3 Game Essentials | Kraken (0-2-0) at Blues (0-0-1) | 5 p.m.

One: Playing Simple, Getting Shots on Net

Two games does not make a season or, in this case, even a road trip. The Kraken will have the opportunity to crack the win column against St. Louis. One former Blues star turned Kraken alternate captain, Jaden Schwartz, has some “simple” notions about how Seattle can score more goals, so far scarce with one Jared McCann marker to show over the first 120 minutes of the season.

“We’re getting looks, both games,” said Schwartz before boarding the team plane after Thursday's shutout in Nashville. “We’ve got to find some rebounds, not look for that extra pass or that cute play. Keep it simple.”

A significant number of quality scoring opportunities over the first two games resulted in open-look shots going wide and/or high. It’s easier said than done to put those shots on goal, of course, but Schwartz was willing to share insights: “You want to hit the net as much as can. At times, there's sticks in the way, there's bodies in the way. Every play is a little bit different. But definitely, we're getting Grade-A looks. We want to try not to look for that perfect shot, just make sure you're getting it on net and that allows second and third chances and get some ‘run-around’ a little bit."

Two: Going Fourth-Line

There were no updates on Brandon Tanev’s availability after Thursday’s game nor at Friday’s team practice in St. Louis. Check back on the Kraken app and website after Saturday’s morning skate for any further info.

In Tanev’s place, Tye Kartye played in his first official regular-season game Thursday, even working in the traditional solo lap afforded to first-time NHLers before the whole team takes the ice, despite Kartye scoring three goals and hitting any number of opponents in 10 Stanley Cup Playoffs games last spring. He played 12 shifts for a total of 8:44 in time on ice. He recorded three shots on goal to tie three veterans, the aforementioned Schwartz, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Andre Burakovsky for the team lead in Nashville. The 2022-23 American Hockey League rookie of the year logged two hits. His scoring touch and physical play are among the pivotal reasons why he made the current 22-man active roster.

“I liked Karts’ game tonight,” said Dave Hakstol post-game Thursday. “He didn't play a ton of minutes in the first couple of periods. But he had an impact and he did a pretty good job in some of the small areas. It’s tough to break down, give a lot of accolades on anything individual when you come out of a tough loss, but Karts did a good job.”

Hakstol added newcomer Pierre-Edouard Bellemare “did his job in terms of killing penalties.”

“That's where [Bellemare] needs to be good for us,” said Hakstol about a bright spot for the Kraken in the first two games, which included staving off 90-plus seconds of 5-on-3 play at the start of the second period. “Our penalty kill was good tonight, did the job, and gave us an opportunity.”

Three: Know the Foe: Blues Want Back in Playoffs

St. Louis, which won it all in 2019 with Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn on the roster, missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2017-18. St. Louis allowed 298 goals last season, the most in franchise history since the 1983-84 season. Goalie Jordan Binnington, a star performer in the Cup run, posted a career-worst .894 save percentage last season. But defensive corps issues and less production from young stars Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou didn’t help.

The Kraken appear to be headed to face a third straight hot goalie in Binnington, who made 33 saves in a shootout loss at Dallas to start the season, including an acrobatic stop on Dallas scoring star Jason Robertson on a late two-on-one in overtime.

Matt Duchene, who signed a one-year deal with Dallas over the summer, offered a Blues scouting report for Kraken fans tuning into Saturday’s home opener for St. Louis: “They’re a fast team, they’re stingy, they break out really well, they’re hard to forecheck, and they got great goaltending against us.”