On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Seattle Kraken are preparing to host the Detroit Red Wings. They just returned from a one-off road trip to Canada, where they faced the Edmonton Oilers for their second straight game. This game on Dec. 4 resulted in a painful 9-4 loss for Seattle. Back at Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken will want to get a win for their home fans.
Related: 3 Takeaways From the Kraken’s 9-4 Loss to the Oilers
This game marks the second of a six-game road trip for the Red Wings. They just lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 6-5 in a shootout, on Thursday. To kick off the West Coast part of their trip, they’ll look to get back in the win column.
The season series between the Red Wings and the Kraken kicked off on Nov. 18 in Detroit. The Red Wings beat Seattle in a 4-2 victory. This game will determine if the Red Wings sweep or if the Kraken can manage to tie the series.
Kraken Storylines
It appears that Mason Marchment is back in the lineup after missing the away game in Edmonton. The nature of his injury was not disclosed, but he only missed one game. Having him back in the forwards group will be a big help against Detroit tonight.
Jani Nyman might have had a strong performance on Thursday night, but it was not enough to keep him in the lineup. Although he scored with five seconds remaining in the third period to prove the Kraken hadn’t given up yet, he will be a healthy scratch in this game since Marchment is returning.
Not only is the forwards group changing, but so are the defense pairs. Jamie Oleksiak is out against the Red Wings tonight. Josh Mahura will no longer be a healthy scratch, and he will slot into the third defensive pairing alongside Ryker Evans. Mahura has played 13 games so far this season and has scored one goal and recorded one assist. Mahura last played on Nov. 5 when the Kraken hosted the San Jose Sharks.
Despite a lackluster performance in Edmonton on Thursday, Joey Daccord will be back in the net tonight. He continues to be the Kraken’s starting goaltender, and he is a very skilled one at that. However, he allowed five goals to the Oilers in 25 minutes and was pulled from the net. Hopefully, he has had enough rest to get back to performing at his full potential.
The player to watch in this game is Frederick Gaudreau. He scored his first goal as a Kraken on Thursday against the Oilers. Although he has only played 12 games with the team due to an injury he sustained earlier in the season, he is now adding great scoring depth to the bottom six. His veteran presence excels with the young guns on the team, too.
Team Stats
Seattle Kraken
Season Record: 11-8-6
Top Scorers:
- Jaden Schwartz – 8 goals (G), 7 assists (A), 15 points (P)
- Jordan Eberle – 8 G, 7 A, 15 P
- Matty Beniers – 3 G, 12 A, 15 P
- Brandon Montour – 5 G, 9 A, 14 P
- Vince Dunn – 4 G, 9 A, 13 P
Goalie Stats:
- Joey Daccord – 7-6-4, 2.92 goals-against average (GAA), .894 save percentage (SV%)
- Philipp Grubauer – 4-4-1, 2.63 GAA, .895 SV%
- Matt Murray – 0-2-1, 2.21 GAA, .922 SV%
Detroit Red Wings
Season Record: 14-11-3
Top Scorers:
- Dylan Larkin – 15 G, 16 A, 31 P
- Lucas Raymond – 10 G, 21 A, 31 P
- Alex DeBrincat – 14 G, 15 A, 29 P
- Moritz Seider – 4 G, 17 A, 21 P
- Patrick Kane – 4 G, 14 A, 18 P
Goalie Stats:
- Cam Talbot – 9-4-2, 3.01 GAA, .884 SV%
- John Gibson – 5-7-1, 3.62 GAA, .868 SV%
Projected Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
As per The Hockey Writers’ projected lineup article.
Seattle Kraken
Jared McCann — Matty Beniers — Jordan Eberle
Eeli Tolvanen — Chandler Stephenson — Kaapo Kakko
Mason Marchment — Shane Wright — Berkly Catton
Tye Kartye — Frederick Gaudreau — Ryan Winterton
Vince Dunn — Adam Larsson
Ryan Lindgren — Brandon Montour
Ryker Evans — Josh Mahura
Joey Daccord
Philipp Grubauer
Scratched: Cale Fleury, Jani Nyman
Injured: Mason Marchment, Jaden Schwartz, Matt Murray, Max McCormick
Detroit Red Wings
Emmitt Finnie — Dylan Larkin — Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat —Andrew Copp — Patrick Kane
Elmer Soderblom — Nate Danielson — Marco Kasper
Michael Rasmussen — J.T. Compher — James van Riemsdyk
Simon Edvinsson — Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot — Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Albert Johansson — Jacob Bernard-Docker
John Gibson
Cam Talbot
Scratched: Jonatan Berggren, Travis Hamonic
Injured: Mason Appleton, Shai Buium
Next up for the Kraken
The Kraken will remain at home and host the Minnesota Wild on Monday, Dec. 8.
