3 Game Essentials | Kraken (11-5-3) at Golden Knights (16-4-1) | 5 p.m.

The Kraken are the second-hottest team in the NHL over the last 10 games with an 8-1-1 record and 17 of 20 standings points. Only New Jersey (9-1), coming off a Wednesday loss to Toronto, has performed better. The third hottest club in the league? Vegas, which is 7-2-1 in their last 10 and 16-4-1 on the season, good enough to lead both the Pacific Division and Western Conference. Seattle is second in the division and third overall in the West. Friday's matchup in Vegas marks 20 games on the season for Seattle and a win can certainly punctuate the 2022-23 season's quarter mark. It's early, yes, but nonetheless encouraging.
One head-turning reason for the Kraken's rise in the standings (on a pace to record 48 points more than the inaugural season) is contributions from every forward line. Wednesday's franchise-record eight goals provide the latest example: The fourth line (rewarded with more shifts lately) was supported with a goal from Ryan Donato, the third line pitched in on Oliver Bjorkstrand's first score in 18 games (despite effectively leading the team in quality scoring chances in that same stretch), the second line checked the box with a goal from rookie sensation Matty Beniers while first-liner, Jaden Schwartz scored twice (one on a highlight-reel pass from linemate Andre Burakovsky, who scored himself on the power play).

The coaching staff's decision to shake up lines by moving one wing from each of the top three lines to a different line (while keeping duos together, such as Yanni Gourde and Brandon Tanev) paid huge dividends on the 4-1-1 homestand.
The Kraken need the distribution to keep rolling on this divisional three-game road trip. Bjorkstrand, who figures to get hot, said this week that playing on the third line affords him more favorable line matchups than when playing with top-liners Burakovsky and Alex Wennberg, who typically get the coach's call to face top forward lines. For Vegas, that line is Jack Eichel centering Chandler Stephenson and captain Mark Stone (who scored Wednesday in a 4-1 home win over Ottawa and has five goals and an assist in the last four games). Eichel leads Vegas with 11 goals and 15 assists in 21 games.
Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer has dressed as the backup in the last two wins. Coming off the injured list last weekend and not appearing in a game since Oct. 21, Grubauer told the media he needed this past week's practices to tune up his timing and especially reading plays and shots. Check back on the Kraken app, website, and social channels Friday for an update on whether Grubauer returns to the Seattle net against Vegas, which is likely to start formidable rookie Logan Thompson, who is 11-3-0 in 14 games with a .925 save percentage. For Kraken fans looking for daylight in Thompson's stellar season to date: He has surrendered four goals each in two of his last five games, though it must be added he has allowed just one goal in two other games in that quintet.