Surging In Seattle

By: Mike Rifkin

Most NHL teams have hit the halfway point of their schedule. If they haven’t yet, they are close. One of the best stories of the first half of the season is the play of the second-year Seattle Kraken. Last season the Kraken finished with a record of 27-49-6, the second-worst record in the Western Conference and the third-worst record in the NHL. So far this season, the Kraken are 23-12-4 and in third place in the Pacific Division. 

On Monday night, the Kraken beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 for their fifth straight win. Last season the Kraken were 11-27-3 on the road. After last night’s victory, they are now 13-4-2 on the road this season. Last season, the Kraken averaged 2.60 goals per game; this year, they are averaging 3.67 goals per game. Last season the Kraken had three players (Jared McCann, Yanni Gourde, and Jordan Eberle) hit the 20-goal mark. This year the Kraken looks like they will have more. McCann has 19; rookie Matty Beniers has 15; Daniel Sprong has 13. Andre Burakovsky has 11, and Eberle and Jaden Schwartz are at nine each. 

One primary reason for the Kraken’s success is Martin Jones’s play. The backup goalie has a record of 19-5-3 with a 2.78 GAA, a .894 save percentage, and two shutouts. This season has been Jones’ best season since he took the San Jose Sharks to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016. 

Now I’m not going to sit here in the middle of January and say confidently that the Kraken will make the playoffs. They have made a statement on this current five-game winning streak against the Islanders, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens. But they have an opportunity to make a significant statement with games coming up against the Bruins, Lightning, Oilers (again), and Avalanche. If the Kraken do find a way to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Dave Hakstol should be the front-runner for the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year.