4/18/23
by Danny DeBock
It only took two years in the National Hockey League, the Seattle Kraken are playoff bound thanks to one of the more unprecedented seasons in NHL history. After finishing 3rd to dead last in the league last year, the Kraken astonished pundits all across the league with a 100 point season. For their efforts they now face the defending champions in Colorado Avalanche in a series that features a collision between the past of Seattle and Colorado playoff history, the present of the careers of skaters and netminders adding to their legacy, and the dawn of a new future for the league’s youngest franchise.
Coming in this season, all eyes were gazed on what level of excellence rookie Matty Beniers can provide for Seattle. The second overall pick of last season displayed spurts of excellence near the end of the previous year’s regular season, scoring 3 goals and 9 points. For Beniers, centering the first line comes as little to know surprise, however his linemates may come as a little bit of a surprise. One of the main elder statesmen on the Kraken is Jordan Eberle, having been drafted high by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2008 draft, the leadership he exudes is displayed in his 20 goals and 63 assists on the season. But if there is one key star on that first line that stands out above the rest, it is the biggest surprise of the season in Jared McCann. McCann who served as a reject from the Pittsburgh Penguins exceeded all expectations by becoming the first 40 goal scorer in franchise history. A number no one expected from a journeyman like McCann. Another catalyst to the Kraken’s stellar regular season campaign comes thanks to their defense pairing of Vince Dunn and Adam Larson. Dunn proved himself this season as a top 10 defenseman in the league having a career year in goals and pts (14 g, 64 pts). This combination on the offensive end was key in proving Seattle with a goals for average of 3.52 good for 5th in the league. For the goaltending perhaps a little more of a question for a Kraken, Martin Jones having more higher peaks in his performance to returning netminder Philipp Grubauer. An injury for Jones in the last week of the season vs Chicago has opened the door for Grubauer to face his former team, a team where he was a Vezina (best goalie) finalist his last season with the Avalanche before venturing to the Emerald City. Before putting the first-round matchup underneath the microscope, let’s take a look back at the Kraken’s season’s key moments.
October 21 (Kraken 3 Avalanche 2)
This was the first sign of a potentially special team. After starting the season 1-2-2, the Kraken were a team looking to find their identity, and what better way to set the tone for the season with a road victory against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Although the Avalanche were riddled with injuries, Karson Kuhlman played the role of hero and guided the Kraken to victory courtesy of his 3rd period goal. This game may also be remembered as the game where Philipp Grubauer suffered an injury that set the stage for offseason acquisition Martin Jones to take center stage in the cage for Seattle. Jones only made one save in the final near 10 minutes of play and the Kraken left Mile High with a valuable two points in the standings.
October 29 (Kraken 3 Penguins 1)
If you were told at the end of the year one of these teams would make the playoffs and the other would be out on the golf course, you would believe it would be the Penguins extending their professional sports leading 16 consecutive postseason appearances. However, it was the Kraken notching a valuable victory thanks to the efforts of netminder Martin Jones, performing well in relief for Philipp Grubauer. The Kraken would ignite to a five game winning streak thanks to the work of Martin Jones netminding the Kraken cage.
November 17 (Kraken 3 Rangers 2 (OT))
Statement games in a season are hard to come by, but this was definitely one of them. Welcoming the defending Eastern Conference runnerups, a team the Kraken in their short lived history had never beaten, the Kraken thanks to overtime winning goal by defenseman Justin Schultz and a 28 save performance by Martin Jones, the Kraken bested the Rangers and former goalie of the year Igor Shesterkin in a momentum building win.
November 23 (Kraken 8 Sharks 5)
The Matty Beniers breakout game. The rookie centerman chipped in for a goal and two assists while Jaden Schwartz tallied two goals with the Kraken setting a team record for goals in a game with 8 in a thrilling victory against the hapless Sharks. Martin Jones although he allowed 5 goals, earned the victory against his former team.
November 29 (Kraken 9 Kings 8 (OT))
Fans of any sport alike would love this kind of game, coaches despise a showcase like this. For the Kraken’s sake, the offense showed up and showed up aplenty. Matty Beniers, Jared McCann, and Andre Burakovsky all scored two goals in the game, with Burakovsky’s power play goal in OT proving to be the game winner. The 17 goals fell four short of the NHL record. Although the Kraken gave a porous defensive performance, the offense was able to provide affluently in a rare nine goal effort.
December 1 (Kraken 3 Capitals 2 (OT))
The final three minutes of any NHL game can be the most frantic in all of sports, and that is what unfolded one game after the wild 17 goal OT win over the Kings. Yanni Gourde scoreds with less than three minutes to go to tie the veteran Washington Capitals. Although time is a concept many of us can use more of, don’t tell that to Matty Beniers, he needed all, but seven seconds into the overtime period to notch the game winning goal past Darcy Kuemper to send the Kraken to their team record seventh win in a row.
December 30 (Oilers 7 Kraken 2)
December drew the sign of a hibernation of Kraken hockey, where the team from the deep dropped 8 of 11 games in one stretch punctuated by a throttling courtesy of the Edmonton Oilers, by the time fans started to settle into their seats, the Oilers led 3-0. This game began to cause serious doubt of the potential of this second year expansion team.
January 1 (Kraken 4 Islanders 1)
If you are going to end a losing streak, it must be halted by a winning streak of at least one, that one win the Kraken got to ring in the new year, with waiver acquisition Eeli Tolvanen scoring the eventual game winner. Martin Jones did not have a busy night, but performed well saving 18 shots in the Seattle win. The Kraken would next embark on a seven game east coast road trip.
THE ROAD TRIP
January 3 (Kraken 5 Oilers 2)
48 seconds into the second period, the Kraken trailed a high octane Oilers team 2-0, but unlike Edmonton’s recent trip to Climate Pledge, responded with a four goal barrage in the second period.
January 5 (Kraken 5 Maple Leafs 1)
The hallowed grounds of Toronto. Home of the legendary Toronto Maple Leafs, a tradition that is enshrined in the minds of generations and generations of hockey fans not only locally in Ontario, but also around the world. One of the strongest cup contenders every season nobody messes with Lea…the Kraken did not care one iota. Facing another potent offensive juggernaut, it was the second period again that seized momentum for the Kraken, a 3 point night from Vince Dunn, which proved to be his breakout game. The Kraken recorded their franchise’s first ever victory over Toronto and carried their road rampage on to the next victim. The Kraken would continue their road trip by scoring eight goals against the Ottawa Senators and shutting out the Montreal Canadiens and outscored a top five offense in the Buffalo Sabres upping their road win streak to 5 games.
January 12 (Kraken 3 Bruins 0)
If there was an NHL version of the ’96 Bulls or ’72 Dolphins, that team would be this year’s Boston Bruins. Recording the most points in NHL history with 135, and breaking home and road records for a team along the way. One of the records that stood the test of time was their home point streak record. The Bruins had yet to lose in regulation at TD Garden until the Kraken invaded the Garden. Martin Jones stopped all 27 of the shots he saw against the best team in the league while the Kraken upped their road win streak to the six games, seven combined victories in a row, tying a team record. After being in shadows of national attention, Seattle earned its most signature win of the year against the NHL’s best.
January 14 (Kraken 8 Blackhawks 5)
Seven game road trips do not happen often, what’s even rarer is winning all seven games in a row. A feat that had never been achieved in the NBA or NHL. After 14 minutes of play and a 6-1 lead for the visitors in the Windy City, the Kraken cruised into sports immortality, with a legendary road trip punctuated by an offensive spree including a hat trick from Jared McCann.
January 25 (Kraken 6 Canucks 1)
Geographically, the Kraken’s rival was bound to be the Vancouver Canucks to the north. The Kraken were winless all time against the Vancouver Canucks, the Kraken put that streak to bed. Eeli Tolvanen tallied two goals and Martin Jones saved 19 of 20 Canucks shots to record the first Kraken victory over Vancouver.
March 5 (Kraken 3 Avalanche 2 (OT))
After a sluggish February facing growing pains, the Kraken concluded a Midwest road trip with an overtime victory thanks to Yanni Gourde. Brandon Tanev scored the tying goal with 2:30 left in regulation to keep the Kraken afloat. Philipp Grubauer earned the win making 21 saves in the win.
March 21 (Kraken 5 Stars 4 (OT))
In what was shaping to be a potential playoff preview, the Kraken faced a Dallas Stars team they had yet to solve this season. The Stars thanks to Jamie Benn’s tying goal with one second left sent the wild Texas battle to overtime, but it was Adam Larson on a breakaway beating Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger to hand Seattle a confidence building 5-4 win. A true confidence builder for the growing playoff hopes.
March 25 (Kraken 7 Predators 2)
In a must win game for Kraken, with the Predators gunning for their playoff spot, Seattle utilized a familiar former Predator in Eeli Tolvanen, his two goals gave the Kraken a 3-1 lead going into the third period, but after Nashville pulled within one, the Kraken anchored by their top line, torched Nashville netminder Juuse Saros, running away with the third period in a 7-2, Kraken win, leading to the playoffs very much within sight.
April 6 (Kraken 4 Coyotes 2) *Playoffs Clinched!!!
The story finally came full circle. Against a team that previously had rumors of moving to Seattle, instead it was a new expansion franchise, having given birth in the Pacific Northwest that sealed the deal thanks to once again a great second period scoring output. The first line starred for Seattle each scoring a goal with Jared McCann opening the scoring, Jordan Eberle capitalizing off a Coyotes miscue, and Matty Beniers with the silencer to Arizona’s hopes of spoiling the Seattle party. Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 of 29 Coyotes shots to send Seattle to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
About the Avalanche
A team in January that was out of the playoff picture in January, the Avalanche put together another resurgent year to place themselves back firmly in the playoff chase with another division title. The defending Stanley Cup champions may have a different look compared to last year’s championship team. One of the most notable omissions is Gabriel Landeskog, who has been out all year with an injury he suffered in last season’s Stanley Cup victory against Tampa Bay. This is the third straight postseason where Colorado will bring out a new starting goaltender. Two years ago, it was now Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer in net for the Avs, last year it was Darcy Kuemper, and now this year it is, Alexandar Georgiev. Georgiev is tied for the league lead with Boston goalie Linus Ullmark for the most wins this season for a goalie. But the strength of Colorado is on their offense. Nathan MacKinnon is without a shadow of a doubt, the team’s most talented superstar. MacKinnon jumped on the stage as a rookie and has not looked back, becoming a household name, and finally winning a Stanley Cup last year. A few other stars stand out for the Avs, including Mikko Rantanen who achieved the rare feat of a 50 goal season this year, the benchmark for goal scorers in the modern era. Valeri Nichushkin, when healthy has been a scoring machine for Colorado, and should not go unmentioned, a deep Colorado run must feature help from number 13. One of the key points of this series for the Avalanche is the defensemen. Last year it was Cale Makar the exciting d-man for the Avs who came away with the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP last year. Makar’s season this year has been blanketed with injuries, if he can return, the Avs will be in great position to repeat.
Seattle vs Colorado History:
The rivalry between Seattle and Colorado could not run deeper. The Seahawks first playoff game came against the Broncos in the 1983 Wild Card Game, won by Seattle in a rout 31-7. Not to mention the Seahawks played with Denver in the AFC West for 25 years before realigning to the NFC West. And of course who could forget Super Bowl XLVIII, where Seattle silenced Peyton Manning’s Broncos in a 43-8 thumping. The basketball side leaves not so fonder memories for Sonics fans, although the Sonics beat Denver in the 1978 Conference Finals, the rivalry is best remembered for the 1994 upset by the eighth seeded Nuggets over a top notched 1 seed in Seattle. The Sounders also have beaten the Colorado Rapids in all their postseason encounters too, including en route to their first championship in 2016.
What to expect this series:
Grubauer revenge series
One of the largest points of intrigue will be how will Phillip Grubauer respond to playing his old team. Every playoff run with the Avalanche ended in heartbreak for Grubauer and the first netminder in Kraken history is looking to change the narrative of his time as a starting goalie. Does the narrative of playing against your former team bring extra motivation? Or does Colorado’s experience with the German netminder playing in Colorado lead to a lopsided series?
Nathan MacKinnon on a mission
One of the most fast and quick players in the league, Nathan MacKinnon’s playoff run last year was overshadowed by the excellence of Cale Makar, with #29 taking a back seat during the playoff run, look for Nathan MacKinnon to be heavily involved this series against Seattle.
Pace and plenty of it
Regular season pace in the NHL is nowhere near the intensity of a seven game postseason series. An 82 game season can lead to teams not throwing everything they have, why? Because there is no sense burning out middle of the year with so many games to play. The playoff however, is a dead heat with one team to win 4 games. The pace and intensity of a playoff series in the NHL is unlike any other sport, and the entertainment value will be guaranteed to have drama throughout every game.
Who wins?
In Seattle sports history, every big 4 franchise won their first playoff round, the Sonics (1975, over Detroit in 3 games), the Seahawks (1983 over Denver 31-7 in the AFC Wild Card), and who can forget the Mariners (1995 ALDS in 5 games over the Yankees). The Seahawks and Mariners would go on to reach the semifinals of their playoff tournaments. Can the Kraken reach the semifinals? They have the talent to go that deep, but let’s not look ahead of ourselves, Colorado are the defending cup champions for a reason, great offensive weapons and a great netminder in Georgiev, Seattle responding with offensive weapons of their own thanks to their depth. Seattle has proved the doubters wrong all year, many pundits forsee Seattle losing in 5 to 6 games. The knowledge Philipp Grubauer has having played for Colorado will give head coach Dave Hakstol a level of insight in preparation to this series. The adage in playoff hockey is that a team is never in trouble until a team loses at home, this series may be different, with how the Kraken have 6 more wins on the road (26) to their home victories. Can the Kraken steal one of the first two games in Denver will be a tell tale sign on the length of this series. The Kraken have not lost this season in Denver (2-0-0), but the playoffs are vastly different. This will be a hard-fought series one way or the other. The Kraken depth will decide this series, and with the excellence they have displayed this year, they will come through to achieve history yet again.
Prediction: Kraken in 7
