Monday Musings: Cracking in search of answers

Mathematically, there have been worse weeks in the Krakens' short franchise history, but when the schedule was released, this week proved to be a prime opportunity to pick up points, with four games against teams expected to be bottom feeders. Last week I warned everyone not to underestimate the Sharks or the Ducks. Earning four out of eight possible points would have been acceptable, but not ideal. Instead, the Seattle Kraken managed just two points from those four games, with a come-from-behind win against the Ducks on Monday being their only victory.

There were signs all the time

One problem I highlighted early in the season is the Krakens' tendency to allow the first goal. They lead the league in this category, ranking first in 68 percent of their matches. They have won only five of the seventeen games in which they fell behind early. Last week they conceded the first goal in all three of their defeats. It's not just the goals; From the start of every game this week, the team seemed to be in trouble and struggling to find its rhythm.

As rough as that performance was, we can apologize for giving up the first goal in Friday's match against San Jose, which started at 12:30 p.m. But even before the Sharks scored first again on Saturday night, the Kraken looked disorganized and unprepared. We've seen similar slow starts in wins against Columbus, Chicago and Nashville. Both the coach and the players are aware of this problem, yet they continue to struggle with starting on time. Hopefully these somewhat embarrassing losses will serve as a wake-up call for the team to play with the urgency we've seen when they've been behind.

They are (supposedly) better than this

We know the Kraken have made significant improvements from last season with the signings of Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour, but so far the team is on the same pace as last year. Injuries to Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle have contributed to this disappointing start, but they also dealt with a lot of injuries last season. I've had a hard time this season trying to figure out the cause. Adjusting to a new coach and new players takes time, but we're now more than a quarter of the way through the season and the Kraken are looking worse than ever.

Even the best teams go through tough times, but it's worrying that they've already been through two so early in the season. Although they are only five points away from a play-off spot, it is becoming increasingly difficult to believe that this team has a realistic chance.

Other musings

• Friday's game against the Sharks was Philipp Grubauer's worst performance as Kraken. However, playing in a 12.30 match after a 10-day break did not help his case. Like it or not, the team wants him to play more often; otherwise Joey Daccord will become worn out, which is already visible in recent games.
• A positive point from the past week was the effectiveness of the line combination with Shane Wright, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. Dan Bylsma severed this line on Saturday due to Chandler Stephenson's illness, but hopefully they'll reunite for more success on this road trip.
• With his two power play goals on Wednesday night, Shane Wright now has as many goals as Matty Beniers this season.
• The Kraken scored three response goals over the two games: two on Friday in San Jose and one on Saturday night, just 32 seconds after the Sharks extended their lead to 4-0. While response goals are encouraging to see, ideally they should not come after the opposition has been given a four-goal lead.

• The goalie's interference call with seven seconds left in Saturday's game was incredibly frustrating. I generally avoid complaining about interference reviews, but this season it was wildly inconsistent.
• The review of that goal took three and a half minutes. While it probably wouldn't have changed the outcome of the match, it killed the excitement the fans felt. More importantly, it canceled out a Filson Final Minute goal just in time for the Christmas shopping season. Thanks for nothing, NHL.
• On this note, if the league really wants to eliminate headshots from the game, they should also issue suspensions for players who hit an unengaged opponent in the head. I believed this for a long time, even before Ross punched Johnston's Tye Kartye in Wednesday's game against Anaheim.
• One thing that stood out during the games against the Ducks and Sharks was the youth of those teams compared to the Kraken. Anaheim has 12 players on its roster who have been drafted since 2017, while the Sharks have 11. The Kraken, on the other hand, only have five, which is understandable considering they've only been drafting since 2021. However, it's a stark reminder that the Kraken won't. a fully developed young core for a few more seasons.

• An encouraging sign for the Kraken is their recent increase in shot attempts. Over the last four games, they have averaged 75 shot attempts per game, compared to just 58 in their first 21 games. They even recorded 84 shot attempts during their home losses to the Sharks and Ducks.
• Kraken prospects Berkly Catton, Carson Rehkopf and Caden Price have all been mentioned in the World Junior Camp Schedule for Team Canada. Barring any injuries, Catton and Rehkopf are confident they can make the final team, with Price having an outside chance of landing on the roster.
• In case you missed it, the Kelowna Rockets have been named hosts of the 2026 Memorial Cup, beating out several other candidates, including Spokane. It would be great to see the Memorial Cup return to an American host city one day.

Goal of the week

Seattle Kraken prospect Berkly Catton scored a nasty goal from a difficult angle in Sunday's victory over the Spokane Chiefs.

Berkly Catton seals the deal with an insane angle @spokanechiefs | @SeattleKraken | #ZeeKraken pic.twitter.com/SIMoyghkTa

— The WHL (@DeWHL) December 2, 2024

The Spokane Chiefs have quietly won six straight games and eight of their last 10. During that period, Berkly Catton has scored 21 points.

Player performance

Jakub Fibigr (SEA/BRA): The Krakens seventh-round selection of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft recorded four assists in one game for the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL. He is a dark horse to make the Czech World Junior team this year, but will likely have a better chance next year.

Oliver Björkstrand (SEA): Bjorkstrand enters Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes on a five-game point streak.

Shane Wright (SEA): Since being a healthy clean sheet through three games, Wright has scored three goals and two assists in his last four appearances. It would be great if he could keep this momentum going for a longer period of time.

AGAIN WRIGHT AS RAIN!

TWO power play goals, both from Shane Wright, and this one came off a beautiful pass from Stephenson.

4-3 #ZeeKraken pic.twitter.com/ZSjCbgWys6

Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 29, 2024

The coming week

On paper, this upcoming road trip looks like the most challenging of the season. The Kraken open with a game on Tuesday against the Hurricanes, followed by back-to-back matchups against the Islanders on Thursday and the Devils on Friday. They conclude the trip on Sunday with a game against the New York Rangers.

If there's any consolation, none of these four teams are playing their best hockey right now. This could be a good time for the Kraken to take on them, as these teams have a combined record of 18-18-4 over their last 10 games.

Normally, it would be acceptable to earn 50 percent of the available points during a period like this. However, if the Kraken want to avoid settling in the mushy middle of the standings, they'll need to steal some games they're not expected to win. Wouldn't it be something if they competed against the Sharks and Ducks, but then managed to beat teams like the Hurricanes and Devils?