Kraken (21-19-10) at Flyers (27-19-6) | 4:00 p.m.

One: Shake Off the Rust

It’s been ten days since the Kraken last played a game. The combination of the All-Star break plus the bye week have given the team a well-earned period of rest that can be of great benefit to a group that gutted out the last eight games battling against injury and illness. The hope is, of course, that this has been a period of recovery for both mind and body for the Seattle skaters.

But, as we can all probably identify with, coming back from any kind of vacation can take a few minutes of extra effort to get back to your best level of effort.

Versus the Flyers, Seattle is going to have to shake off any lingering rust early. Points are at a premium for the Kraken who are making a solid case to be in the playoff picture, and they are facing a Philadelphia team that has already had two games to tune up their play after the break. To help everyone get back to “game speed,” the Kraken flew to Philly on Thursday and have some solid practice already under their belt.

“We’ve worked extremely hard over the last few months to put ourselves in a position where (after the break) it’s going to be a sprint to the finish from there,” Dave Hakstol said after the team’s last game in San Jose. “It’s a 32-game playoff hunt (now), and for that, I want our guys to . . get a little rest and come back with a good mindset.”

Two: Man Down – Energy Up

Special teams are always an area of opportunity – stop your opponent’s power play and you kill a little of their momentum; score when you have an extra skater and make a mark on the scoreboard while grabbing some momentum of your own.

Versus this opponent, both sides of special teams will be critical. First, on the penalty kill -

the Flyers have just one power play goal in their last five games (across 13 opportunities) and their overall season conversion rate ranks second to last in the league. This could be the right time for the Kraken penalty kill to get back to its December and early January form (it gave up at least one goal in five of the last nine games headed into the break).

On the other side of things, the power play will need to be sharp in every detail of execution.

The Flyers’ penalty kill isn’t just second best In the NHL right now in terms of preventing goals against, it’s also best at scoring goals when playing a skater down (12 short-handed goals is the most of any team this season). The Flyers have a short-handed goal not just in their last game, but also in the game in Seattle on Dec. 29. Not giving a lethal “power kill” any chance is crucial.

Three: Know the Opponent – Flyers

The last time the Kraken faced off against Philadelphia, it took extra time to decide the outcome with Justin Schultz scoring the game-winner in overtime. Seattle can expect another fierce battle against a team that plays fast and aggressive and is currently in a playoff spot (third in the Metropolitan division). After gutting through a five-game losing streak to head into the All-Star break, the Flyers have won their last two games against Florida and Winnipeg allowing just one goal against in each matchup.

And expect a motivated Flyers squad tonight. Even though Philadelphia beat the Jets 4-1, their head coach John Tortorella wasn’t pleased with the team’s overall effort even though Travis Konecny earned the second Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist, and a fight) of his career.

Tactically – on the defensive side, the Kraken will need to be ready for the Flyers’ speed. They are currently tied for first in the league in scoring chances off the rush (404, all situations) and have the most breakaway shot attempts of any NHL team this season (49).