The Need to Knows
- Time: 7:00 pm PT / 10:00 pm ET
- Place: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
- Where to Watch: ROOT Sports NW, NBC Sports CA
- Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM
- An Opposing Viewpoint: Fear the Fin
Know Your Enemy
It’s no secret that the San Jose Sharks have been one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. It’s what they were expected to be going into it, and it’s exactly what everyone got. In fact, remember when they started off the season with an 11-game losing streak, tying the NHL record for longest losing streak to start a season? Good times. (As your resident Philadelphian of the blog, I do not need to be reminded of which team gave the Sharks their first win of the season.) Later on in the season, they’d even go on to beat that with a 12-game losing streak. The San Jose Sharks. What more can I say?
The only real bright spot I can name for this Sharks team lately is getting to see Devin Cooley earn his first NHL win on April 6. I add to this the caveat that I don’t like that wins and losses are considered a goaltending stat, but it’s a good story, so I’ll let it slide in this case. Cooley is a native of Los Gatos, California, so when he was traded from the Sabres organization to the Sharks back in March, he got to join his childhood team. Posting a .944 save percentage in his third NHL start to help his team win is what dreams coming true looks like.
Beyond that, Sharks fans just have to hope that the draft lottery is kind to them. I understand why the draft lottery exists, but it is kind of cruel to think that Sharks fans had to suffer through this kind of season and possibly still not get the number one overall pick in the draft.
Game Preview
Tonight’s game marks only the 78th of the season, but it’s the final one at home for the Seattle Kraken. I’m not sure what the logistics were that made the schedulers decide the Kraken’s season needed to end with a 4-game Central Division road trip (and I do not envy the job of those who have to create the season schedule). Yet, this is the schedule.
If you’re reading this, I hope that you are able to attend this game in person. I’m not saying this just because I’m jealous of everyone that’ll get to go home with a crossbody bag (though I am a tad) but because it’s a long, long wait between now and October.
The season’s not over yet, but it’s definitely not too early to say that this third season of Kraken hockey felt like a disappointment. Expectations were high after not only making the playoffs last year but defeating the defending 2022 Stanley Cup champions in the first round. Anyone who studied the underlying numbers closely predicted that a downslide was due this season, but that knowledge doesn’t stop a fanbase from feeling the hurt in not being able to replicate that success.
It’s only season three, though.
This team that all you Seattle faithful helped bring to the city has a long, long history ahead of it. There are glimmers of hope toward what that future could look like. Shane Wright is proving that a little bit of AHL conditioning can be a good thing even for high draft picks by showing his skills off with four goals in four games. There are prospects down the pipeline like Jagger Firkus, who was this year’s WHL scoring leader. It’s shaping up to be more of a slow burn as opposed to the grand explosion onto the scene that the Vegas Golden Knights were, but the Kraken aren’t Vegas. That’s fine.
I also probably don’t need to remind you all of this fact. I’ve seen how passionate and devoted people have been to this team in spite of disappointment all season long. Which is why I hope so many of you all get the chance to go to this game tonight. From the fans I’ve gotten to meet along this three-year journey to the many I still don’t yet know, I want to see the Kraken play their final home game to a crowd that knows how to give a proper send-off.
It’s not a goodbye, it’s “See you back here in October.”
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