One: Getting Back in the Win Column, Part 1
LAS VEGAS – Mid-month, Kraken GM Ron Francis sat down with KHN’s John Forslund in another segment of our “From the Front Office” series. Francis liked the way the Seattle squad was playing in early December. As the Kraken look to get back to the win column via the style of play that earned nine of a possible 12 points in the previous half-dozen games, let’s review Francis’ comments:
“I like the way we're playing in the last two weeks. That's more our identity. We’re rolling everybody [four lines, three defensive pairs]. We're working hard, we're battling hard, and we're finding ways to win hockey games; that's what we have to do every night ... I thought the game in Carolina was one of our best games of the season. We came out right from the start, and we were skating and hustling and playing the system well and playing it hard.”
Forslund queried Francis about sitting out players as healthy scratches, including rookie Shane Wright and veterans Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky: “We've had to do that a few times this year. It’s not something you like to do, but accountability is a big part of a successful hockey team and knowing that your teammates can count on you is important to having a winning team, and that's what we're trying to establish here.”
Two: Getting Back in the Win Column, Part 2
Oliver Bjorkstrand and Ryker Evans teamed up for the Kraken’s lone goal Thursday night, with “The Maestro” sending a crisp pass to Evans, whose second-lunge after speeding to open ice toward the back-door side of the net cut the third-period deficit to one goal with ample time remaining to notch a tying goal. Both players talked to the media post-game, focusing on getting better as a team rather than re-living the goal.
“We had a push in the third [period],” said Bjorkstrand, “ideally, we come out strong in the first to dictate the game a little bit more. We didn't look too good in the first and even the second period. “We’ve got to find a way to be better, to find a way to create positivity in our game, and find a way to get pucks behind [opponents in the offensive zone].”
Getting pucks deep in the Vegas zone will be a vital objective on Saturday. When interviewed by KHN personality Piper Show during Thursday’s first intermission, alternate captain Yanni Gourde was direct in saying playing fast – the style urged by the coaching staff – is an absolute must in every game: “We need to put [the puck] deep and go to work. We have to trust our structure.”
“When you're down like this, it'll come,” said Evans, who now has four goals on the season and no question has an offensive upside (he and Matty Beneirs both have 17 points, fifth highest amount among the Kraken). “We just need to focus on the details and execute. Everything should kind of fall into place ... we’ve got great goal scorers on this team.”
Three: Know the Foe: Vegas Has Won Six of Last Seven Games
Division rival Vegas will be a challenging test for the Kraken’s attempt to end a three-game losing streak. VGK has the best winning percentage in the Western Conference at .703, with a 21-8-3 record and a home record of 12-3-0. Veteran forward Ivan Barbashev leads the home squad in goals with 15 goals, just four behind his total over 82 games last year. He’s on pace to put his career-high of 28 goals with St. Louis in 2021-22 in the distant rear-view mirror. Jack Eichel continues to make Vegas look smart acquiring him; he has 42 points to date, including 33 assists.
