Note: This is the last of a four-part Kraken Reaction conversation with Furness.
Once the regular season starts, a giant Kraken tentacle will drag all of Seattle’s 2-3-1 preseason statistics to the bottom of the sea, never to be seen or spoken of again.
No one will be happier about that than Philipp Grubauer, who allowed nine goals in his first five periods of work. Goals Against Average: 5.51. Save Percentage: .836. Grubauer did have a much better third outing, making 28 saves in Seattle’s 6-2 home victory Wednesday over Edmonton.
I know, I know. Its preseason. The Kraken haven’t iced their complete “real” lineup. They haven’t internalized all of new coach Dan Bylsma’s systems. The games don’t have the same intensity (though you couldn’t tell it from all the rough stuff). Wins and losses aren’t the primary focus, as newcomers integrate through the forward lines and defense pairings. If you’d like, add your own excuse here:
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All true. Yet we can’t help noticing that under the same conditions through two starts, Joey Daccord posted a 1.80 GAA and .923 save %. Daccord allowed four goals in Monday’s overtime loss in Calgary, but still has given up just two 5-on-5 scores across three appearances.
We know one expert observer who’s not worried, though. KJR-FM midday sports host Ian Furness, recently named host for the new Kraken TV network, likes both partners in Seattle’s goalie tandem.