Kraken (2-0-1) at Senators (1-3-0) | 4:00 p.m.

One: Protect the Goalie

As players and coach Lane Lambert noted after the overtime loss in Montreal, the Kraken must do a better job of “defending the deep” in front of tonight’s projected netminder Philipp Grubauer. The Canadiens are a talented bunch and were given way too much time to freewheel in front of Joey Daccord the last time out. The tying third period goal by Ivan Demidov was a classic case of an ultra-talented young forward having all day to hold the puck until Joey Daccord finally had to commit.

The first tap-in goal of the night by Alex Newhook was also the easiest he’ll ever score as he was unmarked to the right of Daccord and merely had to put a stick on the laser pass by Demidov from the right side. Ottawa has its share of talented forwards as well, so the Kraken must do a better job of boxing them out and getting sticks on pucks as they fly through passing lanes similar to the Demidov-Newhook connection. The defense wasn’t horrible in Montreal and indeed had some fine extended moments that enabled the Kraken to keep coming from behind. They just need to keep it up for 60 minutes without ultimately allowing five goals against. Give up four or more, you usually lose the game.

Two: Score a Freaking Goal

Let’s not sugarcoat things: The Kraken’s record in Ottawa the past two seasons is abysmal for the sheer fact they haven’t put a puck in the opposing net. It makes very little sense. The Kraken lost 3-0 in Ottawa a year ago last November with, um…(checks notes)…Anton Forsberg in goal for the Senators. They lost 2-0 a couple of Decembers ago with Forsberg also the opposing goalie. Forsberg has posted a few shutouts since that December 2023 game – including the second one facing Seattle -- so the Kraken obviously created a monster because he’d been on a rough prior stretch.

The good news? Forsberg is now playing in Los Angeles. He gave up five goals against Vegas the other night in his season debut but somehow still managed to win in a shootout. Anyway, not the Kraken’s problem anymore. The bad news? They will probably face Linus Ullmark, who blanked them 3-0 at Climate Pledge Arena last December right after Forsberg pulled off his second tour-de-force in net.

Enough! The Kraken need to go into Canadian Tire Centre and put a puck behind whoever is donning pads for the home team. The Senators just gave up eight goals to the previously winless Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night, so it is possible to actually score on Ottawa’s goalies. The Kraken put four pucks behind a pretty good Montreal goalie in Samuel Montembeault on Tuesday and three past an excellent Lukas Dostal in last Thursday night’s opening win over Anaheim They just need to get to the opposing net front the way they have in the first three games.

The first time they were shutout by Forsberg nearly two years ago, the Kraken had 39 shots on goal. But too many were from the perimeter. And when they did get in close, they didn’t finish. That hasn’t been their modus operandi this season. So, you’d expect better results.

Three: Know the Foe

Will the real Senators please stand up? Or, maybe wait another game? We thought we knew them when they made the playoffs last spring after years of being touted as breakthrough contenders only to fall flat. Well, they entered this season with plenty of respect but now – after the loss in Buffalo – have dropped three straight after winning their opener.

It doesn’t help that the Sens on Wednesday were playing their first game without captain Brady Tkachuk, who is out a month with a hand injury. Formidable centerman Dylan Cozens is still there, though, one of the final draft picks of Kraken general manager Jason Botterill when he was still running the Buffalo Sabres. His linemate, Drake Batherson, who put up a career high 67 points last season, made his season debut against Buffalo on Wednesday after returning from an upper body injury.

Top center Tim Stutzle, a likely teammate of Philipp Grubauer on Team Germany in next February’s Winter Olympic Games, is also a big Kraken problem. He has five goals and six assists against them in eight career games.

The Kraken will probably face goalie Ullmark in this one after backup Leevi Merilainen gave up a seven-spot in Buffalo. Ullmark is no slouch at any time, but facing the Kraken is 3-1-1 with a 1.79 goals against average and a save percentage of .936.

Projected Kraken lines/pairings (not official):

McCann-Beniers-Eberle
Schwartz-Stephenson-Tolvanen
Marchment-Wright-Winterton
Kartye-Gaudreau-Nyman

Dunn-Larsson
Lindgren-Montour
Mahura-Oleksiak

Grubauer