WHAT HAPPENED CONNOR
YOU’RE GETTING SHUT DOWN BY YOUTHS, YOUNGS EVEN, CONNOR.
THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT A VCR IS, CONNOR. YOU’RE STARTING TO OUTMODE YOURSELF, CONNOR.
TIME COMES FOR US ALL, CONNOR.
…Look, how many times am I gonna get to do this where Connor McDavid had a provably bad night against the Kraken over the next few years? Can’t I just milk this one for a little bit?
But first, the Highlights!
Game Notes
- Your TOI Leader was Jamie Oleksiak, who logged 23:20 tonight.
- Once again, the Kraken’s complete buy-in to Lane Lambert’s new system, which seems to have exactly two tenants (1. Go to net 2. Set up chance to go to net) is not just inspiring, but a great sign of things to come. The only time the Kraken tried shooting from anywhere that wasn’t up Stuart Skinner’s nose was when they were trying to fish for a rebound, and even if they weren’t necessarily controlling play, it made their possessions count for something; something that previous coach’s systems struggled immensely with. It helps a lot that the opposing goaltender does not care for that kind of thing and struggled immensely with those high danger chances they plastered onto him. That’s something both veteran and rookie must take from this game; there is always a chance to find a quality shot if you just attack the net constantly. It feels different, genuinely different, and I like it.
- So hey I know I was doing jokes about Connor McDavid’s night and everything but he had an uncharacteristically poor night analytically, well below 50% in most major shooting metrics. Him and Leon were having trouble truly imposing themselves on the game around them, and that was likely a major factor in Seattle’s win. Great work teamwide in keeping those two in check and off the scoreboard entirely!
- This was a spectacular night for the Kraken youth movement. Jagger Firkus got the ball rolling with a slick little power play goal, Logan Morrison got a breakaway stunner, Ben Meyers got to put his anchors into a cannonblast from the slot effectively undefended, and Jani Nyman scored an empty net goal. A real empty netter! Like a real one! One that the Kraken got to score!
- Though their nights weren’t necessarily as exciting as Firkus and Morrison and Meyers’ nights, guys like Oskar Fisker-Mølgaard and Eduard Sale also had strong nights analytically, and they deserve their flowers for keeping up the pace against a team that, by all accounts and forecasts, probably should’ve killed them with the high-end talent imbalance…but it worked like a charm here.
- Nikke Kokko ending up with an .889 after all that seems so unfair. C’mon, Edmonton, Nikke did his best out there. Least you could do is juice his save-% a little bit for the team, right? Throw a couple more shots on from the least dangerous parts of the ice like you’ve been all night? Be a pal. After all that work Joey did to keep you off the board?
- In a less-fun note, Kaapo Kakko left the game very early thanks to a preposterously reckless slash by Beau Akey; who brought his stick blade straight down on Kakko’s gloves in a two handed downswing. He didn’t return to the game, but actual details on the injury are slim so far. We sincerely hope he turns out to be alright, and if he is injured beyond .
Let’s give a hand to…
- Logan Morrison AND Ben Meyers! Both left tonight’s contest with a goal and an assist; both of them absolute highlight reel stuffers; Morrison on a break, and Meyers trying his best to snap the netting from how hard he shot that thing past Skinner. Excellent work indeed, gentlemen.
- Jagger Firkus! For getting all of this going and exploiting the Oilers defense; being left effectively alone in order to get a major power play opening tally. The Firkus circus has been looking to cash in for a game or two now, and it’s good he got it out of the way quickly; now he can just start doing that with comical regularity like he’s done throughout his career!
- I wanted to give them both individual hands for this, but ultimately both Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz helped create massive goals for the Kraken tonight by not just absorbing body contact in order to make a play, but actively forcing the other team to come to them in order to try and fish the puck out from their possession, only to send an expertly placed pass through a considerable number of backcheckers in order to give their teammates open ice to shoot and score from. Granted, many of these guys are going to be in Bakersfield by the end of the month, but they exploited a major tendency in Edmonton’s game to their fullest effect, and they both deserve credit for reading their opponent’s game like they did.
- While yes, Nikke Kokko did pick up the win and ultimately only gave up a goal on a weird bounce that would be hard to replicate, it was Joey Daccord who did a lot of the heavy lifting tonight; finishing his night with a clean sheet, and Kokko largely being on the ball with the exception of that one less-than-stellar shift. Both Goalies deserve credit for keeping this game as close as it was, because when Edmonton could get a good shot through, they rose to the challenge.
- NOT A HOCKEY HAND-IT: Let’s give it up for those Seattle Mariners for winning the AL West, huh!?
The Chartz, Via NaturalStatTrick.com
The Kraken make one final stop on their preseason roadie, with a rematch against the Vancouver Canucks looming on the horizon. That game starts at 7pm PST on Friday night.
We’ll see you there, and remember!
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.