3 Game Essentials | Kraken at Red Wings | Dec. 1

One: Going 'hard on pucks'

Two examples from Monday's win in Buffalo: Yanni Gourde chasing a Sabres defenseman behind the net during a penalty kill, getting his stick on the puck, then skating away with the puck when the D-men stumbled. Gourde patiently waited for Kraken teammates to get to the offensive zone, dishing a perfect pass to Carson Soucy for the first shorthanded goal in franchise history.
Eight-plus game minutes later, Brandon Tanev hounded the Sabres power play unit that was looking to tie up the game. He knocked a puck loose from standout defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, then shielded said puck from Dahlin, who was draped over Tanev from the Kraken blue line to net front.
Buffalo goalie Dustin Tokarski made the initial save. But Tanev continued going hard on the puck, blading the rebound into the net. Dahlin fished the puck from the net and angrily fired it into a corner.
Going hard on pucks in all three zones is a mindset as much as a strategy. More of that mindset will help compete against a Detroit team with more upside than many experts expected this season.
"I think we have that mindset as a group," Tanev said post-game Monday night. "It's (about) committing to the little details and being physical when you can. Not letting (opponents) have easy opportunities to get out of the zone. That's the mindset the group needs to have."

Focus on Kraken: Forward thinking

When Mason Appleton was poised to return to play after a long injury rehab, coach Dave Hakstol referred to the former Winnipeg Jet as a power forward who gets in the "blue paint" or opposing goal crease.
Appleton showed what Hakstol meant by scoring what turned out to be a vital fifth goal late in the second period. The young forward capitalized on a chaotic scrum (which goalies hate) in front of the Sabres net. He later scored an empty-net goal for his second score of the game and season. Look for Appleton to keep that net-front presence.
This could be said pretty much every Kraken game, but fans might want to study Gourde's shifts and playmaking. He continues to set up teammates for high-danger scoring chances and is due for a hot goal-streak of his own.

Three: Know the Foe: Detroit Red Wings

Detroit is 11-9-3 after a 2-1 win Tuesday night in Boston. The Red Wings' rebuild at the hands of franchise hero Steve Yzerman is ahead of schedule. Mostly because 19-year-old forward Lucas Raymond started the night as the team's top scorer with nine goals and 12 assists, and another first-round draft choice, 20-year-old defenseman Moritz Seider, has two goals and 12 assists. Both players are early rookie-of-the-year candidates.
Seider, along with Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, has already been named to the German Olympic team. Check back on our Kraken app and website Wednesday mid-morning to determine if another German-born goaltender, Thomas Greiss, will get the start in goal against his countryman Grubauer.