[turning the lights on and off] oooOOoooOOoo spooky halloween game!!!
If you can stand it, the Highlights:
Game Notes:
- The TOI Leader for Seattle was Vince Dunn with 26:01 logged.
- The big thing that happened in this game that ultimately had very little to do with the end result was that a bank of lights at Climate Pledge went out and stayed out due to inclement weather in the area that seemingly knocked out something in their part of the electric grid. The Kraken and Rangers could’ve ended up not playing the game but both sides agreed to finish it out by theoretically choosing to switch sides every 10 minutes. This was poorly enforced, but frankly with how the Kraken played they could’ve played in a pitch black arena and still have experienced the same result.
- The Kraken offense is absolutely broken once again. That was true before the sudden explosion against Carolina, but it’s just so frustrating to watch them get a goal and then be incapable of actually capitalize on it. I’d choose a player to pick on right now but if you have less than 20 shots on goal after 60 minutes of hockey, pretty much everybody failed to do their assignment. The defense was listless, the offense was gross, and with the loss of Burakovsky, it’s going to be all that much more difficult. Could not ask for a worse follow-up effort.
- Alright, I’m picking on one: I think I’m going to spent a little extra time on Matty Beniers over the week because he has a horrific case of the yips to start this season; he’s been a net-negative player in nearly every game they’ve played and it’s not conducive to the Kraken going back to the post-season.
- Grubauer at some point has to lodge a complaint for the lack of goal support. He didn’t have an ideal night either, but I don’t know if prime Hasek could win in front of a team that doesn’t
- Well, we’re still somehow not at 400 even-strength TOI because the Rangers and Kraken basically decided they weren’t gonna conceive of playing a disciplined game for much of anybody. There’s a chance this still all comes out in the wash, but they need to be told to be selfish and take some shots. Some of these goalies are really good, but they’re never perfect; get some shots, attack the slot, good stuff happens.
- The Rangers are on that Laviolette thing badly. They’re throwing reckless hits with abandon and getting into fights with no concern. I’m annoyed that they ended up winning but otherwise the Kraken
- Next couple of games are on the road, and we’re rapidly getting to the point where the NHL begins to metastasize. Gonna need to get some wins here.
Were there any positives at all?
Uhh….No wait, I have a couple.
- Justin Schultz! Scored the sole Kraken goal.
- Yanni Gourde! Stood up for his teammates after a high hit. Also one of the few players on the Kraken to have positive shot-attempt differential. Love that energy, Pepper pot!
- The Firebirds won! Yeah it was a weird night and this didn’t end great, but the young boys played good puck down in Tuscon tonight, and I am beginning to eye that roster for potential call-ups.
- The Brave Climate Pledge Arena Staff who had to figure out what the hell was going on with the Lights! They always tell me that there are three jobs for which society cannot function; electricians, janitors, and plumbers. Usually it’s because I tell them I’m a blogger. Regardless, those folks tasked with figuring out what the hell happened to the lights are brave soldiers today, and I salute them.
Let’s just blankly stare at some charts from NaturalStatTrick.
Not. Good. Enough. Not even close.
The Kraken hit the road for some early evening Eastern Conference tilts; starting with a surging Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday evening; that game drops the puck around dinner time at 5:15pm.
We’ll see how they figure this out, but until then…
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.