One: Goal-a-game fourth line helps – Back in preseason, the Kraken were talking about how their fourth line could be a difference maker on a team lacking truly elite goal scorers on the top trios.
Well, it took some fits and starts and personnel switches, but that fourth line is now producing an extra goal a game for this team during the current nine-game points streak. The Kraken have averaged 3.7 goals per contest during the streak, which is roughly a goal per game more than they had been doing before it all began. The fourth line has seen at least one member score in four of the last five games and five of seven contests. There’s your answer right there as to what’s changed for this team – that one extra goal, courtesy of the fourth line.
Not entirely. But it’s nice when stats can wrap themselves in a perfect bow like that.
The other night against Boston, we saw a goal produced by Ben Meyers with Tye Kartye getting the assist. So, even when Kartye gets re-inserted, and Ryan Winterton is bumped to a line higher up, the fourth line keeps producing. And we keep getting told it’s not just about the goals, but more about the energy the trio brings. They’ll need all that energy and more against this Minnesota squad.
Eeli Tolvanen was back on the ice at morning skate today, but Jordan Eberle is out with what appears to be an illness. Head coach Lane Lambert said he’ll be a game time decision, so we’ll go for now with the lines we saw out there today — meaning Kartye is back on the fourth trio while Winterton remains up a notch on the third line instead of the second like the other night.
Two: Ride that Team Germany momentum – Philipp Grubauer was finally officially declared the German team’s netminder for the 2026 Winter Olympics Milano Cortina. Yeah, as if they had somebody else in mind. Well, let’s keep Grubauer nice and sharp for that competition by seeing him ride his momentum from a four-game win streak in which he’s allowed just one goal against in each of those four contests.
That’s a goals against average of 1.00 for non-math whizzes. And a save percentage of .972 based on stopping 137 pucks out of 141 shots. Keep doing that; opponents have no chance unless the Kraken fail to score. And they’ve managed to score lately with 12 goals in their last two games, only two of them into empty nets with goalies pulled. They probably won’t meet their two-game average of six goals per contest against the stingy Wild. So, yes, the Kraken need this Olympic version of Grubauer.
Three: Know your foe – The Western Conference has been described as three behemoths – the Wild being one of them, along with Colorado and Dallas- and a bunch of mediocre teams. And while the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers might quibble about that based on prior track records, the Kraken, as of right now, can definitely say something about it based on current on-ice performance. They are 8-0-1 in their last nine game,s and that’s definitely not a pushover.
But neither is Minnesota, despite this being the finale of a grueling two-week road trip for them that should have them somewhat softened up a bit for the home team. They’d won seven straight and nine of 11 to finish last month following the trade, but have since dropped three of four and two straight to the Los Angeles Kings. Maybe those Kings also have a beef about the “three behemoths” designation. It should be mentioned that the three big Western teams have also been beating up on lesser squads in their own conference, as opposed to the Eastern side, where they’ve merely been very good. So, there’s that. As for the Wild, they’ve beefed up for the playoffs already with last month’s acquisition of standout two-way defender Quinn Hughes from Vancouver. That’s to go with a formidable group led by Kirill Kaprizov and his 24 goals and team leading 49 points. Matt Boldy has a club best 26 goals and second highest 48 points.
Onetime Kraken forward Marcus Johansson has 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points, which would lead his former Seattle team if he were still here. In fact, four Wild players have more points than the 28 by Kraken leader Jordan Eberle.
And that Minnesota offense is the big difference between the Kraken and the powerhouse Wild.
Both teams are otherwise quite similar in strengths, with the Wild slightly better at areas in which the Kraken excel in. Minnesota ranks No.3 defensively at 2.64 goals allowed, while the Kraken are 10th at 2.83. The Wild have allowed 119 goals this season, while the Kraken are at 120, though the Wild have three additional games played.
The Kraken have an 11th ranked power play while the Wild are ninth. The Kraken penalty kill is still 32nd out of 32, while Minnesota is at No. 27.
The Wild are 21-2-4 for 46 points when they score at least three goals. The Kraken have 41 points in such situations while playing three fewer games.
So, let’s not expect any shootouts in this one. Except, of course, the official shootouts that come after a deadlocked overtime. That does loom as a possibility.
Projected Lines (not official)
McCann- Beniers - Kakko
Tolvanen - Stephenson - Gaudreau
Catton - Wright - Winterton
Kartye - Meyers - Melanson
Dunn - Larsson
Lindgren - Fleury
Evans - Oleksiak
Grubauer
