The need to knows
- Time: 7:00 PM PT
- Where: Honda Center, Anaheim CA
- Watch: ROOT-Northwest, NESN, ESPN+/SportsNet+
- Listen: KJR 93.3 FM
Story so far
Senioritis is real.
My guess is that senioritis—that part of the year where vacation is close, but you still have work to do—is rampant among those teams not going to the playoffs. For those of us who enjoy the Root Sports broadcast, you may have noticed a bit of John Forslund/Eddie Olczyk senioritis in the past few games as they seem to be jabbing at each other a little more than usual and talking about the game a little less. This is not criticism, mind you. This is sports broadcasting gold. Never change, you two.
I can’t blame them. John and Eddie are some of the best broadcasters in hockey and it’s got to be hard to watch playoff hopes dwindle because of injuries, mistakes, and an offense that isn’t working. The depth that got the team through the first round of the playoffs last season isn’t around anymore.
Anaheim’s got their own issues. The Ducks just aren’t a good team, and they know it. Some of Anaheim’s problems are relatable, such as waiting for the investment in young players to pay off. This week, Anaheim went on a hiring spree for young talent. Meanwhile, Seattle fans wait and hope that the Shane Wright era will start cooking. He played on the 1st against San Jose and the 3rd against Los Angeles, so maybe he’s getting sea legs.
Neither team is going to the playoffs and every player on the ice knows that, in a few short weeks, school will be out for summer. Now, it’s about pride. Now the Kraken fandom gets to do that tried-and-true sports thing: let’s talk about next year. That’ll be our year, man.
The stats
The Kraken square off against the Ducks for the third time in six games. The Kraken won the last two, including a messy dramatic night where Anaheim couldn’t keep their hands to themselves, and Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras took his frustrations out on the Root Sports camera inside the penalty box. Let’s see if that energy boils over into their final meeting of the season.
The Ducks are coming off a 5-3 win against Calgary on Tuesday while the Kraken lost to the Lost Angeles 2-5 on Wednesday.
Injuries
The Kraken finally got Vince Dunn (D) back,only to have him take a nasty hit in the game against the Kings. We’ll see if he ends up playing.
The Ducks have four players on day-to-day status:
- Max Jones (LW)
- Pavel Mintyukov (D)
- Radko Gudas (D)
- Mason McTavish (C)
Leave a tip to support our writers and staff!