One: Second Half of Sunday is Welcome Tuesday
Following a first period marred by confusing goal interference reviews (whether you think the two calls were right/right, wrong/wrong, right/wrong, or wrong/right), the Kraken started the middle 20 minutes down 3-0. To the home squad’s credit, it battled back into the game, looking particularly strong in the last 10 to 13 minutes of the second frame. There was extended offensive zone puck possession, stick-to-tape crisp passing, and Kappo Kakko’s fifth goal and 16th point since joining the Kraken 21 games ago. An early third-period net-front goal by Brandon Tanev afforded Seattle a chance to get back to even in a pivotal game.
“The last 30 minutes, 33 minutes of [Sunday’s] game, there's a lot of good, there's a lot of battle, there's a lot of you know how we want to play,” said coach Dan Bylsma after practice Monday. “It is how we want to compete and how we want to grow as a team. We want to keep getting better.”
Two: Evans Still Day-to-Day, Fleury Playing with Confidence
Young defenseman Ryker Evans, who has been solid all season and shown flashes of the offensive production he can bring along with already stellar and responsible defense, participated in a couple of drills (Bylsma categorized that as progress) in the red jersey used to indicate no contact. Evans remains day-to-day with an upper-body issue and fans can expect to see Cale Fleury once again paired with Josh Mahura. Bylsma and assistant coach Bob Woods liked Fleury’s work in Thursday’s win over San Jose, particularly Fleury’s confidence with the puck and shutting down opponents’ rushes. Monday, Bylsma praised Fleury’s “big-bodied” physical presence against a Calgary that mixes it up net front with regularity.
Fleury was named to Monday’s 2025 AHL All-Star Game, hosted at Acrisure Arena by affiliate Coachella Valley. Krane management offered Fleury the opportunity to play in the game but he opted to stay up with the NHL club. Kraken 2022 second-rounder Jani Nyman got the nod, supported by the fact the Finnish winger leads all AHL rookies in goals with 17.
“Confidence is key,” said Fleury at his locker this past week. “If you're going into a game timid, you're going to struggle right away. I look to carry as much confidence as I can in my abilities and playing for all this time. I’m in my seventh year as a pro. I stress the work I put in and hopefully, it shows in the ice.” As it turns out, Fleury and Mahura have played together before the last couple of games. “We haven't played together for a while,” said Fleury, smiling. “We did play together in juniors [WHL Regina] for a little bit during my 19-year-old year We were ‘D’ partners for a while. Both of us are just trying to keep mistakes at a minimum and move the puck well and play physical.”
Three: Know the Foe: Detroit Goalies DeliveringThe Red Wings have won six games in a row, including road wins at Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver on this four-game trip. Goalie Cam Talbot won the first three games of the current winning streak, then Alex Lyon picked up the shootout win in Edmonton and another “W” Sunday at Vancouver in overtime. Talbot was equally stellar Saturday in Calgary and figures to be in goal Tuesday. Forward Alex DeBrincat is hot, scoring twice Sunday, including the OT winner and his former Chicago teammate and surefire Hall of Famer Patrick Kane draws back after missing five games. The Detroit power play is elite. DeBrincat is one of three Wings with 20-plus goals; the others are captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
