Not Backing Down

Kraken forward John Hayden didn’t mince words when talking about the fortitude displayed by teammates during rougher moments of Tuesday night’s preseason contest in Vancouver.

The Kraken, all night long, had matched the Vancouver Canucks check-for-check and literally punch-for-punch in a high-intensity game befitting what’s shaping into an entertaining regional rivalry. And Hayden, as usual, had his 6-foot-3, 223-pound frame right in the middle of things.

“It seemed like we sort of had a pack mentality all night,” Hayden, 29, said after Wednesday’s workouts at Kraken Camp, pres. by Starbucks. “Which is good to see.”

The Kraken have wanted to show increased pushback when physically challenged by opponents. And they’ve found plenty in their first two preseason games against Calgary and Vancouver, where players haven’t backed down an inch.

“I think everything just happens pretty quick out there,” Hayden said. “So, back to the mentality. It’s sort of like you just go in there and help your buddies out. That’s just kind of the way it is. And I thought everyone did a great job of it.

“It seemed like there were a bunch of scrums and five guys in it.”

It helps that the Kraken added top free-agent defenseman Brandon Montour, a player unafraid of physical play and of dropping his gloves when needed. During one third period sequence Tuesday, Montour and Hayden both got into it with towering Canucks defender Tyler Myers during one such scrum.

Hayden also had a first period fight with 6-foot-6, 214-pound Canucks wing prospect Vilmer Arliksson after he’d sent Logan Morrison flying into the boards with a potentially dangerous hit. Later, as the second period was ending, Kraken defenseman Will Borgen went after Conor Garland with a hit up against the glass, drawing Nils Hoglander and then Myers into a fresh new scrum.

The Kraken had also been aggressively pounding away on veteran defenseman Mark Friedman with checks all night, finally resulting in a third period punch-up between him and Brandon Tanev. It often doesn’t matter much who wins or loses such bouts – just that players show up for them so opponents don’t sense weakness and start taking liberties without fear of retribution.

Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma was pleased with the pushback seen from his players in a game with intensity more akin to battles seen deep in the regular season.

“We want our team to have a mentality of getting into the fight,” Bylsma said. “And when you do that, it means your jerseys are back-to-back and you’re all in it together – one through 23.”

Bylsma tread carefully when asked about his players carrying leftover emotions into Friday night’s quick turnaround rematch between the two squads at Climate Pledge Arena.

“I think you want to present on the ice as an ultra-competitive team,” Bylsma said. “And you want the other team to know it as well. And that means there should be some anticipation about the next game and playing the same team again.”

The point both Bylsma and Hayden were making can be summarized thusly: The best NHL teams often tend to be the ones willing to literally fight for one another.

Hayden, an eight-year pro and mainstay on Bylsma-coached Coachella Valley Firebirds AHL teams during runs to the Calder Cup Final the past two seasons, said they also had a pack mentality of wanting “to be there for each other” when things got rough. Beyond working those seasons on skating and puck-handling with Firebirds’ coaches, Hayden’s goal was to continue to “bring energy” to every shift he’s on.

The Kraken have long been impressed with Hayden’s energy, which is why he’s been called up in each of the last two seasons. He’s battling for a fourth line role and his added dimension of toughness will again get him a very long look.

“For me, it’s been the same the last two years – that’s the way we’ve played, it’s the way Dan (Bylsma) expected us to play,” Hayden said. “Just compete. It starts with competing. And I think the rest of the stuff sort of takes care of itself.”

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