The Kraken’s early-season trip has been built on fast starts and nerve-testing finishes, and that formula is probably overdue for some cleanup. Seattle has already watched three leads vanish in its last two games, including two in the third period, even though both nights still ended with wins - first on Jared McCann’s late regulation goal in Washington and then on Bobby McMann’s shootout clincher in Philadelphia.
The problem isn’t getting ahead. It’s what happens after that.
In both games, the Kraken appeared to lean back and try to protect the lead instead of staying on the attack that put them there. In Philadelphia, that showed up almost immediately in the third period, when the Flyers outshot Seattle 6-1 in the opening 7:20 before the Kraken snapped awake and finished regulation and overtime with a 14-2 edge.
That’s a huge swing. Against Washington, the pattern was similar: Seattle was outshot 22-18 through two periods, then got hammered 18-5 in the final frame.
Right before McCann’s winner, the Capitals had a 11-3 shot edge, including four shots in the opening minute when Boone Jenner tied the game.
“We’ve got to clean that up,” Kraken head coach Lane Lambert said. “We’ve got to continue to play on our toes.
I thought there were times when we should have been forechecking and we were backing up. It’s just not going to work and it was pretty clear.”
The good news for Seattle is that the goaltending has been strong enough to cover a lot of rough patches. Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer have been central to the 3-0 trip, and Grubauer in particular has delivered two wins by stopping 61 of 66 shots for a .924 save percentage. Daccord was equally sharp late against Washington, turning aside 17 of 18 shots in the third period alone.
Between them, the two goalies have stopped 94 of 102 shots on the trip for a combined .922 save percentage. That kind of number usually wins more often than not, and the Kraken are carrying a .915 team save percentage overall, tied with Minnesota for fifth best in the league.
Still, Seattle would rather not keep asking its goalies to bail it out. The Kraken are giving up 34 shots per game on the trip, and as of Monday they had allowed the third-most shots in the NHL at 214, or 32 per game. The two teams ahead of them in that category have both played one more game.
That brings the focus to Tampa Bay, where the Kraken will see a team that remains very much in the contender conversation even if the Lightning haven’t looked quite as dominant as they have in past seasons. Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup six seasons ago, reached Game 7 of the opening round last spring before getting upset by Montreal, and enters this one at 4-2-0 after dropping both of its losses to the surprising Rangers. The Lightning had won four straight before Tuesday’s loss.
They’ve also opened 3-0-0 at home, and Seattle still hasn’t won a regulation game at Benchmark International Arena. The Kraken’s two road wins there - one last March and one three years ago this month - both came in overtime.
Tampa Bay’s scoring has been led by familiar names. Nikita Kucherov is tied for the team lead with eight points through six games, built on one goal and seven assists.
Brandon Hagel has four goals and four assists, while Jake Guentzel has three goals and three assists. Even so, the Lightning’s offense has not been the driving force so far; only four Tampa Bay players have reached four points.
Seattle, by contrast, has 12.
That lines up with the team rankings entering the game: the Kraken sit third in the league at 4.00 goals per game, while the Lightning are 21st at 2.83. Defensively, Tampa Bay has been the steadier group, allowing 2.67 goals per game to rank eighth in the NHL. Seattle is close behind at 2.71, good for ninth.
Andrei Vasilevskiy remains the man in net for Tampa Bay, even if his start has been a little rocky by his standards. He was beaten twice by the Rangers and also had a tough playoff series against Montreal, where Jakub Dobes got the better of him.
Vasilevskiy, 32, has carried a workload of roughly 60 games in recent seasons, and right now his .886 save percentage is well below his career .916 mark. It’s still early, though, and the Lightning are betting on the long view there.
One former Kraken face won’t be part of this one. Yanni Gourde, once Seattle’s alternate captain, had off-season hip surgery and the Lightning do not expect him back until December.
In Other News...
Kraken Suddenly Face A Big Brandon Montour Concern
Brandon Montours night ended early in Tampa Bay, and that alone was enough to put a lot of attention on the Krakens blue line. The veteran defenseman is one of Seattles most important minutes-eaters, leading the team in average ice time this season, and his presence has become even more central in his third year with the club after signing a seven-year deal in 2024.
The concern now is less about one game than what this could mean for Seattles immediate stretch of play. Montour left Thursdays matchup against the Lightning with a lower-body injury and did not return, leaving the Kraken to absorb a potential hit to both their workload balance and their top-end defense group while they wait for clarity on how serious the issue might be. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Fans May Hate The Price Of This Rangers Trade Idea
Speculation around the Rangers goaltending search has inevitably dragged the Kraken into the conversation, and it is the kind of idea that can make Seattle fans wince before they even get to the details. The discussion centers on a hypothetical deal built around Philipp Grubauer and Alexis Lafreniere, with the usual trade-board debate about whether either side could justify moving a name player while trying to patch an obvious roster hole.
For Seattle, the appeal would be adding a young forward with pedigree, but the cost is the part that stings and makes the whole thing feel steep. The proposal also folds in future draft capital and a prospect, which is why it reads less like a tidy hockey swap and more like a reminder of how quickly one teams injury trouble can become another teams expensive problem. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Depth Line Is Making Seattle's Identity Hard To Ignore
Freddy Gaudreaus goal in Seattles 5-3 win over the Capitals did more than break a tie on the scoreboard. It also gave another clean snapshot of what the Kraken are trying to be under Lane Lambert, with speed, pressure and a depth line willing to turn a routine shift into a problem for the opponent. Gaudreau, Ben Meyers and Ryan Winterton kept leaning on Washingtons defense until the play tilted the right way.
The sequence fit the identity Seattle keeps trying to sharpen, especially from a group that does not always get the spotlight but can swing a game with pace and persistence. Against Washington, the Krakens bottom-six energy was not just a supporting act, it was part of the point, and this one chance showed how quickly that style can force mistakes and turn into a decisive moment. [Read more 🡒]