Most important about Monday’s Seattle Kraken-Winnipeg Jets game at Canada Life Centre wasn’t how it finished. It was who didn’t finish.
Shortly after Winnipeg took a 3-1 lead in a game they would win 6-2, Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer exited with a lower-body injury.
Grubauer’s freezing of the puck with 6:40 left in the 2nd period appeared benign, but the netminder skated directly to the dressing room. Joey Daccord played the final 26:05.
This site speculated about Grubauer’s future before the game, wondering if his solid play would solicit offers from contenders looking for a veteran understudy. Of immediate concern is Grubi’s ability to dress for Tuesday’s game at Grand Casino Arena against the Minnesota Wild.
If not, third goalie Matt Murray, who made the trip, will earn a sweater. As we speculated in the Kraken 9 story, might the coaching staff tab Murray to start? Risk is minimal; the NHL playoffs have fast faded over the Seattle horizon.
“There’s no golden answer,” defenseman Vince Dunn admitted in a postgame KHN interview. “It’s been hard, when guys aren’t feeling too great about the team game. I know the guys in the locker room are a tight group. We have to make sure to fix it.”
Time to do that is running out. Seattle has lost nine of its last 10 (1-7-2) and five in a row. The Kraken are six points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot with six games left.
Kraken Shorthanded Sorriness
See if you can notice the common circumstance on the first three Jets goals, from this NHL.com screengrab.
Seattle didn’t survive any of their three minor penalties. At below 72% success, the Kraken penalty kill is tied with the Vancouver Canucks for worst in the league.
“Special teams hurt us tonight,” said coach Lane Lambert, echoing comments from other post-Olympics losses. The coach said he was hoping for “more commitment” in the form of getting in shooting lanes.
Winnipeg wasn’t whistled for any fouls, raising the coach’s ire either at officials or his own team. “It was outrageous that you don’t get one power play, but we didn’t.”
Trial Separation
Dunn wasn’t given advance notice that he and longtime d-partner Adam Larsson would be split up against Winnipeg. That hadn’t happened with both available since late in Seattle’s expansion season of 2021-22.
“4 1/2 years with him,” Dunn said through a thousand-mile stare. “Definitely alarming when you walk into the rink today and you see that. Definitely very different.” Summoning his inner good teammate, Dunn added, “Whoever I’m paired with, I’m comfortable. I enjoyed playing with (Cale) Fleury tonight.”
Larsson’s new partner for at least one game was Ryker Evans. “I like Ryker’s game these days,” said Lambert. “He’s competing, he’s skating, he’s moving the puck. We’re seeing some good strides from a young (age 24) Ryker Evans.”
Pride Replacing Playoffs
“For me,” said Lambert, “It’s about pride right now. We have ownership that gives us everything that we need. We have a fan base that’s behind us all the way. We have to find a way to be professionals here.”
Kraken-Jets Game Notes
** One Jets goal ricocheted off the end glass. Another caught the skate of defenseman Ryan Lindgren. “It’s a lot of bounces not going our way,” said Dunn. “We let it slip away toward the end of the game. We paid for that. ”
** Lambert also cited bad bounces. “A little bit of anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. We’re not getting the breaks, but you make your own breaks, too.”
** Kraken goals came from Jordan Eberle (25th) in the 1st period, and Jared McCann (19th) in the 3rd.
** Over the final 40 minutes, the Jets outscored the Kraken 5-1 and outshot them 24-11.
** The coach’s nephew, Brad Lambert, scored the fourth Winnipeg goal. “He’s got skill, he’s got vision,” said uncle Lane, before reverting into Kraken coach Lambert. “We gave him too much space to take a shot, and he made good on it.”
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Easter Monday 9; Holy Goalie
