The Need to Knows
- The Time: 7:00 pm PT
- The Place: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
- Place to Watch: KHN, KING 5, KONG, KCOP-13, Victory+, ESPN+
- Place to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on KJR 93.3fm
Know Your Enemy
Knowing your enemy is easy preparing for a rematch. Monday night, the Kraken defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on the road and Wednesday night they’ll seek to do the same in Seattle. Losing two points and Leo Carlsson to injury leaves the Ducks with a bone to pick, but the Kraken hold the upper hand.
Lines from Anaheim’s practice on Tuesday indicate Carlsson will be absent next game, with Mason McTavish moving up to replace him on the first line and Isac Lundeström filling in for McTavish on the third. The fourth line Seattle dominated will undergo tweaking as well: Jansen Harkins moves to center, Ross Johnston switches wings, and Sam Colangelo draws into the lineup to play on the right.
There’s no reason Lukáš Dostál couldn’t start again seeing as he’ll have a day of rest. Head coach Greg Cronin felt comfortable enough to play him five games straight two separate times earlier this season. No wonder he leads in GSAx (13.2) among goaltenders with at least 10 games played (although, he let up 0.49 more than expected on Monday).
Game Preview
Unfortunately for Seattle, Anaheim’s deadliest line– generally speaking and specifically versus the Kraken– will stick together. Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, and Troy Terry (31 points altogether this season) excelled at generating shot quality (63.70 xGF%) and recorded a team-leading 16 shot attempts despite frequently sharing the ice with Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and André Burakovsky. Strome’s line helped Trevor Zegras tie the game in the first period on a delayed penalty, and Vatrano scored his team’s only other goal.
Anaheim may lack the production and shooting talent to resemble a fearsome competitor on paper, owning 46.38% of the total five-on-five goals scored this season and wielding a 9.21 SH% in all situations. Regardless, Monday’s game was a closer contest than the Kraken may have preferred, and the Ducks know it.
Cronin noted post-game that his team fell flat in the second and third periods due to poor puck management, skaters not playing “on the same page.” Although he credited Seattle with “putting [them] on [their] heels” with a strong forecheck, he noted the Kraken’s game-tying and game-winning goals came off an odd bounce and a rare play off the faceoff– both “independent from any structural things.” That is, Seattle controlled momentum but attacking pressure isn’t where they found success, due to any or a combination of stifled finishing, adept defense on the Ducks’ part, or the same disorganization among five-man units Anaheim struggled with.