall pick being…
Shane Wright.
Montreal fans wanted Shane Wright. Shane Wright wanted to play in Montreal. But when it was time for Montreal to make the pick, they took forward Juraj Slafkovský, Wright fell to the Kraken at No. 4, and Wright allegedly gave the Montreal Canadiens a death stare after the pick was made. (He says he was looking at the camera and not the table.)
After a five-game conditioning stint in Coachella Valley, Shane Wright is being called up and will play against Montreal before heading off to World Juniors camp.
Shane Wright scored 4 goals in his 5 games in the AHL. He is still looking for his first NHL goal.
Do you like revenge game angles? Because this has the makings of all of it.
Game Preview
Montreal is coming off Monday’s ridiculous 7-6 OT loss to Vancouver, a game where Montreal blew a 4-0 lead, so it’s safe to say they’re probably a bit cranky. They’re playing in the final game of a 4-game road trip tonight, and they’re on the second half of back-to-back games.
Seattle ended their franchise-record 7-game winning streak in a 5-1 loss to the Panthers on Saturday. The Kraken are 12-2-1 since their blown lead and overtime loss to Vancouver.
Montreal presents intriguing youngsters in center Nick Suzuki and right wing Cole Caufield, but little else in the way of consistent scoring threats. They have a 12-11-2 record which is respectable, but they have the third-worst expected goals percentage in the league, per Moneypuck. Montreal is probably flying a bit high and over the course of the season will likely fall back.
The Kraken have their own struggles with the penalty kill, but this is a great spot to Wright the ship and get back to their winning ways.
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