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##### One: Powering Up as Series Goes Long
Here we are Kraken fans, looking squarely at a six- or seven-game Stanley Cup Playoffs series with the defending champion Colorado Avalanche, a franchise that has won three Cups since 1996. We all know Seattle was a hockey town before Monday night's overtime thriller proved the same to North America with none-louder-in-NHL noise, a clutch overtime goal from franchise stalwart Jordan Eberle (the player GM Ron Francis seems to check in with the most on road trips) and, well, the crescendo of boos every time Colorado superstar-defenseman-turned-villain Cale Makar is a hockey opera fans in attendance will rave about for years.
Eberle and fellow alternate captain Jaden Schwartz were jumping up and down on the ice after Eberle scored the game-winner like the kids they both were when breaking into the league. A bit later, talking to the media in composed manners, the two forwards acknowledged scoring on the power play twice Monday (first period and overtime) is a trend they would like to continue in an attempt to post the biggest upset of these playoffs, no matter who plays who from here out.
It's kind of been a sore spot for us in the series so far as producing with the man advantage," said Eberle, who spoke to a standing-room-only press conference. "I know we got one [power play goal] late last game [the Game 3 6-4 loss]. Maybe that kickstarted up to get one early in tonight's game and then obviously the winner [in OT]."

Eberle said special teams' play is especially important early in the first round of the postseason "when you see all the penalties being called through all the games," a pattern he says is common throughout his years of appearing in the playoffs.
"We have to do a better job," said Eberle, who explained the Kraken stopped being a "little too cute on the power play and looked to simplify."Special teams are going to be a big part of the series going forward."
Entering Monday night zero-for-10 in the series on power play chances, Schwartz offered concrete why the man-advantage efforts paid dividends: "We were making the right reads to see where the pressure was from Colorado penalty kills] and finding the open guy. And we were taking good shots at the right moments."
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##### Two: Makar Sits for Game 5
Following Monday's game, Colorado defenseman and 2022 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar insisted Kraken counterparts would have made the same hit he made on Jared McCann if the situation was reversed. But no Kraken player responded to the claim on Tuesday's off-day, choosing to let their career-team-high hits in Monday's win do the talking. Teammates definitely reached out to McCann to wish him a speedy recovery but the coaching staff and team (and no doubt McCann) insisted their focus arriving in Denver was to pull ahead in the series Wednesday at Ball Arena.
Like many hockey fans, during his post-game press conference after Game 4, Colorado head coach Jared Bedanr speculated since Makar's penalty was reduced from a five-minute major to a two-minute minor, he assumed his star D-man wouldn't face supplemental discipline. Not the case: The NHL Player Safety department announced Makar was suspended from Game 5 of this hard-fought first-round matchup for his hit and interference penalty.
##### Three: Blocked Shots, Hit and Playoff Intensity
The Kraken set a franchise record Monday with 52 hits, led by Eeli Tolvanen (eight), Brandon Tanev (six) and Yanni Gourde (five) among forwards and Adam Larsson (seven) and Jamie Oleksiak (six) in the defensive corps. Tolvanen skating back into the defensive zone to separate superstar Nathan MacKinnon late in regulation stands out.
Seattle added 26 shot blocks compared to 18 for the defending champs with Oleksiak (seven) and Larsson (four) topping the list. Those stats up the disrupting and at times frustrating a high-scoring opponent, plus generating team camaraderie.
"Shot blocks and hits are important parts of playoff hockey," said Kraken D-man Vince Dunn. "It builds confidence in our team, shows we are taking care of each other, willing to sacrifice for each other."
Dunn said after an intentionally physical play in Game 1 (also a win), the Kraken refocused on hits: "I think it creates momentum and more space for us to make plays."