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Game 15: Wild @ Kraken - Stop The Bleeding |
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Seattle once again tried to turn a game into a track meet against the Anaheim Ducks and once again came up short. Jared McCann scored two goals in his return and Eberle scored another to keep his goal scoring streak alive with 6 goals in four games but again it wasn't nearly enough as the Ducks simply poured on more, winning 7-4.
It's fair game at this point to start questioning the systems that Dave Hakstol and his coaching staff have put in place. Prior to the beginning of the season, the Seattle Kraken were believed to have likely the best defensive group in the Pacific Division. With Larsson, Giordano, Oleksiak, Dunn, and others preventing goals shouldn't be a problem for this team. That seemed even more likely with the goaltending tandem brought in of Grubauer and Driedger.
Under Hakstol, this team has unlocked it's offensive capabilities but their defensive zone structure is absolutely abysmal. Seattle has allowed 8 more goals than Canucks who have the second most goals allowed in the Pacific Division. Their own zone is far too open and players like Larsson and Oleksiak who should thrive in these kinds of positions simply are not.
Seattle is a new team and the growing pains and tougher matchups should be expected. Vegas was not the standard; they are the exception to the rule. That being said, GM Ron Francis needs to ensure that his team is setup for long term success and eventually he is going to have to ask the question, whether he believes that Hakstol is the man to do that.
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Tonight things will not get any easier for the Kraken as they are facing the Minnesota Wild. In years past, this would have meant a dull defensive game that likely ends 1-0 in the shootout after 17 rounds. That is not the case for the Wild anymore. Minnesota now sits second in the Central Division and leads division in goals scored. Kaprizov leads the team in points but it's other players like Hartman, Foligno, and Eriksson Ek who leads the team in goals scored. Somehow, the Kraken and their coaching staff have to stop the bleeding and find a way to limit the chances of a very potent offensive team.
Despite playing last game on the fourth line, Jared McCann managed to pot two goals and showed real chemistry with Ryan Donato. Expect McCann to start this game in that same position but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a bump up if the team is seeking a late goal. Hopefully Hakstol will give McCann the bump up in the lineup and finally move Calle Jarnkrok down. Jarnkrok is averaging over 16 minutes a game and has yet to register a single point. In the 9 games that he has played he has taken a mere 10 shots. The top six experiment needs to end and he needs to be moved down, likely onto the fourth line. His defensive acumen could help those lines because his offense clearly isn't.
Another player who needs to bounce back is Brandon Tanev. Tanev has not scored a goal in his last six games, despite being bumped up in the top six, usually beside Alex Wennberg. Tanev only managed a single shot in his last two games. When the season began, Tanev was getting a ton of puck luck and was scoring on over 50% of his shots. That cannot last and as I have stressed multiple times on these blogs, if a player wants to continue to score at a high pace they need to ensure they are maintaining a higher shot volume.
Grubauer probably starts tonight but right now does it matter who is in net? Both goalies are below .900 and allow on average more than 3 goals a game. Both men deserve some blame but as I said off the top, until the systems change I don't see how anyone could be effective between the pipes for Seattle.
Thanks for reading.
Seattle Kraken Blogger • 
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