It’s theirs to keep.
Entering action against the Canucks on Monday, the Kraken, based on winning percentage, are in an NHL playoff spot. They’ve played two fewer games than the team they’re chasing in the 2nd Western Conference wild card position, the Sharks, and have a .528 win percentage compared to San Jose’s .513.
It’s December 29th. It’s 36 games into their 82 game schedule. Mark it down, because if Seattle doesn’t make the playoffs, one can’t say they didn’t have a chance to control their own destiny. Right now they do.
There’s a little magic working for Seattle these last four games, particularly noticeable between line mates Eeli Tolvanen and Chandler Stephenson. The two combined for three goals in the 3rd period on Sunday evening in the 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Climate Pledge Arena.
Tolvanen has a six-game point streak going, including multi-point games in three of his last four. Stephenson has points in ten of his last eleven games.
The other name that jumps out is Philipp Grubauer. He’s played himself into a 1A, 1B starting goaltending rotation with Joey Daccord. Kraken head coach Lane Lambert has no choice but to play him. Both goalies have won recently and “Grubi” in particular has found rare form.
The Seattle power play is also more consistent, with goals in five of the last six games in which they had an opportunity.
Keep it going.
Oddly enough, when dramatically out-shooting opponents, the Kraken couldn’t win. Now they’ve won four games in a row when being out-shot. It’s all about quality at one end and goaltending at the other.
Remember the doldrums just two weeks ago as the club lost eight of nine games to start the month of December? Lambert said, “We have to find our way through it.”
That’s simply the nature of most NHL seasons for a great majority of teams. The highs and lows are frequent and at times they seem to last forever.
Seattle will try to ride this positive wave as long as humanly possible.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken, Canucks 9 Holiday Wishes
