Trust me, given how this game was going, that kind of result is something you will 100% take.
But first, the Highlights
Game Notes
- Your TOI leader was Adam Larsson, with 26:33 logged.
- Given how this was going, I was genuinely afraid the Kraken were going to lose this game by some preposterous 5+ goal margin after the Kings began to take over the game. LA came out of the second frame flying, especially after mostly controlling the first, but the Kraken were able to pick their spots well, and more importantly got an extremely fortuitous bounce to get ahead to start things off, and tied it late to secure the point. They didn’t even blow it in OT! Shame they couldn’t get the winner in the Skills Competition, but if you’re gonna lose any games, this is how you wanna do it; make it as difficult for the other team to get those 2 points as possible. Oh, and get a loser point out of it on a night where all the hotter teams in the division decided to get pasted. Get your wins where you can!
- Joey Daccord is the first star of this game, I don’t care who says otherwi-oh, he did get the first star of the game? Absolutely earned. He kept this team in it and they knew it; nothing but unilateral praise for him in the locker room post-game, and presumably some steak dinners are coming his way.
- I think I’ve identified Matty Beniers’ Sophomore Slump’s big “problem”; there are actually two forms of Matty this year. One version of Matty who is still sort of fighting it but otherwise is a perfectly cromulent NHL center…and then there’s one who seems to be fighting the entire concept of hockey itself in spite of being good enough to keep up with the play. Like a car engine that has misfires, but only sometimes. I still think he might need to face lesser competition with his minutes for a bit, just to see if it cleans out whatever he’s going through, but identifying that it’s not entirely a mystifying drop is encouraging.
- Penalty trouble hit both teams; the Kraken’s power play goal made all the difference, but perhaps this wouldn’t be quite so lopsided a game in the shot counter if they could avoid the Ref’s attention. This sport often has extremely mercurial officiating at the best of times, and the best teams build squads that do their best to take the ref out of the game. Hakstol did say they’d talk about discipline at practice, so hopefully this talk, which in my opinion has been coming for quite some time, will be fruitful in trying to keep the Penalty Killing unit at least somewhat fresh in the upcoming week.
- In spite of being completely under siege and only having a single point tonight, this was one of Ryker Evans’ best games so far in a Deep Blue uniform. He was engaged, he had an assist, he was a net-positive in moving the puck up ice…I think he should consider a more permanent residence in the area, because he’s not going anywhere if he keeps this up.
- Speaking of blueliners, Vince Dunn is veeeeery lucky that Joey was on one tonight, because that OT Penalty could’ve been backbreaking…and a good paragraph could be dedicated to how much of a buzzkill that would’ve been. Don’t let that s#!t happen again, Vinnie. You’re too valuable to this team’s overall success to be pulling that.
- I think I’m so positive on this loss because they forced the Kings to earn that win. Some of the issues that the Kraken have faced over The Dark Times™ is that they would completely fold over the course of a game, and that didn’t happen tonight. It’s a good habit to get back even if you couldn’t get the 2 points.
- In regards to the Standings, this…kind of helped Seattle? Sure, we can whine about the overtime point and all that, but its helped the Kraken stay afloat in a division that seems intent on being the least normal of all of them. They just barely leapfrogged the Oilers, and the Flames just barely leapfrogged them tonight. Granted, all three teams are now playing catchup with the Arizona Coyotes; a real sentence I am typing in 2023, but the fact that it’s even still possible is something positive. Still would’ve liked that 2nd point.
- That said, getting those points off of Chicago and Florida were big. They’ve got Dallas and LA again on the road, so it would behoove these Squids to take the good things they learned from this one and apply it.
Was there anything positive about this game?
Absolutely.
- Adam Larsson! The big man got Seattle on the board with just about the silliest goal of the weekend unless something else dumb happens. I don’t even know what happened there; he definitely guided it forward, but shooting it? Passing it? Not quite sure. It’s also a bit strange that this is the 2nd goal the Kraken have scored in an absolutely insane, one-in-a-million way…in the same week?
- Oliver Bjorkstrand! With Bjorkstrand’s goal tonight, the Maestro joins Vince Dunn for team lead in points at 25, and not a moment too soon. He also moves into 2nd on the team in goals behind McCann with 10.
- Ryker Evans! A primary assist on Bjorky’s late tally! This guy might have a future in this league.
- Joey Daccord! The goalie earned his first start tonight, especially in the 2nd period where LA could’ve very easily made the score anywhere from 2-1 to 10-1 with how many opportunities they got in front of him. A .947 SV% well-earned.
The NaturalStatTrick.com Charts
Joey Daccord is a good NHL goaltender.
Joey Daccord is a very good NHL goaltender.
Climate Pledge, it’s been fun, but the Kraken will be on the road so you can host Macklemore and Heart. Seattle will head out to balmy Dallas, Texas to take on the Stars on Monday Night. That game drops the puck at 5pm PT.
We’ll see you there, and as always:
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.
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