Kraken @ Knights RECAP: Seattle Winless in Six Straight After Near Shutout Loss to Vegas

Roll the Highlight Reel!

Game Notes

• Somehow, each loss on the Kraken’s now six-game losing skid has hit a new level of rock bottom previously unknown. Credit where credit is due, the Vegas Golden Knights play a mean defensive game, demonstrating a flawless ability to box out Seattle’s attack. But going through the motions and failing to make necessary in-game adjustments to difficult opposing strategy in a must-win versus a fearsome Wild Card rival isn’t just a bad effort, it’s a deep-rooted indifference to losing.
• Another confident showing from Philipp Grubauer (now posting a 2.84 GAA and .901 SV% on the season) made Thursday night’s game winnable. Sure, Vegas seized a lead first and only 8:14 into the opening frame, but it was chaos, not skill, that made the scoring chance dangerous one, and Grubauer kept the Knights out of the crease for more than the next forty minutes.
• That was enough for Jaden Schwartz to tie the game and not much else. Seattle generated only 28.97% of the total five-on-five shot quality— a new season-low— largely as the result of failing to hit the net at all. Vegas blocked 23 of Seattle’s shot attempts; additionally, skaters missed the net frequently when shooting from the high danger areas. Sustained pressure was rare if not totally absent and not a single line managed to create more shot quality on-ice than their Knights counterparts. Head coach Dave Hakstol’s lineup blender is proving useless.
• Although the Kraken’s video coaches have a knack for overturning calls, they were unsuccessful in challenging Keegan Kolesar’s game-winning goal. Upon video review proof of offsides wasn’t undoubtedly determinable, and the call stood. Seattle had 1:20 to tie the game, Matty Beniers shot his team’s final attempt the wrong way through the paint, and Vegas swooped in for an empty-net dagger.

Let’s Give a Hand To…

• Jared McCann, for attempting two separate short handed chances and giving his team some life.
• Philipp Grubauer, for recording a .944 SV% and keeping Seattle in the game despite their cruel lack of goal support.
• Jaden Schwartz, for scoring his team’s only goal in his first game back in the lineup.

Three Stars of the Game

⭐️Keegan Kolesar (GWG)

⭐️⭐️Jack Eichel (1G)

⭐️⭐️⭐️Logan Thompson (.955 SV%)

And here’s tonight’s heat map, courtesy of NaturalStatTrick. Seattle had almost nothing going for them in front of the net— that’s why they were at risk of being shut out.