I think the Kraken might not be all that good this year.
I am obligated to put the highlights here but frankly I don’t recommend watching them them
Game Notes
- Your TOI Leader was Vince Dunn with 22:34 TOI logged.
- The Kraken offense was an absolute gong-show in this game and it was the smoking gun of the entire night. Nothing looked right; passes didn’t connect, puck management was sloppy, the shots were all out on the perimeter, the few really decent chances or breakdowns of the Preds defense they were able to create ended in either hanging onto the puck for too long or in an ill-advised pass. This was an even rougher watch than Game 1 because at least there Vegas was breaking into the defensive zone and is considered a contender; it’s natural you could have bad offensive nights against them. This? Was putrid. Thank god this road trip is almost over because this is already a very poor first impression of this team and I don’t want to get to Game 10 and tell people that we’re going to be watching the most frustrating possible variant of this team.
- I’m not posting Grubauer’s SV% because that does not matter nor did it really matter last game either, nor was he even the reason things got as out of hand as it did. Hell, he absolutely held the Kraken in this game for far longer than thought possible with some great saves here and there.
- I mean, credit where it’s due I guess the Preds play a very defensively heavy game and have a good goalie, but the Kraken made it as easy for them as possible.
- Most distressing of all of this, the Kraken gave up the shot share and possession battle to Nashville. Nashville! A team people didn’t expect to be good! Matty had a rough game! Eberle had a rough game! The best players on shot attempts this game were defensemen! That is not normal!
- We’d better start seeing some goals against St. Louis or it’s time to be concerned.
Was there any upsides?
Two. Exactly.
- Phillipp Grubauer: Poor, Poor Grubert. This poor dude has a .918 SV% through two games and this stupid bunch of cephalopods can’t score more than a single goal to reward that effort. He played very well tonight and I am so sorry he got stuck with that offense in front of him. You didn’t deserve that, man. Nobody deserves that.
- Andre Burakovsky: Andre? Really? A forward getting any credit for this performance? Well, yes. In bad offensive performances, it’s always good to acknowledge that there are dudes trying to make something happen. He was one of about four players to register three shots on goal tonight but definitely seemed to be the one most willing to make things happen.
Charts from NaturalStatTrick.com
I have no words. I am just exasperated.
Please god do not do this against the Blues. This team is absolutely better than this.
The Kraken will get a night off for travel, and then make their way to St. Louis, where they play the Blues on Saturday night. That game drops the puck at 5pm PST.
At this point I feel like I should update the end of recap thing, but I’m not licked after two games. I’ve sat through way worse than this. Neither should you.
So remember, Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.