One: Gas Pedal
The Kraken have fallen behind early in both of their last two outings. First, the 3-2 loss to Calgary on Sunday night, which saw the Kraken fall behind 3-0 through one period. And then the 5-4 shootout loss to Detroit on Tuesday where they fell behind just under four minutes into the first period and ended the final frame down 2-1.
But in each of those games, the Kraken showed stretches of pure dominance and sustained offensive pressure, hemming their opponent in their own zone for minutes at a time and seamlessly moving the puck up ice on breakouts. More of those late-game heroics and the Kraken can string together a series of wins to jump back into the thick of the Western Conference wild-card race.
Look for Brandon Montour as a potential candidate and the type of player to set the tone early, contributing anything from a big goal to a timely hit to give the Kraken some jump in the opening minutes. Head coach Dan Bylsma referred to the defender as a "gamer" when asked about his breakup of a Detroit two-on-one late in Tuesday's contest. "We want that to be a hallmark of our team," said Bylsma. "And he brings it repeatedly."
Two: Youth Group
Despite a 4-5-1 record over their last 10, the young core of the Kraken has been impressive and impactful.
Shane Wright extended his career-long point streak to six games in Tuesday's near-comeback thriller against the red-hot Detroit Red Wings in which he scored a pair of goals.
Kaapo Kakko, the Kraken's lone representative at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, has been on a heater since joining the Kraken in mid-December with 17 points in 22 games. His versatility as a reliable offensive weapon coupled with the small details of his game (elite puck protection and ability to win board battles) has catapulted his line along with Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz to one of the more formidable trios in the Kraken's short history.
Finally, the aforementioned Beniers has had renewed energy in his game since joining the line with Schwartz and Kakko. KHN's Piper Shaw asked Bylsma postgame about whether he's seen a confidence shift in Matty Beniers over the last dozen or so games. Bylsma conceded that the lines mentality is that they're, "going to go out and approach every shift like they're going to make a difference ... and that's the kind of confidence he's [Beniers] playing with."
Most importantly, the eldest of the three, Kakko, is just 23 years old. Down the stretch, expect the Kraken to lean on their youth more as they continue to grow and find confidence in their roles.
Three: Know Your Foe
Maple Leafs leading scorer Mitch Marner remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and didn't play in the team's 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. The Leafs didn't practice on Wednesday but head coach Craig Berube said of Marner, "He's in a good spot. Good possibility he could play tomorrow [Thursday]."
Additionally, the Leafs could see the return of goaltender Anthony Stolarz who has been out of action since December 12th due to a knee injury but has been practicing the past two weeks. Before the injury, Stolarz posted a stellar .927 SV% while going 9-5-2.
The Kraken will need to keep an eye on winger Matthew Knies, who has been flanking Auston Matthews on Toronto's first line. Since the start of January, Knies is tied for the team lead in goals and sits 3rd in scoring, despite missing the last week of January due to an upper-body injury.
