Kraken (4-3-0) vs Jets (6-0-0) | 7:00 p.m.

One: SEA Forward Lines Reworked for Thursday’s Jets Arrival

About halfway through Tuesday’s hard-fought 3-2 loss to Colorado, Kraken coach Dan Bylsma decided to change up his forward-line combinations to generate more shots on goal and an overall spark at the offensive end. At Wednesday’s practice, all four Kraken lines remained altered, breaking up the so-called fourth line of alternate captain Yanni Gourde centering Tye Kartye and Brandon Tanev, that has notably been the energy line for Seattle with multiple high-quality scoring chances each game.

Kraken coach Dan Bylsma purposefully has not used any sort of numbering nomenclature when referring to his forward trios. Gourde will be centering wings Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, a line that developed chemistry and delivered goals last season. Matty Beniers, who has turned in strong games in all zones on this homestand, will rejoin linemates he has worked between in his first two seasons: captain Jordan Eberle (five goals in seven games) and Jared McCann (leading the team with nine points, scored his 100^th goal with the franchise Tuesday). Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz stay together (coaches like to retain pairs when they rework lines), with Brandon Tanev slotting at right wing. That leaves rookie center Shane Wright with Tye Kartye on the left wing and Andre Burakovsky (five assists) on the right side.

“We don't want to take away from how we played in the first period [Tuesday],’ said Bylsma, referencing it as the best 20 opening minutes played by his four-wins-in-seven-game squad. “But I think there's things we can do better from a team standpoint and an individual standpoint.”

Two: What to Watch Closer in the Defensive Zone

When asked about how he feels the Kraken defensive corps has performed in the D-zone in the absence of Vince Dunn (long-term injury reserve, can’t play any sooner than Nov.11), Bylsma offered something for fans to scout when watching Thursday night at Climate Pledge Arena or tuning in on Kong and/or Prime Video. “If you set up a perfect scenario [to defend and exit the zone] for your team, we've been really good at those. The ones after a [Seattle] turnover or after the poor [puck] execution, then you're reacting and scrambling a little bit. That's where we broke down.”

Three: Know the Foe- Winnipeg Has Opened with Six Straight Wins

The visiting Jets touch down in Seattle with an unblemished record of six victories (four regulation, two overtime) under new head Scott Arniel, an assistant with Washington the last four seasons after a season-and-a-half as Columbus head coach. His team is red-hot, with the second-highest goal differential (+17) in the league. Kyle Connor has scored in his four games and has five total, same as veteran Mark Scheifele (5 G, 4 A). Young forward Cole Perfetti has notched an assist in each of the team’s first six games. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck has five wins and has already been named one of the NHL’s Top 3 Players of the Week, and his backup Eric Comrie made 39 saves in a 6-3 comeback win over Pittsburgh.