Kraken's Opening Week 4-In-6 Is A Bear

Talk about a tone-setter. The Kraken’s opening weekend/week is a bear. Fresh legs coming out of summer will help, but the same could be said for the opponents. Seattle opens with three games in four nights; a total of four games in six.

Seattle opens on the road in Calgary against the Flames on October 1st. This is a battle between two teams projected to finish in the bottom-four of the Pacific Division. Must win situation? I ask that with tongue firmly in cheek.

It is an important one; the first of 84 games in the NHL’s new expanded schedule.

The Flames are in a scattered rebuild, trying to get their act together to a certain extent before opening their new building for the 2027-’28 season.

Two days later the Kraken visit Edmonton for a late afternoon Sunday matinee against the Oilers. These guys would be more of the “division favorite” ilk, especially under the watchful eye of new head coach Mike Babcock. Seattle has not fared well against Connor McDavid and company in the past.

The next night the Kraken host the Flames for the home opener at Climate Pledge Arena. The fans will be in a joyous mood regardless of how the first two games went.

After a day off, Seattle hosts the Stanley Cup runners-up from last season and champions from 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights. As Mr. Dreyfuss of PNH pointed out earlier today, the Kraken aren’t intimidated by the men from “the fortress” down south.

It will however be a strong early test and it’ll wrap up a four game in six-night challenge.

Where will they stand? Hell, there’s still 80 more to go.

They would have to completely screw the pooch over the opening weekend to be in the process of burying themselves. Plus, that’s unlikely to happen because the first two weeks of the season are wacky. Systems and coaching won’t completely sink in yet and the scores and results will be unpredictable.

Maybe Seattle will go 3-0-and-1.

It’ll be fun, but it’ll be a bear.