The Need To Knows
- The Time: 4:00pm PT
- The Place: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
- Place to Watch: ROOT-Northwest, ESPN+/SportsNet+
- Place to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM
- An Opposing Viewpoint: The Cannon
Know Your Enemy
Seeking to set a new franchise record in consecutive wins, no better stop could be next up on this road trip for the Kraken (18-14-9) than the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, struggling in the standings once again. Despite the offseason additions of third-overall pick Adam Fantilli, defensemen Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov, and a new head coach in Mike Babcock, what was a stacked roster on paper has turned out to be anything but.
Babcock resigned from his duties on Sept 17, not even 80 days since his initial hiring, for behavior his team-released statement called “a distraction,” alleged to have “violated players’ privacy.” Elvis Merzlikins (.907 SV%, 3.25 GAA) hasn’t won a start since Dec 14, demoted to backup and potential trade bait as the Blue Jackets have become increasingly unsatisfied with his play, opting to let Daniil Tarasov (.883 SV%, 3.79 GAA) take the starter’s job instead. Intended top-producers in Patrik Laine, Kent Johnson, and Johnny Gaudreau have spent games, curiously, either benched or healthy scratched– Laine was reportedly “blindsided” by what he characterized as “the most embarrassing thing that’s happened” to him.
No doubt Columbus bench boss Pascal Vincent has had his hands full taking on his first NHL head coaching assignment; teams cannot be fixed in a day. But one could argue he’s contributed in his own right to the Blue Jackets’ ails, sidelining scorers when the team is allowing the fourth-most goals per game in the league (2.93) and controlling a minority of the total goals scored this season (47.94%, 25th). Not a single skater on the Blue Jackets has breached 30 points.
Game Preview
Although not to Columbus’ magnitude, Seattle’s no stranger to hardship, scoring slumps, and coaching questions. Riding an eight-game win streak and twelve game point streak into Saturday’s contest, the Kraken are equipped with the defensive and, newly, the offensive skill they need to secure two points.
Seattle’s spent the last three months working back from rock bottom shot quality shares and stubborn finishing to breach .500 in the standings, an improvement driven by increasing five-on-five scoring. Each of the Kraken’s last four games has been won by a difference of at least three goals, finishing the month of December finding most of their offense at five-on-five.
It’s no surprise to see that an increase in five-on-five scoring coincides so neatly with an increase in not only wins for the Kraken, but wins by a wider margin. Composure and attention to detail on both ends of the ice should take Seattle far, so long as another slow start doesn’t cause too much of a stir.
Leave a tip to support our writers and staff!