The Need to Knows
- The Time: 7:00 pm PT
- The Place: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
- Place to Watch: KHN, KONG, SNP, ESPN+
- Place to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on KJR 93.3fm
Know Your Enemy
Seattle’s wild overtime win over Vancouver last week wasn’t history-making for the Kraken alone. For the Canucks, it marked the first time in franchise history they’d coughed up at least a three-goal lead within the final five minutes of regulation. With that defeat, and the one that followed against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, the Pacific Division’s fifth-place team brought their December record to a middling 5-4-5. Not exactly the ideal way to cruise into the new year.
Vancouver’s recent troubles certainly didn’t begin with injuries to stars Quinn Hughes (week-to-week) and Elias Pettersson (day-to-day), but their absences haven’t helped. Neither played versus the Kraken, and neither made the trip to Seattle for Thursday night’s rematch. Hughes and Pettersson are responsible for the two highest individual point totals on the roster, and losing that offense hurts– especially with the team’s defensive numbers worsening. Over 82 games last season, the Canucks allowed 2.67 GA/60 (all situations). Vancouver averages 3.12 GA/60 this season, 3.21 in December.
Stingy defense is historically of little importance when these two teams meet. In 12 all-time meetings, the Canucks average 3.83 goals per game and the Kraken average 3.58.
Game Preview
Consider improved defense a fitting New Year’s resolution for both teams. Head coach Dan Bylsma told the media Wednesday that Seattle’s defensive play has suffered at the hands of poor puck management.
“When you turn over the puck, when you aren’t connected, and you don’t execute your puck play, it leads to transition defense. And that’s the hardest defense to play. Our defense and how we play it is only as good as we are with the puck,” he said. “Some of our best defensive games were because of our execution and our puck play and just the mentality which we execute with the puck. It’s north, it’s behind their defense, and that’s the best play to play defense from.”
Urgency is high for the Kraken’s puck play to improve with a key component of the team’s last line of defense– goaltending– sidelined. Joey Daccord’s recovery is a “longer process” according to Byslma, the result of a “bruise that’s lingering.” Daccord is day-to-day and seemingly unlikely to backup Philipp Grubauer against the Canucks.