The Seattle Kraken opened their 2024 preseason schedule on Sunday evening at Climate Pledge Arena against the Calgary Flames. Earlier in the day, the city’s NFL representatives, the Seattle Seahawks, downed the Miami Dolphins with relative ease, 24-3. Alas, those good vibes didn’t carry over. If anything, the Kraken looked about as moribund as the Dolphins, losing 6-1. Here are the takeaways.
Bjorkstrand and Company Fire Blanks
If this section reads similar to last season and throughout the summer, that’s because a familiar problem still needs fixing. Not that a lone preseason tussle is supposed to assuage all fears and wash away all warts. But even with expectations somewhat in check for September hockey, Sunday night’s battering had an all too familiar aura about it.
Seattle did muster more scoring opportunities than what the 2023-24 edition did on average. Head coach Dan Bylsma’s side launched 34 shots on Calgary’s net, with Nathan Villeneuve leading the way with five. Tye Kartye and Shane Wright fired four each. There were a couple of sequences – one in the first period and another in the second – when Oliver Bjorkstrand’s skillful attempts were swatted away. The big Dane finished the evening with three shots and looked decent overall.
The fourth line, composed of Villeneuve, Tucker Robertson, and David Goyette, had a solid shift early on that applied pressure in Calgary’s zone. Despite being the trio with the least amount of ice time, they were still victimized by goals from the opposition.
Generally speaking, the team looked fast and was capable of hounding the Flames’ net. They circled the net, zigged, zagged, and they shot, but the biscuit only went into the basket once. That occurred in the third period when Bjorkstrand fed Villeneuve across the seam for a strong one-timer that beat Dustin Wolf cleanly. While the play was nice, it only cut the deficit to 4-1. Kudos to the Calgary keeper for standing tall all night.
Nikolas Brouillard and Defensive Blunders
Perhaps more alarming was the defensive frailty on display. Niklas Brouillard, a 29-year-old American Hockey League journeyman, was at fault for the Flames’ first two goals. The second was more egregious insofar as it allowed for the easiest of tap-ins, with netminder Philipp Grubauer hung out to dry.
The first was not much better, although it was more the team that let the goalie down. A face-off loss in their own zone, Calgary got a shot off, which rebounded off Grubauer, and Seattle couldn’t control the situation, which enabled Clark Bishop to slot the puck home.
Calgary’s goal in the middle frame to make it a 4-0 match didn’t make Seattle’s defense look any better. A backhand, cross-seam pass permitted a wide-open Jeremie Poirier to snipe the puck past Grubauer. No, it wasn’t on the penalty kill, but it certainly looked like it.
It’s only September. There is time for things to improve. Many teams have strong Septembers only to struggle during the regular season and vice versa. As the old saying goes, it’s important to take it one game at a time.
Kraken’s Lack of Toughness
This left the bitterest taste in Bylsma’s mouth after the game. The Flames were undisputably the tougher outfit on Sunday. Calgary literally doubled Seattle’s hit count, 54 to 27. The visitors’ aggression encouraged some extracurricular activity between the sides, most notably when Robertson and Calgary’s Artem Grushnikov engaged in fisticuffs.
Related: 2024 Seattle Kraken Traning Camp Recap: Day 2
There were other clear indications that the Flames simply possessed more muscle than the Kraken. A third-period partial breakaway from Berkly Catton was disrupted by the towering Adam Klapka, who then raced the other way and potted in a loose puck to make it 5-1. It was a clean play, but Seattle’s 2024 first-round draft pick was sent to the ice like a ragged doll.
Speaking to the media, Bylsma didn’t hold back: “The thing I didn’t like about it is that it was reactionary. We don’t want to be reactionary. We want to be the aggressor. I like to be the aggressor in physicality and how we play.”
One of the criticisms that could be aimed at the Kraken as 2023-24 wound down was the lack of intensity in their performances. Perhaps that was because the previous coach had lost the locker room. Perhaps it was because the side could feel the campaign slipping away. To witness a similar situation this season would not sit well with the new coach.
“I don’t like getting beat. Moreover, I don’t like getting outcompeted.”
There are questions after this miserable match. How many chances should defenseman Nikolas Brouillard get? How much time does former Panther Josh Mahura need to get settled in (he was a minus-4)? How much ice time does Catton get when some of the regulars could use the opportunity to stretch their legs? There isn’t much time to start answering them, with the next game on Tuesday. What’s more, Bylsma and his staff will need to have a chat in the air, with the team heading north to Vancouver to play the Canucks.
