One: Power Play Success Fueling Rise in Standings
RALEIGH, NC – The Kraken enter Saturday’s NHL action positioned in third place in the Pacific Division, just two standings points out of first, plus two games in hand compared to second-place Edmonton. They have the fifth-best win percentage in the Western Conference. One key reason for this surge in the standings is that the power-play units are scoring goals.
In the last 10 games, which coincide with Seattle's 8-0-2 point streak, the team has scored on 8 of 23 opportunities. That’s a 34.8 success percentage or lighting the goal light on one of every three power plays. The uptick has elevated the Kraken to the top eight teams by season-long percentage at 22.9. All of this with key players missing, including Jaden Schwartz and power-play quarterback Brandon Montour.
The two games at this point that were overtime/shootout losses would have been recorded as regulation losses in the stats roundup with a PPG. The latest example is Thursday’s mid-third period power play score by Matty Beniers, who muscled in the rebound at the net front after the original shot by Jared McCann was stopped.
Coach Lane Lambert was notably enthused about his power play units during his post-game meetup with the media: “I loved our power play tonight. I think we had nine scoring chances on our power plays. Matty Beniers had a point-blank slap shot from the slot in the first period. Our power play came through for us tonight.”
Two: Eberle Day-to-Day, On the Road Trip
While the Kraken extended their point streak into double-digit territory, they did without captain Jordan Eberle, who was scratched with an upper-body injury that Lambert characterized as “day-to-day.” When the team arrived in Raleigh, NC, for the first of a five-game road journey that starts Saturday here against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Seattle captain was part of the travel party.
McCann moved up to the first line left of Beniers, with Kaapo Kakko moving to right wing. In a related move, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, who impressed in training camp and in his two-game NHL debut in late November, was recalled from American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley. Eventful week for the 2023 second-rounder as he was named to Denmark’s Olympic team on Wednesday. He joins Team Germany Philipp Grubauer and Team Finland forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Kaapo Kakko as Kraken representatives at the Milano Cortina Winter Games in February.
Three: Know the Foe: Carolina is Tops in Eastern Conference Standings
In contrast to the Kraken, Carolina is just 5-5-0 in its last 10 games. But no one forgets this team is 27-14-3 on the season and has a three-game win streak going right now. The Hurricanes are also tough to beat at home with a 15-8-1. Russian-born forward Andrei Svechnikov, the No. 2 overall NHL draft pick in 2018, has proved to be a productive choice. He has busted into double-digits in goals over the last six seasons and already has 12 goals and 23 assists this year. He is the second-highest scorer in a balanced Canes offensive attack, with nine Carolina players scoring 20 or more points.
Sebastian Aho, a Ron Francis draft pick, continues to excel with 43 points (team-leading 17 goals, 26 assists) in 44 games. Free agent signee Nikolaj Ehlers, a heroic linemate along with the aforementioned Fisker Molgaard at last spring’s IIHF Men’s Worlds, primed for an Olympics reunion, has proved worth the contract with 34 points (11 G, 23 A) to date.
Projected Lines (not official)
McCann- Beniers - Kakko
Tolvanen - Stephenson - Gaudreau
Catton - Wright - Winterton
Kartye - Meyers - Melanson
Dunn - Larsson
Lindgren - Fleury
Evans - Oleksiak
Daccord
