2 takeaways from the Kraken’s 6-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks – The Hockey Writers – Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken host the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, November 5th in their first game of the season. The Sharks took the lead in the first minute of the game. The Kraken got a goal back late in the first period, but that was their only goal. The Sharks struck back just two minutes later, then scored one goal in the second period and three in the third. In the end, the Sharks won 6-1.
Winterton scores first NHL goal
Although the Kraken only scored one goal last night, it was a milestone for Ryan Winterton.
With three minutes left in the game, Winterton received a loose puck in the middle of the neutral zone. He slid the ball to the net with great speed and shot, but it was blocked by Jaroslav Askarov. Shane Wright grabbed the rebound behind him. He looked around and tried to pass the ball to Winterton, but the ball found Ryan Lindgren at the blue line. His shot was blocked in front of the net by the Sharks, but Winterton collected it. He scored his first NHL goal on his second shot.
It took him 34 games to score his first NHL goal. He played nine games in the 2023-24 season, almost making his NHL debut two years ago on Nov. 9. Winterton played in 12 games last season and recorded his first assist on December 3.
He spent the remainder of the two seasons playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Winterton has played in all 13 games this season, and his only score before this goal was an assist on October 25. Just four games later, he scored his first NHL goal.
Winterton has been a great addition to the fourth line this season. It was originally composed of Frederick Gaudreau and Tye Kartye, but since Gaudreau’s injury, the lineup has undergone some changes. Last night, Meyers was center on the fourth line. Although the lineup is made up of young players, they are the only ones who have found success in front of the net.
Kraken need to utilize their three goaltenders
Just like on Oct. 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers , Joey Daccord wasn’t all that great in net. He allowed five goals on 20 shots and had a save percentage (SV%) of 0.750. This marks his lowest SV% of the season; the previous low was .762 in Philadelphia.
There’s no denying that Daccord is a great goaltender. He had the Krakens in multiple games during his five seasons with the team. However, Sirens tend to overuse him. As mentioned above, they have played 13 games this season; Daccord has played in 11 of them. There’s no reason to put so much pressure on him early in the season, especially when Seattle has three goaltenders on the roster.
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The Kraken also have Matt Murray and Philipp Grubauer on their roster. They can choose who can guard the crease. However, head coach Ryan Lambert continues to push Daccord to his limits, and that was evident in last night’s game. He eventually pulled Daccord down after the fifth goal and Murray got into the crease. There is no reason why Murray cannot play the full 60 minutes of this game.
The Kraken are set to play their second back-to-back game of the season this weekend. Of course, Daccord can’t play both games at the same time. Either Murray or Grubauer should start Saturday against the Blues in St. Louis. Afterwards, they will travel to Dallas, where they will face the Stars. Lambert should again choose between Murray and Grubauer for the starting job. The Kraken were a bit over the top against the Daccords last season, and it started to show as the season went on. They can’t afford to perpetuate the same problems for the second season in a row.
Kraken is on its way
The Kraken will travel to Missouri to take on the Blues on Saturday, November 8th. This game will be the Kraken’s first away game in 16 days.
The season series will also feature two games against the Sharks. The Kraken will host the Sharks again on November 15th. The series will conclude on December 20 in San Jose.
