One: Line ‘em Up
All Kraken fans were happy to see the look on Yanni Gourde’s when he scored his first goal of the year in Saturday’s win over the New York Islanders. He raised both arms and pressed his lips in an emphatic, OK, got that done. By the time linemates Brandon Tanev and Tye Kartye huddled in celebration, along with the defensive pair of Will Borgen and Josh Mahura, Yanni was smiling ear to ear. So great to see. Gourde’s line has been hot lately and, well, pretty much scorching on this homestand, with Tanev scoring four goals and adding two assists and Kartye nabbing a goal and two assists himself. But let’s focus on Gourde’s goal: Kartye swings the puck to Tanev behind the net, and the fan-fave No. 13 skates out to send a sharp angle shot on the net (repeat: puck on the net). The shot ricocheted off Gourde’s upper body and past Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.
It is worth noting that the 5-foot-9, 174-pound Gourde was muscling for space at the crease with 20-year-old NYI defenseman Isaiah George, who at 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds has the physical advantage but clearly not the Gourde guile. Kraken colleague Alison Lukan, in her highly informative Post-Game Instant Analysis posting after every Kraken game, pointed out after Saturday’s game “the Yanni Gourde line continued to lead the way. In 8:57 of ice time he, Brandon Tanev, and Tye Kartye were plus-16 (!) in shot attempts and generated 83.5-percent of all shot quality when they were on the ice.
More of that against the elite Eastern Conference NYR Sunday night, please (don’t forget the game starts at 6 p.m.). Plus, Andre Burakovsky looks in sync with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann on the nominal first line, with captain Jordan Eberle out for the weekend at the least. Look for more from that trio on Sunday.
Two: Back-to-Back: Grubi Return?
With another game starting 29 hours after the puck was dropped on Saturday’s fourth straight win on this six-game homestand (longest of the season), fans can anticipate Philipp Grubauer getting the start in goal. The Kraken need a two-goalie tandem as much as any other NHL club. Check back an hour before puck drop for any deviation from that proposed start for the affectionally known “Grubi.” Or is that “Gruuuuuubi”?
Three: Know the Foe: Rangers are 10-4-1 With Daunting Road Record
The Kraken will be facing off Sunday with an elite NYR squad that has compiled a 10-4-1 record to date but has been just 2-2-0 in the Original Six franchise’s last four home games. Trouble is, NYR is 5-1-0 on the road this season as the Rangers embark on a Pacific Division road trip that includes Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 23 points in 15 games. Also among the NYR worries: the New Yorkers’ power play success rate is a highly respectable 25.6 percent, and the Rangers PK shutdown rate is 88 percent.
