A pair of losses to elite opponents might have revealed as much about how far the Seattle Kraken have come in the last month as their string of victories.
The Minnesota Wild have the NHL’s third best record, built on the league’s second-stingiest defense. Yet Thursday at Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle escaped their blanket coverage for two 3rd period goals to force the game into overtime (where Minnesota prevailed, 3-2).
The turnaround began back on Dec. 16. The Kraken carried a 3-2 lead into the 3rd period against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. The Avs won 5-3, but it’s no coincidence that the Kraken’s current 10-game points streak (8-0-2) started later that week.
Coach Lane Lambert, though, dismisses the value of comparisons. “I don’t believe in measuring stick games. I feel like we’re a good enough team to beat any team in the league. I just measure us, as opposed to the opponent.”
Although such bravado from a pro coach is both understandable and unsurprising, we’ll agree to disagree. A month ago, the Kraken weren’t beating anybody, let alone teams at the top of the standings. Tough tests provide the reference points for a team to know what’s working, and what needs attention. That’s why they keep score.
A Kraken roster that, on paper, can’t compare to Colorado or Minnesota, nevertheless stood toe-to-toe with the league’s heavyweights. Proof that work ethic, adherence to a tight defensive system, solid goaltending and contributions up and down the lineup can erase deficits in raw talent.
“Good defensively,” observed Jared McCann. “We’ve been getting good saves from the goalies. We’re not necessarily creating more offensively, but were getting more grade-A chances, we’re getting to the inside (in the offensive zone). Our 4th line has been wearing teams down. They bring energy.”
All the previously mentioned metrics involved in the Kraken resurgence – the system, the defense, etc. – include one underlying quality which is hard to measure: belief. On that point, the coach and I concur.
Glenn Dreyfuss: “Just like when you get in a slump and you feel nothing’s going to work, now Berkly Catton scores once, and a period later he scores again (Jan. 6 vs. Boston). Matty Beniers hadn’t scored for 10 games, and once he got one, he got a second (Jan. 1 vs. Nashville). Since it’s largely the same team, how much do you attribute to the confidence of thinking, ‘It’s going to work.'”
Lane Lambert: “There’s no question. Once things go for you, you gain confidence. It’s a huge thing. Through that whole (losing) stretch that we had, it was a mental battle to try and keep your confidence. Doing a lot of good things, but when things aren’t going your way, you have a tendency to maybe squeeze your stick.
“Right now, we’ve got guys with their swagger back. It’s nice. We just have to make sure that we continue going on a nightly based. There is no complacency allowed.”
Beniers agrees that nothing succeeds like success. “Wave after wave, line after line, that’s our team identity. You start winning, you start having success as a team, individuals start feeling the success, feeling the confidence.”
I asked defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to contrast the winning and losing streaks; if the team was doing different things, or just getting different results. “I think it was a matter of time. We stuck with the game plan. Even when we were in the slump there, we were playing some good hockey. The results weren’t coming and now they are, so we’ve got to find consistency and respond every night.”
Kraken Playoff Seeding As Of Jan. 9
