"I think the closer we get to the end of camp, I think there's a lot of excitement," Oliver Bjorkstrand, who had an assist, said. "I feel like a lot of guys have gotten a few games done at least. So, you start feeling better and chemistry starts developing. Now you just start getting ready for that first game."
Grubauer previously stopped 10 shots in a 3-0 win against the Calgary Flames in a Sep. 10 game. As a team, the Kraken have not allowed a preseason goal at home this year. After allowing a pair of power-play goals to the Canucks on Thursday, Seattle held the Canucks to 0-for-2 Saturday.
"Tonight is a difficult game for a goaltender to play," Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. "Grubi had two real good saves that for me, that's a goaltender doing his job and doing it well."
The Kraken improved their preseason record to 4-0. Saturday was the last preseason home game with the club finishing the preseason on the road starting Monday, Oct. 3 in Calgary against the Flames.
Winning preseason games is of course important but the real key is that the team starts to gel and to do that, coach Dave Hakstol deployed a lineup filled with most of his NHL regulars. Those veterans were mixed in with two promising rookies in Beniers and Shane Wright.
"We've got work to do," Hakstol said. "We're positive with a lot of things that we're doing but tonight we didn't play a complete game. I wouldn't expect that at this point in time. Of the lines out there tonight we were four for four in terms of new combinations. That's gonna take some time and we've still got some competition. We're gonna have some difficult decisions to make as we move through the next week."