Sometimes it’s all about the bounces.
Here are the highlights
Game Notes
- Your TOI leader was Vince Dunn, who played 23:50 tonight.
- The Oilers are every bit as advertised. They took a billion shots, they let through a billion shots, it was a shockingly closer game than maybe either side gave credit for; Seattle once again played hard but had to weather the oncoming storm that was Edmonton…and then the go-ahead goal for Leon was just…yeah. This is a game of dumb bounces, and boy was that one of the dumbest bounces I’ve seen since…the last Edmonton Oilers game. Seattle just ended up on the wrong end of a super lucky bounce…again.
- Refs were in midseason form in this one and that was not a compliment through the first 20 minutes and then promptly chose to take some time off. I tend not to be one of these people who complains about this because if you need the refs to save you for any reason, you weren’t in a great spot to begin with, but man they were something else to start this game.
- We’ll see it on the heat maps but the Kraken just did not do enough to challenge Devon Levi. That’s not unusual to the Lane Lambert Kraken, but it’s unacceptable given how much ice the Oilers have been giving up recently. Part of it was that the 3rd line didn’t have a great night, getting largely pummelled at even strength, but that was true of just about everybody, and rarely they found chances to test Levi.
- On the bright side, the Kraken special teams continues to be…decent? Maybe even good? They didn’t give up a goal on Edmonton’s otherwise stellar power plays, and they also got a goal on the power play. This feels weird.
- Poor Grubauer, man. He played pretty darn well and as has been the case for him, when he plays well, he isn’t rewarded for his efforts. A .917 SV% on 24 shots oughta be enough on most nights to give you more than just a chance.
Did anything good happen in this game?
- Bobby McMann scored the lone goal for Seattle on the power play, bringing the terrifying idea of this team being okay at special teams to the audience.
- Again, Philipp Grubauer played well enough to give you a chance.
- Special teams was pretty good across the board! Which given who they were playing, feels like the Kraken got off unimaginably light. Hey man, I’ll take it!
The Charts, via NaturalStatTrick.com
No rest for the wicked, the Kraken are at it again tonight against the Calgary Flames. That game starts at 5 pm PT.
See you then! And remember
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.