The Seattle Kraken hit the road for the first of their five-game road trip on Thursday. They’ve played the last four games on home ice, and perhaps they were used to that. Facing off against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Kraken fell 6-2 against the home team.
Tolvanen Controlled the Kraken Score
If it were not for Eeli Tolvanen, the Kraken would not have been on the board the entire game. Thankfully for him, he scored their two goals of the night. The first came in the first period, just ten seconds after the Blue Jackets scored their first. Off the faceoff, the Kraken had a handle of the puck but the Blue Jackets tried to get it out of the zone. Luca Del Bel Belluz and Shane Wright raced after it in the Kraken zone. It was Wright who won the battle, making a gorgeous pass to Tolvanen. Once he got a hold of the puck, he took the shot to send it into the back of the net.
His second goal came towards the middle of the third period. As Seattle was down by four, they were desperately trying to get back in the game. Chandler Stephenson was driving toward the net as Zach Aston-Reese was pressuring him. He had no chance of making a shot, but he saw Tolvanen alone towards the center of the ice. Stephenson was able to pull the puck closer to him, making sure that he had control of where he was passing. He followed his line of sight to his target, making sure that it hit Tolvanen’s stick. Similar to the shot he took in the first period, he wasted no time. Once he had a hold of the biscuit he let it fly where it found the back of the net.
These two goals now put Tolvanen higher on the Kraken leaderboard for the season. Before this game, he was tied with Brandon Montour in fifth place with eight goals each. The two goals he scored last night put him to an even ten where he now sits in fourth. Oliver Bjorkstrand is above him in third with 11 goals. The pressure is on in the coming games to see how the team leaderboard will rank.
Daccord Should Have Started in Net
Joey Daccord was finally activated off long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Jan. 7. He was placed on LTIR after sustaining an upper-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 22. This was the first game that he was able to play since before the holiday break, and he absolutely should have started in it.
Related: Kraken Must Make Joey Daccord the Clear Number One Goalie
The Kraken coaches elected to start Phillipp Grubauer instead, which was certainly a choice. Grubauer has been the only goalie in net for the past five games. He has not been performing at the top of his game, and it has been showing. In the past five games prior to this one, he had recorded two wins, one in overtime, and three losses. Those watching could see the exhaustion in his play style, as he allowed five goals, four in the second period. Everyone needs a break once in a while, and it was time to give Grubauer his.
This game also brought Gruabuer’s save percentage (SV%) exceptionally low. He recorded a .737, which is embarrassing for a seasoned goalie. For the season, his SV% sits at .875 with his current goals-against average (GAA) sitting at 3.62. This is currently higher than his first season in the NHL, where his GAA was 3.57. After his performance last night, it looks like Grubauer will be keeping the bench warm for a little while.
Daccord, meanwhile, had plenty of time to rest. Being out for two weeks, the team ran the risk of him having a poor performance or not being at the top of his game. Fortunately for the Kraken, it was the latter. He came into the game late in the second period, so he did not see a whole lot of ice time. In the 20:57 he spent on the ice, he stopped all four shots that were taken on the goal. He recorded a 100 SV%, thanks to his prowess and alertness. It seems safe to say that Daccord will be starting in net on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.
Tough Road Trip Ahead
This game was only one of five games on the road for the Kraken. They next play Buffalo on Jan. 11 and then face off against the Detroit Red Wings the next day on Jan. 12. The Kraken typically do not perform well on back-to-backs, but perhaps they will pleasantly surprise their fans. They will continue on to play in Pittsburgh against the Penguins on Jan. 14 and finally, they will make a stop to play the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 14.
The Kraken do not have a great road record. They currently sit at 8-12-0, whereas at home they are 9-10-3. This might not seem like a lot, they only have one extra win at home, but it is the last column that matters. The Kraken have yet to take a game to overtime when they play an away game. They have taken three games to overtime at home, which means they were able to record a point. As the race for the playoffs draws closer, every point counts. The Kraken are not in a good standing to take one of those wild card spots, but a lot can change between now and the end of the season.
Let’s Get Back Out There
Looking to shake this game off, the Kraken will continue their trip to face off against the Sabres at KeyBank Center on Saturday, Jan. 11.
