One: State of the Standings, Meaningful Matchup with Utah
SALT LAKE CITY – As Saturday’s matinee matchup against Utah marks the last stop on the current road trip, let’s check in on the Pacific Division and Western Conference races for postseason bids. The Kraken are effectively third in the Pacific and/or atop the wild-card competition. That can change per Friday games and Saturday’s showdown between Seattle (51 standings points in 46 games) and the local Mammoth (52 points but two more games played than the Kraken).
There’s a whole lot of season left, but Saturday’s two points landing in Seattle’s favor are meaningful and might be even more significant at the mid-April season’s end. For now, teams to watch include Pacific Division leaders Vegas, Edmonton, San Jose, Los Angeles, Nashville and Anaheim (currently in freefall with a 1-8-1 record in the last 10 games).
Though he didn’t like the final score of the Boston game, Lane Lambert was upbeat about his squad playing another solid game on this road swing. Eeli Tolvanen and Brandon Montour said the same, all three pointing out the plentiful supply of scoring chances. An East Coast reporter asked Lane Lambert in New York on Monday about the Pacific Division bottleneck of playoff contenders. His answer firmly applies as the calendar week ends.
“It’s very similar to the rest of the league right now,” said Lambert. “It's an extremely tight division. There's not much room for mistakes [ending up in the back of the net, per his Thursday remarks]. We had a little bit of a tough run through December. But we've found a way to pick it up, but you’ve got to stay consistent. That's a real key. You know, w re, we're a good team. San Jose's a good team. Anaheim has come on [especially early season]. There are a lot of good hockey teams in the division. Everybody's battling it out every night.”
Two: Monty Back in the Fight, Winterton Too
While committed to any and all conditioning he could maintain while waiting for his hand to heal, Montour was clearly paying close attention to his teammates.
“The guys got us back into the race, which is exciting for me,” said Montour, responding to a remark that he looked in midseason form.
“I've been in this league for a while now,” said the Kraken D-man. “I know what my strengths are as a player. Know what my strengths are as a leader on the bench and on the ice, controlling certain things. The more I'm playing to my game and trying to control things out there, I think that’s better for the group.”
Head coach Lane Lambert was impressed with Montour’s return: “I thought he was great. I thought he was skating, controlling the play. He had the puck on his stick. He had a couple of glorious opportunities. Unfortunately, the sticks break too easily these days [Montour broke not one but two while shooting]. He was physical.”
Speaking of being physical, Montour gave a thumbs up to his Thursday night third-period bout with Boston’s Alex Steves while providing an in-depth evaluation of rookie teammate Ryan Winterton.
“Just watching him kind of grow as a player, he's a great kid,” said Montour post-game. “Brings a great attitude every single day. Love being around and the smile on his face. He continues to be a difference-maker for our group, playing limited minutes. Over time, I think you've seen him up and down the lineup. He can play in every role, has speed up and down the ice. Love his physicality. He has kind of a mean streak in him, so good he held his own [in the fight with Steves].”
Three: Know the Foe: Utah, Seattle Neck-and-Neck Contenders
Utah enters Saturday’s matinee with a six-game point streak, including four wins and an overtime loss in the first five contests of a current seven-game homestand. The Mammoth are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and a tough out at home with a 13-7-2 mark. They defeated the Dallas Stars, 2-1, on Thursday, catching the Stars on a 2-5-3 skid in their last 10 matchups.
Young star Logan Cooley has been out of the lineup since Dec. 5, but Utah’s roster still has formidable scoring depth. Captain Clayton Keller leads the squad in scoring with 13 and 31 assists for 44 points in 48 games, while center Nick Schmaltz is right there with his linemate, totaling 17 goals and 26 assists on the season. Dylan Guenther, currently on the third line, is the team leader in goals with 23.
One note relevant to the Kraken’s recent string of comeback wins and attempts, which include opponents scoring first in the last five games. Utah is 16-1-1 when it leads after two periods this season.
Projected Lines (not official)
Kakko - Beniers - Eberle
Schwartz - Stephenson - Tolvanen
Catton - Wright - McCann
Winterton - Meyers - Gaudreau
Dunn - Larsson
Lindgren - Fleury
Montour - Oleksiak
Grubauer
