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Game 23: Kraken @ Red Wings: Can't Catch A Break |
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This team cannot catch a break with it's goalies. Grubauer was supposed to be the man but has struggled all season with the exception of a few games. Driedger gets hurt early on but then comes back and helps the team string together a few wins and then gets injured again in a 7-4 victory over the Sabres. Tonight Grubauer will probably start but the team has also called up Joey Daccord so who knows?
In addition to Driedger being out, one of the top producers for Seattle in Jaden Schwartz is out with a lower body injury. It looks like Tanev will get the jump in the lineup in Schwartz's stead and AHL forward Kole Lind has been called up and will play on the fourth line with Riley Sheahan and Colin Blackwell. To make matteres far worse, leading goal scorer Jordan Eberle left the game against Buffalo with a lower body injury and is also unlikely to play tonight. Seattle is already a team without much depth and losing both Schwartz and Eberle is brutal for a team that was finally able to start putting together some wins.
The good news? Seattle is playing Detroit who just played a grueling game against the Bruins who fired 42 shots on net to the Red Wings 16. Nedeljkovic stopped all 34 shots at even strength and allowed only one powerplay goal against. That means that Thomas Greiss who has a 0.901SV% will get the nod in net tonight. The other bad news is that the Red Wings are rolling on a three game winning streak.
You know you have an aggressive and good penalty kill when you are able to score a couple goals on it. Credit where credit is due to Rasmus Dahlin for his A++ giveaways but credit to Seattle as well for being in the right position to force those players to make those giveaways. IT isn't a secret that Seattle when they play too aggressively they have issues defending their own end but right now on their special teams they appear to have found a good balance.
Who needs to have the biggest night in order for Seattle to win this game? I'm going to go with Mason Appleton. There is a massive lack of high end skill in the lineup tonight so if the Kraken want to come away with a win they are going to need to muck things up and score a couple greasy garbage goals. That skillset is why Seattle selected Appleton and he have ample opportunities tonight, logging the minutes that would normally go to Eberle or Schwartz.
I have a feeling it isn't going to be a pretty game for anyone involved but as long as whoever is in net can make a couple key saves I can see Seattle walking away with a win to start the month.
Seattle Kraken Blogger • 
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