One: Climbing Out Together
It’s been a difficult and disappointing week-and-a-half for the Kraken. Dave Hakstol said as much Thursday morning in Vegas before the nighttime late-goal loss. Forward Jaden Schwartz, who scored the tying goal with six-plus minutes remaining, confirmed post-game in Vegas that he and his teammates are reeling a bit from a 0-5-1 streak that has put too much distance between Seattle and other Western Conference wild-card contenders.
“For everybody, we want to put our best foot forward,” said Schwartz in suit and tie before boarding the team bus and a flight to Phoenix. “When things aren't going your way, it's easy to mentally get frustrated and have your mind go different directions. But just kind of stick together and climb out of this together, try to get some momentum going our way and some energy.”
Two: Four-Game Opportunity
The Kraken have won four in a row on the road, dating back to late February, defeating Pittsburgh and elite Eastern Conference squad Boston, then taking down Calgary and elite Western Conference team Winnipeg. Arizona on the road Friday is a chance to not only extend the streak but string together some W’s. After the Coyotes (28-36-5) in the Arizona State hockey arena (where Joey Daccord starred as a true builder of the ASU program into an NCAA Division I top 20 proposition), Seattle arrives back home with three more dates against NHL teams, Montreal (25-32-12) Sunday then two games in three nights hosting Anaheim (24-43-3). All winnable games, and then fans and players/coaches alike hope for some help from opponents facing Vegas, LA, St. Louis, Minnesota, and Calgary.
Three: Know the Foe: Arizona 5-5-0 in Last 10
The Coyotes started the season in playoff-contender fashion, posting a 23-19-3 record (including a Nov. 7 home shootout win over the Kraken with Connor Ingram starring in goal). Then, the bottom fell out for the NHL’s second-youngest team. Arizona endured a 14-game losing streak (just two standings points with a dozen regulation losses and two drops in overtime). The downturn started on Jan. 24 and plummeted through February.
But March has developed into a more encouraging month with the Coyotes winning five of 10 games with Ingram continuing a strong season (.908 save percentage, 19 wins of the team’s 26 wins) and 23-year-old J.J. Moser developing into a top-pair defenseman and likely better than that. The Arizona second line features center Logan Cooley (No. 3 overall in the 2022 NHL Draft) and Dylan Guenther (No. 9 overall in 2021), and viable chemistry between the two.
