Kraken (3-2-0) at Capitals (3-1-0) | 2 p.m.

One: Skate, skate, skate – Tough news for the Kraken on Saturday as they revealed that rugged forward Jacob Melanson will be out indefinitely with an “anterior mediastinum hematoma with vascular pseudo aneurysm” – which is effectively a collection of blood at the front part of the chest where it has pooled following an arterial breach.

Melanson suffered an upper body injury the night of the season opener in Calgary. It’s a pretty unique injury so he’ll be closely monitored and hope to return to hockey at some point. 

The Kraken lose some fourth line toughness without him and will need to rely more heavily on speed. Not just on the fourth line, but all around.

The difference between how the Kraken started the game in Detroit versus how they ended the final 36 minutes was like watching two different teams. The first team got outshot 23-6 the opening 24 minutes and outscored 2-1. The second team outscored the Red Wings 5-1 the rest of the way and it wasn’t even close. 

Sure, the home side’s shot counter appeared to take some liberties whenever the Red Wings put a puck within the general vicinity of the net. Not all 23-shot tallies in a 24-minute span are created equal. But even if some of the “shots” Detroit was credited for would not have gone in the net if left untouched, what isn’t up for debate is how the Kraken were caught running around in their own end too often the opening period. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer had to deal with a few too many goalmouth scrambles that could have been avoided with quick clearances if somebody had caught up to a puck once in a while.

That’s where the skating part comes in. From early in the second period onward, the Kraken were beating the Red Wings to loose pucks with frequency, as with Ryan Winterton’s pass from behind the net for Freddy Gaudreau’s tying goal.

They were beating the Red Wings to the net front as speedy Mackie Samoskevich did for his go-ahead goal on a pass from Jared McCann. And they were knocking the Detroit players off of pucks both in the offensive zone and well as on the defensive side. 

It tilted the game rather noticeably in a completely opposite direction. 

The Kraken have a fast team that’s tough to play against once they get the legs going. That needs to start earlier here against a formidable opponent they’ve only beaten once on the road in franchise history.

Two: Let’s get physical – Much like the Vegas Golden Knights, who dismantled the Kraken 6-2 last Tuesday, the Capitals are a big, physical team. They have the NHL’s heaviest roster at an average of 205 pounds and the fourth tallest at 6-foot-2. Their forward lines contain six guys at least 6-foot-4 and four weighing 225 pounds or more.

So, Kraken defenders need to do a better job of boxing guys out at the net front and letting the goalie see incoming pucks.

It’s situations like these where you miss a guy like Ryan Lindgren and his steady, workmanlike poise. So, if Ville Ottavainen gets another look out there, he has to put his hulking frame to use. This is where the Kraken team speed also plays a role. Defenders need to get in the face of offensive shooters more quickly so they don’t enable time for screens to form more definitively. Or, for forwards to start throwing the puck around at will at the net front, as we saw during the early stages of the game in Detroit. 

Three: Know your foe – As mentioned, the Capitals are a big, physical team centered around the last dance of all-time NHL goals leader Alex Ovechkin. The Caps aren’t just playing out the string on Ovi’s career: They went out and signed Alex Tuch from Buffalo and Boone Jenner from Columbus, while also trading for Jordan Kyrou from St. Louis.

There’s now some high-tempo, offensive balance on the top three forward lines the Kraken must use their own speed and size to counter. Washington put up five goals on a very good defending champion Carolina team, then another five on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Their only loss thus far was 3-1 to a very good Tampa Bay squad.

A possible break for the Kraken is that top-line centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois is battling illness and didn’t practice Saturday. So, he’ll be a question mark for the game. 

Did we mention the Capitals are also the league’s No. 2 team in goals allowed at just 2.0 per contest? Logan Thompson is 3-0-0 with six goals allowed in those outings. His backup, Charlie Lindgren – brother of injured Kraken defender Ryan Lindgren – allowed just two goals in the loss to Tampa Bay in his only start.

Yes, there’s a running theme here. The Caps are good. 

Projected lines (not official):
McCann - Beniers - Samoskevich
McMann - Stephenson - Eberle
Kakko - Catton - Wright
Meyers - Gaudreau - Winterton

Dunn - Larsson
Evans - Montour
Ottavainen - Mahura

Daccord