On Thursday, Dec. 4, the Seattle Kraken travelled up to Canada to take on the Edmonton Oilers. Their last game was also against the Oilers on Saturday, where the Kraken were shut out 3-0. This game did not result in a shutout; however, it was an abysmal performance for Seattle. The Kraken lost 9-4 to the Oilers. Edmonton now leads the season series 2-1.
Special Teams Need More Strength
The Kraken continue to struggle when it comes to both the power play and the penalty kill. The Oilers had five power-play opportunities in this game; they scored on four of them. Of course, it’s hard to defend when there is an extra player on the ice for the other team, but for Edmonton to have an 80% success rate on the power play is really disappointing for the Kraken. Especially since the Oilers managed to score a short-handed goal.
Related: Seattle Kraken’s Three Stars of November
Seattle’s power play has an 18.7% success rate so far this season. They have received 75 total power-play opportunities, including three in this game. The Kraken managed to score their first goal on the extra-man advantage, thanks to Eeli Tolvanen. However, they missed on their other two opportunities. It might be time to change up the lineup for the special teams if the Kraken continue to miss out on these scoring chances.
Grubauer Should Have Started
Once again, the Kraken coaching staff decided that Joey Daccord was their best option for a starting goaltender in this game. Daccord had a rough performance, only making nine saves out of 14 shots. He earned his lowest save percentage (SV%) of the season thus far with a .643. He allowed five goals, the fourth time this season that he has done this.
At 25:58, Lane Lambert pulled Daccord, and Philipp Grubauer entered the game instead. He honestly didn’t have the greatest game either, making 14 saves on 18 shots for a save percentage of .778.
This is now the third game that Daccord was pulled from this season, and the earliest of the three. In the two games prior, he also allowed five goals before he was pulled, and Grubauer or Matt Murray entered the crease. There is no denying that Daccord is a talented and skilled goaltender. At the same time, the coaching staff needs to make sure that each goaltender gets the proper rest so they can perform at their best. It’s hard not to think about whether the score might have been closer if Grubauer had played the game from the beginning.
Nyman Didn’t Quit
The third period was dwindling, and the Kraken were down by six goals. Although they were clearly about to lose, one player did not give up. Kaapo Kakko had the puck in the Kraken’s zone near the goal and dropped it down for Shane Wright. He took a shot, but Calvin Pickard made the initial save. Jani Nyman was right next to the loose puck, picked it up, and scored with five seconds remaining.
This game was clearly a losing battle for the Kraken, but Nyman refused to give up. This was his first game back since Nov. 23 against the New York Islanders. He was a healthy scratch in the Kraken’s last two games and was scratched in a couple more throughout the month of November. This goal marked Nyman’s fourth of the season, his last being scored on Oct. 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nyman is a consistent member of the bottom-six forward group when he is allowed to play. He doesn’t always score, but the fact that he consistently tries each and every game is proof he deserves a spot on this NHL team.
Kraken Head Back to Seattle
The Kraken will be back on home ice on Saturday, Dec. 6, when they host the Detroit Red Wings.
The season series will conclude on March 31 in Edmonton. We’ll see if the Kraken can tie it in this game, or if the Oilers will end up taking the whole thing.
