Kraken Film Room: Stephenson Getting the Job Done

When the Kraken added free agent Chandler Stephenson to the roster during the off-season, the expectation was that they were getting a strong two-way center whose skating and playmaking make him valuable in all situations and in all areas of the ice.

If you’ve watched Stephenson, you’ve seen his quick ability to read the play and react with creativity – especially with his passing. And that ability to create opportunity through his passes was on full display Wednesday when the Saskatoon native assisted on all three goals the Kraken scored, including the primary helper on the eventual game-winner scored by Daniel Sprong.

Let’s dig in.

It was just over four minutes into the second period when the Kraken got into the Predators’ zone and set up camp. First, Brandon Montour fired a shot at Juuse Saros in net.

The Nashville goaltender made the save but kicked the puck to his right where Sprong was ready to retrieve. He gathers the puck and draws the attention of the Predators’ skaters as he moves up the wall before sending a low-to-high pass back to Montour who is still at the top of the zone.

And the Kraken get ready to try again. This time, with a lot more traffic between the puck shooter (Montour) and Saros. Jamie Oleksiak remains an option should the Kraken want a D-to-D pass to try and stretch out the defense or to relieve pressure as Nashville’s Zachary L’Heureux (NSH 68) comes up to pressure Montour.

Montour waits out L’Heureux just long enough to shoot the puck directly under the Nashville forward’s stick to test Saros again through traffic.

Sprong, who had been tripped up earlier in the play, is now down on the ice, but he has the presence of mind to get his stick in the path of the rebound and send the puck behind the net.

Now it’s chaos. The Predators’ structure is being pulled apart as a series of puck battles behind the net and in the corner, bounce the puck up the left side boards once again.

This time, L’Heureux thinks he will get possession. And as the puck travels north for Nashville, it’s easy for the Preds to believe they are beginning a breakout…there’s only one Kraken player to beat!

Except that player is Brandon Montour.

And Montour is waiting when L’Heureux doesn’t corral the bouncing puck as it travels up the boards.

Montour is on his backhand. But that doesn’t matter. He bats the puck down, gains control, pauses for a split second to draw L’Heureux closer to him and then sends the puck net front.

Alexandre Carrier (NSH 45) and Brady Skjei (NSH 76) converge on the passing lane. They disrupt the puck’s angle but not enough to prevent the reception by Stephenson who is hanging out net front with a whole lot of space around him.

Now comes the real fun.

Stephenson is unencumbered in terms of going to the net.

But the better opportunity to get the puck in the net is to Stephenson’s right. Stephenson also knows that if he pulls Saros over into that space, that is going to open up the net to Stephenson’s left.

Meanwhile Sprong is back on his feet and driving to the front of the net as well.

Stephenson moves across the slot and moves the puck to his backhand, demanding that Saros follow him laterally to defend against the shot.

With the Nashville defense still playing catchup, Stephenson has effectively opened up the left side of the net for the crashing Sprong who has all the space in the world to shoot into as Stephenson sends a perfect pass across the slot to his teammate.

Sprong gets the puck on and off his stick with lightning speed and it’s 1-0 Kraken.

Stephenson sheaths his stick, Sprong recognizes the greatness of the pass, and both celebrate what would ultimately become the game-winning goal.

Now let’s watch it all unfold at game speed.

The Kraken created sustained pressure supported by increasing net front presence. They won the battles they needed to and when the puck got on the stick of an elite passer like Stephenson, the team was able to capitalize on the scoreboard before ultimately winning the game.