The Seattle Kraken finished their six-game road trip with a 3-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
With the number of injuries the Kraken were facing heading into the road trip and the several they added to the list while on it, going 2-2-2 and finishing with six of a possible 12 points isn’t as bad as it may seem.
Entering the road trip, the Kraken were without Kaapo Kakko and Ryker Evans. On the trip, they added Frederik Gaudreau, Brandon Montour, Jared McCann and briefly, Mason Marchment to the list.
The injuries and absences opened up spots in the lineup for players like Berkly Catton, Ben Meyers, Cale Fleury and John Hayden to make their season debuts. Ultimately, the team is in a better position to win with their veterans healthy, but coach Lane Lambert’s men did what they could to pick up valuable points.
The road trip began in eastern Canada, where the Kraken went to three consecutive overtimes. It started with an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens and then a shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. The contest against the Canadiens was very even, but the Kraken outplayed the Senators, outshooting them 33-23.
The Kraken turned things around against the Toronto Maple Leafs, defeating them 4-3 in overtime thanks to Josh Mahura. Another back-and-forth contest that the Kraken were finally able to be on the right side of.
Following their win against the Leafs, things took a turn. The injuries had really piled up, and playing every other day was taking its toll. The Kraken suffered their first regulation loss of the season to the Philadelphia Flyers and then their second on the back half of a back-to-back against the Washington Capitals. The Kraken struggled to generate offense and couldn’t contain their opponents’ offense.
In the final game of the road trip, the Kraken shut out the Jets on the back of a 32-save performance from Joey Daccord and a three-point night from Jaden Schwartz.
Now eight games into the season, the Kraken hold a 4-2-2 record with 10 points, sitting in second place in the Pacific Division, trailing just the Vegas Golden Knights.
Under Lambert, the Kraken ranked 22nd in goals scored per game (2.75), 24th in shots per game (25.8), 13th in power play percentage (21.7 percent), and 17th in shooting percentage (10.7 percent). Defensively, the Kraken ranked 13th in goals allowed per game (2.75), 17th in shots allowed per game (28.9), 24th in penalty kill percentage (71.4 percent), and 18th in penalty minutes per game (9.9).
Schwartz leads the way offensively, notching four goals and eight points. He’s followed by Jordan Eberle with six points, Vince Dunn, Shane Wright and Chandler Stephenson with five points and then another four players tied with four points.
Daccord has been unsurprisingly stellar, posting a .911 save percentage and a 2.56 goals against average in six games. Matt Murray posted a .909 SP and a 3.10 GAA in his one start, while Philipp Grubauer has recorded an .897 SP and a 2.12 GAA in two games.
The Kraken are back in action on Saturday when they take on the Edmonton Oilers at Climate Pledge Arena.
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