[deep inhale]
[deep exhale]
Alright let’s talk about this one.
But First, the Highlights
Game Notes
- Your TOI Leader tonight was Brandon Montour, who logged 23:24
- Another genuinely fun game with more back and forth action, only this time the Kraken were the ones largely driving the shooting for a change. You really got a feel for how the Sens have been struggling through long stretches of this game where Seattle was effectively allowed to do whatever they wanted in front of Linus Ullmark, who was one of a handful of reasons this game wasn’t an infinitely worse experience for Ottawa. Granted, the Kraken very much let the Sens back into this one multiple times, and that should be considered a point of improvement going forward, but they did lead for long, large stretches of game time…
- …Which brings us to the reason it was close to begin with, and all the more heartbreaking that they lost it in the first place. Philipp Grubauer finished the game with an .875 SV% on 24 shots. I can forgive the Shane Pinto goal. You need to make yourself big in your net, he committed well, and the defense around him collapsed. That happens sometimes. Perron goal? Hideously unlucky bounce. The Dylan Cozens one, though? The one that tied the game? Maybe I’m being a bit harsh for being early in the season, but that one just cannot go in. most goaltenders would be more than aware that would’ve been a shot, and having Jamie Oleksiak pass in front of you for half a second shouldn’t change that. Could the Kraken have not put him in this situation over and over? Absolutely! Should they have not allowed this game to be directly dependent on Grubauer’s ability to make a save? That’s what OT and the last five minutes of the game were for! It’s just so frustrating talking about these kinds of performances with Grubauer because I feel like I’m beating a dead horse. I know this was bad, you know this was bad, and there is extremely little over the past four years to suggest it is going to improve with time. The only way I could see this even remotely working out this year is if you plan Grubauer’s starts well ahead of time like a concert tour. At least then the team could adjust tactics around them ahead of time.
- Bright side; this was the Third Line’s game tonight; Chandler Stephenson had his two goals, obviously, but while Marchment and Winterton only left tonight’s contest with a point, they were two of the better players on the team in terms of puck possession, and in some shifts it really felt it. I think they had a strong game tonight, which is exactly what you want; eventually they’ll be rewarded for it and in a big way. Winterton has to cool it on the penalties, however.
- Special teams was fine tonight, if a bit disappointing. Given how absolutely cooked the Sens defense was for long stretches of the game, it’s strange then that they only went 1/3 on the power play, and 1/2 for their penalty kill so far is uncharacteristic of their game. Particularly painful because they had golden chance after golden chance on their final man-advantage of the night, and it caught the Sens at probably their most frazzled. If they score on any one of those gorgeous opportunities, it’s over.
- If you’re gonna hang onto the puck forever in overtime, the least you could do is shoot it? Just circling back a bunch of times and letting your “wing” do all the work gets predictable.
- Oh well, still got a point. I’d like to see them beat Toronto, though.
Was there anything good about this game?
Sure!
- Chandler Stephenson was on Hat Trick watch from the beginning of the 3rd period, and while he didn’t get it, he absolutely could’ve. He finished his night with 2 points; both goals!
- Shane Wright scored his first goal of the season! Here’s to many more!
- Great night for Brandon Montour; he played the most of any Kraken skater, and got two assists out of the deal.
- Jaden Schwartz is currently nursing a 3 point in 4 game streak!
- The Kraken still have 6 points in the standings and the rest of the Division has no idea if it’s good or not. Even a 2-0-2 start is pretty good for Seattle, so let’s hope that they take that into Saturday’s game against the Leafs.
The Chartz, Via NaturalStatTrick.com
The Kraken continue on the road with a stop in Toronto to face off against the Maple Leafs on Saturday evening. That one is at 4pm PST.
We’ll see you there! Thank you for reading, and as always
Keep Calm, and Post Zoidberg When We Win.