One: Grubauer Status Uncertain, Driedger Recalled from AHL
Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer was shaken up in the first period Monday night against Calgary and didn’t man the net at the start of the second 20 minutes. Joey Daccord finished off the game and earned praised from Dave Hakstol during a media scrum after practice, noting the rookie goaltender has produced standings points in seven of the eight games he has started plus the one point from Monday’s overtime loss.
Grubauer didn’t skate with the team at Kraken Community Iceplex Tuesday, instead getting evaluated for the effects of colliding with Calgary forward Martin Pospisil among other plays. Hakstol said Monday it was just that one play.
“I don't have a timeline right now,” Hakstol said Tuesday. “I'd evaluate him as day-to-day.”
A follow-up questioner asked Grubauer might be available against San Jose: “I don't know that. Right now, I don't expect him to be ... so we're just going to wait and go through the entire evaluation process.”
To that end, Seattle recalled goalie Chris Driedger on an emergency basis from AHL affiliate Coachella Valley, where the veteran appeared in 10 games with a 2.20 goals-against average and .915 save percentage while still rounding back in top form after not playing during the 2022-23 season due to a serious knee injury sustained while was about one period away from leading Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship. Daccord earned the backup job, beating out Driedger, but both played admirably in preseason games and Hakstol said both goalies were “outstanding” in training camp practices and scrimmages.
Two: Closing Out Games
The Kraken will reach the quarter-mark of the 2023-24 season with the finish of Wednesday’s home game against a San Jose Sharks team that has won just three games on the season, all of the victories coming in the last seven games. No less authority than Dave Hakstol knows his squad is losing standings points by not closing out games with Seattle leading in the third period. The Kraken coach says it starts with “not taking the foot off the gas” in terms of generating scoring chances, especially by aggressive forechecking to cause turnovers (Flames giveaways were frequent in the first 40 minutes Monday) or by looking for stretch passes to spring teammates.
When foes do make a run in the Kraken end, Hakstol says his team needs to work smarter at getting puck of the defensive zone when are the ones doing the pressuring. This is a key element of surviving to hold down the goal damage of opposing teams’ pushes.
Hakstol noted post-game Monday that his squad lost practically all faceoffs in the defensive zone in the final 20 minutes against Calgary. Remember that faceoff wins is not just about centermen, it’s also about which team is winning 50-50 pucks when the two faceoff contestants neutralize each other.
“We went into the third period [Monday] pretty dominant in the faceoff dot,” said Hakstol. “In the third period, I think we won maybe two of the draws. So they started with some pucks that gives them shot volume.”
Three: Know the Foe: Sharks Playing Better of Late
Not too much has gone right for San Jose this season as the Pacific Division squad is 3-14-1 with at minus-49 goal differential and not-so-proud owners of an 11-game losing streak to start the year. But sleeping on the Sharks is not recommended as Coach David Quinn has made the right moves to win three games in the last seven, including a formidable 5-1 win over St. Louis last Thursday. San Jose lost 3-1 in Vancouver Monday with Mackenzie Blackwood in goal making 34 saves. Blackwood has a .900 save percentage despite all of San Jose’s troubles.
