The worst part is…you could argue this was probably their best game of this losing streak.
Here’s the Highlights
Game Notes
- Your TOI Leader was Brandon Montour, who played 22:15.
- You’ll see it in the charts, but this really was one of the better games Seattle has played down this rough stretch. For a lot of this game, the Kraken actually managed to keep up with the Avs even if the shots didn’t exactly land in their favor. Once again, a slow start killed them, but they fought back and took an unbelievably short lead. There was the beginnings of a back and forth…but then Joel Kiviranta sprung away from everybody off of an offensive zone turnover, and it once again became the gap of finishing talent’s signature killing blow of a Kraken game. It’s a damn shame, but that’s where they’re at.
- The coaching staff really need to take some time over this break to think about how this team treats the puck, because more than once did the Kraken’s ability to secure the puck kill a good shift, especially along the half-wall and up at the point. It’s been killing them throughout the season and throughout this streak in particular, and unless it gets solved this is just gonna keep happening.
- I don’t know what it’s gonna take for goals to go in for Matty Beniers; he’s definitely trying, he got an assist tonight and was a major force on defense, but man he is snakebitten in the worst possible way.
- I’m one bad failed clear away from mentally trading half of this defensive corps for picks, man. It’s so frustrating to watch players I know who can be physical, responsible, and attentive on plays completely fail to be any of those things, and if they’re not they’re only getting half-way towards it. The way this defense continues to let this team down is just aggravating in the extreme.
- Daccord was asked to make a lot of great stops tonight thanks to the Kraken’s lack of efficiency with the puck, and to his credit he answered the bell pretty well. That said, Seattle’s netminder has now come into his third loss in a row; all with an .889 SV%. Then again, he would need to be playing his best hockey and then some to overcome the overwhelming problems this team is putting in front of him.
- That also said, I think we can agree that this team’s philosophy on the man-advantage is completely backwards and isn’t working. I must now ask the question…of why it continues?
- Five in a row. Something’s gotta change.
Was there anything good about this game?
Sure.
- Jared McCann scored a real pretty goal off an excellent play from Shane Wright and Yanni Gourde; his first since December 12th. Good on him!
- Kaapo Kakko didn’t just have his first goal in a Kraken uniform, he was genuinely really really good tonight when it came to possession and with his shooting; leading the forward group in that category. If he keeps this up, maybe he can find a little bit of what made him so special back when he was drafted. We certainly could use it.
- Josh Mahura was actually a really solid defender tonight. Didn’t really show up on the scoresheet but was a force that the Avalanche struggled to play against.
- If you’re all about the draft, this L finally puts them into a position for potentially a top five pick.
- The World Juniors are about to start and almost every Kraken prospect that’s in Ottawa right now is playing on Boxing Day.
The future is now officially what I am choosing to focus on with this team.
The Charts, via NaturalStatTrick.com
It’s so frustrating because they really did keep Colorado guessing for a bit. They just couldn’t keep the same pace the Avs had.
The Kraken get the week off, and will reconvene in Vancouver on the 28th to face the Canucks. That game drops the puck at 1pm PT.
We’ll see you there.
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win