We The Fans: New Year, New Team looking to Return the Favor in Vancouver after a Big Win against Nashville Predators at Home

The Seattle Kraken started the 2026 year off right with a 4-1 win against the Nashville Predators at home on Thursday Night, in Downtown Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena. With two goals early in the first period by Matty Beniers, a smart shot by Jamie Oleksiak, and a late empty net goal by Jared McCann: the Kraken seemingly played what looked to be their best game of the season. with 24 saves on 25 shots from Phillip Grubauer who has been stellar for the Kraken THIS season. The Kraken also has Kappo Kakko and Eli Tolvanen named to the Olympic Roster for Team Finland and Phillip Grubaeur will be the starting goaltender for Team Germany With the win against Nashville, the team is 5-0-1 in their last 6 and looks to continue that streak tonight against Vancouver, who beat the Kraken at home on the 29th of December. A Third Jersey Game and set of uniforms that fans have unanimously decided are cursed as the team is currently 1-10-3 all time in Third Jersey Games. The Kraken who are in a Wildcard spot as of this moment realistically probably need at least 96 points for a chance to stay Wildcard, while 98-102 would probably guarantee the team a playoff spot. The team has played 38 of 82 games and looks to play 17 in the month of January which is tied for most ever played in a single month. The team has 41 points and has 44 games left to play and if they win half of them and lose a quarter of their loses in overtime that only equals 91 points. The Kraken have to find ways to limit loses and win like crazy now and Post Olympic Break. Every point is so crucial with how competitive the teams are in the standings this year. The team realistically probably needs to probably win at least 70% of their remaining games to stay playoff eligible. The losing streak in the month of November and the 1-11-1 stretch really put this Kraken Hockey Team up against a wall. The saving grace this season has been every other team around the league, except apparently Colorado is struggling whether it be with injuries, underperformance of highly paid players, poor coaching, or bad management.

The National Hockey League has never looked more disorganized and this is after they had one of the most successful years ever with the GR8 chase, 4 Nations, and the Stanley Cup Final Rematch. The Winter Classic has been placed in Florida this year, likely due to the teams hype off back to back Stanley Cups. Kraken fans have joked about bringing back our Winter Classic Jersey and for me at this point, I would get on board if it meant we get to see the team lock in and win the required games down the stretch. Every game against a Western Conference team is a 4 point game as it keeps another team competing with you for playoff spot from gaining points and moves you up the standings, while every game against an Eastern Conference team is a 2 point game, unless we were on a back to back, then it becomes about just not losing in regulation as the Kraken have been as bad as you can be in back to back to back games this season. Tonight’s Contest is the second of a back to back as the Team is on the Road in Vancouver. The team has some key areas it needs to focus if the Kraken want to start the New Year 2-0 and return the favor for the loss they suffered the previous time these two teams played. My Keys to Victory have proven accurate if you look at recent blogs and I look to provide those same passionate ideas for the team to utilize tonight.

Puck Battles have been a huge area of importance as when the team fails to win at least 54% of the puck battles then the team usually does not win. If you look at the teams last three games they won 73% against Nashville, and 78% against the Kings but only 27% of their puck battles in the shootout loss to Vancouver. If the Kraken are going to find ways to win hockey games then that largely starts with them winning as many possible puck battles and every one needs to play with the same passion and intensity. Sometimes the team forgets to have fun playing a game for millions of dollars, but the fourth line clearly never does and in a previous interview this season Jordan Eberle even stated for the most part that hockey is as much about having fun and believing in yourself as it is about being skilled. The fourth line is playing as fast as humanly possible, having fun, and trying to win every night. Rightfully Lane Lambert even started them in the last game, and I know other teams hate seeing Kartye, Meyers, and Melanson on the ice together. Ryan Winterton continues to increase his trade value, but with a roster heavy in third and fourth line depth, trading him to a team like Dallas in a package deal for Jason Robertson or trying to deal him to someone in the East for more picks in this years NHL Draft.

Making the other teams goalie make saves, even if routine has proved to provide value as it forces the other team to close out to help block shots, spreads the ice, and increases the number of lanes to the goal, as well as helping to develop shooting lanes throughout the game. The team has seen an improvement in their positioning and puck movement this year and will likely look even better next year, as the whole team doesn’t have to learn a new system, only a handful of guys will. The team has started putting more shots on goal and missing the net less, and while it hasn’t made the team the best offense in the league; the attention to detail has seen the team come away with more victories as of late. The team needs to continue to believe they can score, and create smart chances and force the other teams goalie to make tough saves on a team playing as fast as possible. In short, The Kraken need to control what they can control and look to be dangerous when it is that time!

Lastly, The boys need to start developing a pack mentality, if you mess with one of us, you are messing with all of us should be the message in the locker room aka GANG VIOLENCE. Instead of getting frustrated the boys need to come together and be there for the other guy in a scrum. We don’t need to win every fight, but if one the producers gets hit or our goalie gets run then we have to stop looking to the referee for a call, and play hockey! Chirp guys for messing up, utilize the strength in numbers, and learn to hate the other team. If hockey is as mental as they have decided then the guys need to do what they can to make the warfare mental. I personall would rather be hated and win, then liked by everybody and lose. If you do not have haters then you are not doing something right, everyone has haters. People in Seattle believe in this team! I believe in this team! We want the Playoffs back in Seattle! Sportsbooks are the only ones saying we are supposed to lose every game and I personally love that our boys are wrecking people’s parlays. The Seattle Kraken just need to start doing as much as possible to win the mental and physical battles in games. The system is working, play fast and you can not be scared to shoot the puck and see what happens, ask Ryan Lindgren or Freddy Gaudreau. The goaltending has been there, and the team needs to just continue to trust it and rely on it as it has gotten them this far and Phillip Grubauer and Joey Daccord have been the best two players on the team this season.

Let’s Go Kraken!

Projected Lines vs. Vancouver Canucks 1/2

Kakko-Beniers-Eberle

Tolvanen-Stephenson-Gaudreau

Catton-Wright-McCann

Winterton-Meyers-Melanson

Dunn-Larsson

Lindgren-Fleury

Evans-Oleksiak

Daccord

Very Respectfully,

Caleb Nance