The Seattle Kraken have extended their losing streak to four games after an embarrassing 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 21. Despite a strong start, the Kraken crumbled toward the end of the game. Here are some takeaways.
The Power Play Finally Looks Strong
Both of the goals that the Kraken were able to score were off of power play chances. The first goal came at the beginning of the first period. Just two minutes in, the Kraken forced a penalty on Nicolas Hague for holding the stick of Yanni Gourde. The Kraken won the faceoff after earning the extra-man advantage. With a pass from Chandler Stephenson to Oliver Bjorkstand, and finally to Vince Dunn, he was able to shoot the puck and earn the first goal of the night.
The second of the two Kraken goals came from Jaden Schwartz toward the midway point of the third period. Stephenson skated the puck across the ice, passing it to Shane Wright. Wright took a shot, but it was thwarted by goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Schwartz recovered the rebound and was able to score the second goal of the night.
These two goals mark the 19th and 20th power-play goals that the Kraken have scored this season. Their overall power-play percentage is an absymal 18.7%. Finally, they were able to capitalize on the extra-man advantage for once. Let’s just try to keep that momentum up.
Meyers & Olofsson Called Up, Just to Be Scratched
The Kraken called up Ben Meyers and Gustav Olofsson from Coachella Valley prior to the game. However, neither the forward nor the defenseman saw any ice time in this game. Both were healthy scratches, along with Tye Kartye.
Meyers was previously called up earlier in the season. He played in three games but earned no points. Olofsson was called up earlier in the season as well, but he only played in one game. He also did not earn any points.
Related: Kaapo Kakko: Everything to Know About the Kraken’s Newest Acquisition
After trading Will Borgen to the New York Rangers, the Kraken were in need of a backup defenseman, so calling up Olofsson made sense. Perhaps he will hit the lineup against the Colorado Avalanche in this weekend’s back-to-back games. Head coach Dan Bylsma has a habit of switching up the lines to try and see what works. Ideally, the pair will be in the lineup soon.
Milestone Night for Several Kraken
There were several milestones celebrated by the Kraken last night. Off of the Dunn goal, Bjorkstrand and Stephenson each earned the 200th assist of their NHL careers. This is only the second time that this has happened in the NHL, where two players earned milestone assists off the same goal.
They were not the only ones celebrating tonight. Bylsma also earned a milestone moment by coaching in his 600th game behind an NHL bench. Bylsma replaced Dave Hakstol in the 2024 offseason. Prior to coaching for the Kraken, he was coaching for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s American Hockey League (AHL) team. After taking the Firebirds to the Calder Cup Final both times in their first two seasons in the league, this decision made sense. Hopefully, Bylsma can get the Kraken back on track after this four-game losing streak.
There’s no way celebrating these milestones on the losing streak feels good. Regardless, congrats to Bjorkstrand, Stephenson, and Bylsma for hitting their milestone moments in their respective careers.
Let’s Try Again
The Kraken will look to kill their losing streak on the second game of a back-to-back weekend, when they play the Avalanche on Dec. 22. This is their last game before the holiday break. Hopefully, they try to end this one off on a positive note.
