Sean Maloughney: Kraken Make Quick and Easy Work of Mediocre Oilers Team

Sean Maloughney: Kraken Make Quick and Easy Work of Mediocre Oilers Team
- Sean Maloughney

Now that’s a headline I can get behind!

A note on your closing statement, they have beaten the Capitals, Panthers, and Hurricanes… #1, #2, and #8 overall right now. They’ve also beaten the Wild, and Flames (#5 and #6)… Oilers at #9. They haven’t played Toronto. In fact the only top 10 teams they’ve played and haven’t yet beat are the Rangers, Lightning, and Ducks. I’m not a kraken fan. Just pointing out an oversight

Trust me you did NOT miss much at all with the Pens game. Not in the least. That was one of the worst games they have played.

The Oilers game was a solid one though and good to get the win. Really the Kraken seem to have runs of a few games just being a really tough team to play against and then they do a jekyl and hyde routine and just revert to very early season form looking brutal.

Few days off to practice and work out the kinks here at this point and get their game back and going though. Next one I suspect it will be Jeckyl not Hyde for the team and they should come out strong.

A note on your closing statement, they have beaten the Capitals, Panthers, and Hurricanes… #1, #2, and #8 overall right now. They’ve also beaten the Wild, and Flames (#5 and #6)… Oilers at #9. They haven’t played Toronto. In fact the only top 10 teams they’ve played and haven’t yet beat are the Rangers, Lightning, and Ducks. I’m not a kraken fan. Just pointing out an oversight
- Burnt_juice

Honestly one of the best games of the year was that Rangers game. Kraken lost but you can very easily say their goaltender literally STOLE that game. The Kraken were just dominant so if that repeats next time they meet, they should be able to beat them.

Solid news is Gio is back at practice and out of Covid protocol after missing the last 6 games (3-2-1 in his absence).

I’d expect Borgen out to make room in the lineup.

Jarnkrok back at practice but team just lost Blackwell to Covid Protocol.

Just cannot catch a break there. One back in Gio and one gone.

GAME ON VS JETS!

Here we go. Need a strong start tonight here at home and to get back to playing the right way. Gru back in and will see how he bounces back from that really bad game that saw him yanked.

Started out ok but then got running in their own end again. Not moving feet waiting for the pass to get them and nobody picking up the guy coming right in to take the pass. No real chance for Gru there on that one.

And just like that down 1-0 already

And DuBois off the post as Kraken just keep struggling to get the puck out of their own end and manage the game here Just bad turnovers and attention to the details.

Seattle catches a break and gets a PP there as Lowry called for tripping.

They've been better with the man advantage. Chance to really get something going and get the game tied up and negate the Jets momentum right now.

Why the hell is Jarnkrok on the powerplay?? Guy almost caused a breakaway. And now there is another chance a 2 on 1. Just brutal. Shaping up this could be a long damn night indeed.

Escaped the 1st 1-0 down and of course play better in the 2nd usually as is. Already pressing and looking much better here drawing toward the middle of the period here. Shots and hits all close now and getting some decent offensive zone chances. Just cannot get the real dangerous good chances on Helly there.

Bad penalty but then DuBois takes an interference on Big Rig and evens it out. A few nice chances but just cant get one past Helly here to tie this up.

End of 40 and really we just haven't been able to get some sustained set pressure for long periods of time. We aren't getting Helly moving in the net much and making it hard for him to make saves. Much better 2nd as always but need a real strong 3rd here to get this done.

Least Jets are playing hockey tonight and not doing the garbage from last game. Which I did expect given the pushback and heavier game they play.

Need to take Helly's eyes and keep getting to the net with traffic and generating tips and chances.

Well that was a frustrating night there. In it to the third and then giving up the pair and that just buried the Kraken. Around the net but no luck at all.

Tough hearing Gio post game say they were not quick enough, attention to detail etc. Same thing every game and even after two days of "intense practice" as Hakstol put it, they still were sloppy and off.

Rough one and getting shut out at home to a good Jets team is just a hard one to take.

Team has to figure this out as does the coaching staff.

Well that was a frustrating night there. In it to the third and then giving up the pair and that just buried the Kraken. Around the net but no luck at all.

Tough hearing Gio post game say they were not quick enough, attention to detail etc. Same thing every game and even after two days of "intense practice" as Hakstol put it, they still were sloppy and off.

Rough one and getting shut out at home to a good Jets team is just a hard one to take.

Team has to figure this out as does the coaching staff.
- Roadrunner75

The best thing is you don’t sugar coat stuff. Nice capsule of the game. The first time the Kraken played the Wild they moved their feet, beat the Wild to the puck and won board and one on one battles and the game. They have to blue collar it and outwork the other teams.Small margin of error for them with the talent disparity.

The best thing is you don’t sugar coat stuff. Nice capsule of the game. The first time the Kraken played the Wild they moved their feet, beat the Wild to the puck and won board and one on one battles and the game. They have to blue collar it and outwork the other teams.Small margin of error for them with the talent disparity.
- Minnyhock

Yeah I absolutely agree. They can play a very heavy grinding game, outwork their opponents. You look at who they have beaten and how they do it, they skate and move the puck quickly and sharply. They win board battles and faceoffs. When they don't skate and don't move the puck well they get into all sorts of trouble and lose their guys and get puck watching. It literally is a jeckyl and hyde team. It is frustrating in that sense because if they could be consistent night in and night out they'd be so much better off.

More and more I do not like Hakstol's structure and preparation. I don't know how you can have two days of "intense" practice and come out with that effort and just not get things done. The amount of odd man rushes they give up is just scary.

Yeah I absolutely agree. They can play a very heavy grinding game, outwork their opponents. You look at who they have beaten and how they do it, they skate and move the puck quickly and sharply. They win board battles and faceoffs. When they don't skate and don't move the puck well they get into all sorts of trouble and lose their guys and get puck watching. It literally is a jeckyl and hyde team. It is frustrating in that sense because if they could be consistent night in and night out they'd be so much better off.

More and more I do not like Hakstol's structure and preparation. I don't know how you can have two days of "intense" practice and come out with that effort and just not get things done. The amount of odd man rushes they give up is just scary.
- Roadrunner75

Hakstol was a great college coach. His strength was selecting and developing players. He had great assistants. I thought he did well in Philly with what they had. They had the worst set of D men in the NHL when he got there. But I was surprised that Francis chose him. I would tend to agree with your criticism of him. I’m wondering if the players are buying in. Being an expansion team it’s kind of a hodgepodge roster so a lot of guys may think they aren’t long as the team tries to get the right mix. We’ll see.

Up tonight its the Blue Jackets. Jackets have been struggling but then so have the Kraken since beating the Oilers. Last of the homestand.

Merzlinkins vs Gru in the net.

Here we go.

Well first 20 min were solid and team generated some great chances. They look back to the form versus Edmonton when they won. Merz has been very solid in the Jackets net.

And kicking off the second and going full bore right there so far, already just 3 min in and generating some really solid chances here. Of course that momentum goes poof with a Jackets PP here they now have to kill off.

And kill one and Wennberg careless with the stick and right back on the PK again here

Kill off both penalties and just like that when things look like they might escape they can't get momentum back an going again and Jackets bury two pretty quick and its 2-0 with 7 min left in the 2nd. Worse this is usually the Krakens best period. Not looking good here unless they can figure out Merz in net and get something past him here.

McCann!!!!! What a beauty!! Just bobbling puck put it on net and fools Merz!!

2-1 and back in this game here now. Now if they can just stay out of the box and get it going here like they usually do in the middle frame they should be able to maybe even tie this up before the end of the period.

Aaaaaaand Max Domin just ends that thought. 3-1 And add another one that was all sorts of smell there.... brutal, and refs rather missed an interference/cross check it looked like on Dunn to allow the whole thing to play out no less.

Yet another breakaway given up by the Kraken

4-1 after 40 minutes and just making mistakes, giving up the odd man and Gru has not bailed them out tonight. Last line of defence has been a bit soft again. Overall you can see the guys WANT to win, they just cant seem to stop shooting themselves in the foot here.

They are going to need a real strong and determined effort here in the 3rd if they want to have any chance of trying to tie this up even.

Donskoi off the backside of Schwartz and it is 4-2. Clawing their way back here. Hockey Gods gave them a bounce here now.


And GEEKIE!!!!!!!!!!

Back to back quick strikes and Geekie has us back within 1!!!!!

THERE IT IS!!! Larsson drawing them in over to Dunn and what a shot and we are TIED UP!! Just under 4 min left at that too!

C'mon Kraken! FINISH THEM!


Jake Bean nets the winner in OT there. Johansson screens Gru some and he picked that far side well there too

Least they came back and salvaged a point after a disaster of a 2nd period there. Man just a rough go of it tonight yet again with the self inflicted wounds.

Game day and kicking off the California swing versus the Sharks. Time to end the 3 game skid and take some much needed points from division rivals no less.

Need Gru at the top of his game. Dreidger is back so good news though in all honesty he has not been that stellar at all when in. He will get one of the back to backs vs Sharks or Ducks too.

Hoalies aside the team needs to start on time and play a full 60 focused and paying attention to the details. Skate and make the simple quick passes to get transitioning and stop the massive turnovers and giving up odd man rushes. The Kraken really have been their own worst enemy this season.

And couple weeks Kraken mascot unveiling to boot. This should be interesting.

Optimus Reim vs Dreidger. Not thrilled but likely better to have Gru in vs the Ducks and Zegras.

Game on and fingers crossed here.

Almost halfway, fast pace. Seattle getting chances and onlt a few good ones given up at all too.

So far been able to avoid and break up the Sharks offence and getting some decent ozone time.

D been shaken up. Gio with Lauzon. Dunn with Larsson. Oleksiak and Soucy. Interesting mix up for tonight.

Still no stops in play at all.

Almost halfway, fast pace. Seattle getting chances and onlt a few good ones given up at all too.

So far been able to avoid and break up the Sharks offence and getting some decent ozone time.

D been shaken up. Gio with Lauzon. Dunn with Larsson. Oleksiak and Soucy. Interesting mix up for tonight.

Still no stops in play at all.