We The Fans: Tolvanen and Eberle Carry Kraken Past Philadelphia Flyers and Extend Win Streak to 4
Jordan Eberle has never had more value than he does with the slew of injuries and illness that have affected this Kraken team through the first half of the season. The teams performance in the last 5 games has been an improvement from the stretch that saw them go 1-11-1 over that 13 game stretch and though improvements have been made by the veterans on the team, the real turn around in success came off the back of young guys who stepped up and helped the Kraken play more fast and physical. rather than the traditional skill and strength the veterans on this team have tried to utilize. Trading Mason Marchment was obviously a turning point for this team and definitely seemed like a favorable move given the success of young guys in the Kraken hockey system. This team is great defensively, but it’s getting old hearing the same guys say the same things about things like “We need to find more offensively.”
The Kraken have managed a 4 game win streak and with a rather lucky goal floating through the air to save the game in LA, the has turned to puck luck involved in the Kraken returning the favor for their first regulation loss of the season coming to Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The team managed to utilize the area behind the net more either from planning or coincidence, but it seems my idea of the team playing behind the net whenever possible has basis. I’m by no means an NHL Coach, but it seems there useable strategies that could be utilized to help this team find more scoring. I heard in a recent interview with an active NHL goal scorer that he “looks to be unpredictable and tries to find areas and opportunities to shoot before the goalie can get his feet set. The Seattle Kraken struggled to find the ability to keep their shots on target , now as the Kraken find creative ways to win they may look to use abstract areas of the ice to create time and space. The team is clearly focused on developing young talent and trying to win more than half their games. The team has 8 million in current cap space, but is projected to have 20 million at the deadline. Even with heavier contributions from Eli Tolvanen and Jordan Eberle, also with the Kraken powerplay moving to 11th in the league at 21.0%. The Seattle Kraken scoring woes do not seem likely to end.
The team is playing better since returning key players like Vince Dunn, Jared McCann, and Berkeley Catton and the Flyers were seemingly overwhelmed by the speed and organized play of the Kraken post Christmas Break. You really never know what team you are going to see this season. Either we look like we could make it to second round of the playoffs or we look bottom of the league. Typically the level the team plays at this season has been determined by the caliber of opponent they play. As the Kraken seem to play their worst game against bad teams. I’m not sure if this is due to unorganized effort from the coaching staff to get the team to play better, or the team only feels motivated to play well when the game is broadcast on national television as the Colorado Game was our best of the season until Eberle missed the penalty shot in true Seattle fashion. You can not win them all, but it seems like the Kraken can not win any against the bad teams and this dynamic makes the team as frustrating to watch, as well as fun as there is a level of spontaneous disappointment associated with this years team. With over half the season left and the team looking better in losses than they do in wins, the team needs to find a way to come together and play with more unity as their are definite passengers on this Kraken team. The goal differential is improving as is the home record. The team has 20 games before the olympic break and hopefully they can develop an offensive strategy that is both sustainable and tough to play against. Only certain guys on this team are really looking to drive the net and it is shown by the line production and the bottom six outshining the top six. The Kraken did managed to overcome Vladar’s reign of dominant play and get back on the winning track at home. One thing is for sure; there definitely have to be more moves coming from this struggling but streaking hockey team. If I had to describe the season up this point in 3 words it would be: Hit or Miss.
The price of tickets goes up and the excuses continue to build, the coaching has improved to an extent, but it seems odd the Kraken seem stuck on keeping Jessica Campbell as a political figure when her power play was terrible, and now she’s in charge of player development and the penalty kill which is last in the league. These are the kinds of decisions management continues to make despite the obvious lack of team performance. If she was a man in this league she would’ve lost her job last season. instead she was discussed as a possibility for the team’s next Head Coach. The Kraken seem more interested in building an entertaining experience than actually trying to win. I had a lot of hope for this season, but the team needs to figure out some thing new cause getting better at things over and over that haven’t seemed to work out this season seems a bit counter productive. Only time will tell, but it seems a lot of my ideas whether intentional or coincidental has worked out successfully for the team. I look forward to seeing them try an extend their streak to 5 against Vancouver.
Very Respectfully,
Caleb Nance