One: Forward Line Chemistry Times Three
Following the Kraken’s decisive win over Utah Monday, Dan Bylsma evaluated his team’s best forward line to be the trio of Matty Beniers centering wings Jaden Schwartz and new guy Kaapo Kakko. After practice on New Year’s Day, the Seattle head coach reaffirmed the Beniers line has, in fact, been the team’s best over the last three games, including the two wins since returning from the holiday break.
The emerging and pretty much instant chemistry has resulted in six goals and six assists from that line in the three games. Better yet, it solidifies the Kraken line formations with Yanni Gourde reunited with wings Brandon Tanev and Tye Kartye (a trio Bylsma praised as the team’s most consistent/best when together earlier this season). Since his return from a three-game healthy scratch segment, rookie center Shane Wright and linemates Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen have similarly been deemed the best line in certain games.
The remaining line combo is center Chandler Stephenson between Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky (the latter in and out of the lineup, missing one of the wins with an illness).
“I think [the Beniers line] is only going to continue to get better,” said Bylsma Wednesday. “And that means we have four lines that can be effective, shift after shift, night after night. That’s when we are at our best.”
Two: Going to the Defensive: Puck Management, Grubauer in Goal
Bylsma made a point in his post-practice media meetup to note that puck management (getting clean defensive zone exits, no turnovers in the neutral and/or entering the offensive end) is essential to the best defensive play for his squad. Otherwise, the team is playing “transition defense, which is the hardest to defend,” as the opponents are rushing up ice, and all five Kraken skaters have to react quickly rather than control the play. Bylsma said puck management has been better but still needs to be a focus in the important division games against Vancouver on Thursday and Calgary on Saturday.
Bylsma said Joey Daccord is still day-to-day with an upper body injury (a bruise not fully healed to allow him to play his position) and indicated the Kraken goalie would be backing up against Vancouver. Phillip Grubauer will get his third straight start for the first time this season.
“Grubi’s best hockey has been played [since he returned from a week-long injury of his own],” said Bylsma. He's played a couple of great games where he has kept us in it, made some huge saves, and kept us in it the whole way. It’s great to see us get him some wins because early on the season, he was playing solid in the net and not getting the result.”
Three: Know the Foe: Vancouver Still Missing Hughes, Pettersson
Vancouver will no doubt be motivated to reverse the outcome against Seattle after last Saturday’s dramatic overtime win, a game that feels like a rivalry revved up to new heights with chippy play threading through the drama. The Canucks are 10-4-2 in road games, but it should be noted VAN (first in the Western Conference wild-card race) is missing its top scorer, defenseman Quinn Hughes (10 goals, 32 assists) and first-line forward Elias Pettersson, another top scorer who opponents must game-plan. Thursday’s rematch and the Saturday home contest with Calgary (third in the wild-card standings) are games with a potential four-point swing in the standings each night. “It’s now a race to the bye week [in February],” said Kraken D-man Brandon Montour said after practice. “These are big games coming up.”
