Mammoth (38-30-6) vs. Kraken (32-30-11) | 7:00 p.m.

One: Scoring More Yes, But Keep Solid ‘D’ Going  

Given the Kraken’s offensive output over the last two games, two goals in the 3-2 road loss at Buffalo Saturday, and a shutout in Edmonton Tuesday, there is naturally concern about scoring goals. But make no mistake about Seattle’s need to get the puck out of its own net Thursday against Western Conference wild-card leader Utah. The Mammoth are sixth best in goals for in the West, just a goal behind Vegas and three behind Minnesota.  

Utah scores with depth. Ten players are double-digits in goals, with six skaters topping 20 or more. Right-wing Dylan Guenther has already notched a career-high 36 goals, while points leader Clayton Keller (22 goals, 51 assists) has six assists in his last five games.  

In his post-game comments in Edmonton, Kraken coach Lane Lambert pointed out his squad “kept their opportunities to a minimum” in reference to an Oilers squad that features superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In fact, one of the two EDM goals scored Tuesday was tallied when a bottom-six forward, Max Jones, ducked to avoid a shot from the blue line that caromed off his back and in. Credit veteran goaltender Philipp Grubauer for keeping his teammates close in both recent losses.  

Back to scoring more goals. Matty Beniers properly dismissed talking too much about near-misses, such as captain Jordan Eberle hitting a post in the third period at Edmonton. He’s not positing excuses but instead a call to action that he and teammates get shots to the net and, perhaps even more vitally, bodies netfront for tips, deflections (any body part will do), and rebounds. 

For his part, Lambert could well keep Beniers and Eberle with frequent linemate Jared McCann on Thursday. He liked what he saw from the trio in the final 40 minutes in Alberta.  

“We did some good things in the hockey game,” said Lambert about the Edmonton road game, and he could have included the Buffalo road game in that comment. “We have to build off that and get some pucks in the back of the net.” 

Playing in front of the high-decibel fans at Climate Pledge Arena will provide a boost for the goal hunt. The Kraken have a 17-14-5 winning home record. 

Two: Celebrating the ‘Big Cat’ 

Few Seattle players have proven any more consistent, reliable, and tough than Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson. The original Kraken defender and long-time partner with Vince Dunn, notched his 1,000th NHL game in Florida and his 400th game with the Kraken on Tuesday in Edmonton, where he played for five seasons.  

Larsson will be feted pre-game with speeches, gifts, and more in a celebration worth making to your arena seats or screen by 6:50 p.m. to support the ‘Big Cat,’ beloved by Kraken teammates and fans alike. The Swedish-born D-man has all sorts of family members in town (including lots of little ones), and let’s look for those teammates to have some extra energy to post a win on this special night. While most of us would consider Larsson the quiet, serious type, he is, in fact, just the opposite in the locker room and at home. When Kraken players were asked to describe Larsson in one word, several simply said, “funny.” 

Three: Utah 4-5-1 in Last 10 Games 

Utah has flagged a bit heading down the stretch of the regular season, but still six points clear of wild-card contenders such as Seattle, LA, Winnipeg, and San Jose. While Utah is a top-scoring team in the West, the Mammoth goals against stats are equally elite in the conference, with workhorse goalie Karel Vejmelka posting 33 of the Central Division foe’s 38 wins. As for scoreboard watching, the simplest way for Seattle to gain is by winning against Utah.   

Next, it’s a decision tree every game night from here out. Thursday’s games present two clear rooting interests: Dallas over Winnipeg and Toronto beating San Jose. A third match-up is take your pick with Nashville at Los Angeles; better for one team to win in regulation, but which one? So goes the next two weeks of April.

Projected lineup (not official):
Catton-Beniers-Eberle
McMann-Stephenson-Kakko
Schwartz-Molgaard-McCann
Meyers-Gaudreau-Tolvanen

Dunn-Larsson
Evans-Montour
Lindgren-Oleksiak

Daccord