The Seattle Kraken had their preseason wrapped up with a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, a game that looked more like a scramble than a dress rehearsal. Seattle finished its exhibition slate at 3-1, and while that record is solid enough, the final result in Vancouver left plenty to chew on.
Brandon Montour led the Kraken in ice time at 24:17 and was one of the night’s bright spots. He scored the game’s first goal and also picked up an assist on Bobby McMann’s tally.
McMann kept the scoring touch rolling, looking every bit like the same player who finished last season strong. Berkly Catton also found the net, finishing a rush with Ryan Winterton on a backhand that stood out in a game packed with broken coverage and chaos.
Seattle’s top line did what it was supposed to do, with Matty, Kokko, and McCann giving the Kraken a look worth revisiting. The Catton, Winterton and Wright line also played above its weight and earned at least a few more chances, based on this showing.
The rest of the lineup was a different story. The second and fourth lines struggled, and the fourth line in particular seemed like the easier fix, with the left wing spot potentially interchangeable and Molgaard sliding back in at center.
Discipline was another problem. The Kraken took twice as many penalties as Vancouver and kept getting pulled into scrums for the second straight game, giving the Canucks extra chances to tilt the night their way. The penalty kill and the overall look of the defense were uneven enough to raise real questions, even if some of it can be chalked up to preseason rust.
It was the kind of game where both goalies had to bail their teams out over and over, or just catch a break when they needed one. The shot heatmap told the story of a night with chances flying everywhere, and Joey probably deserves a few fruit baskets from some of the players after the saves he had to make.
Ryker Evans didn’t land on the scoresheet, but he was one of the few Kraken defenders who stayed above water in possession, and that mattered in a game where the blue line had plenty of rough patches.
Now the exhibition games are done, and Seattle turns the page to final camp cuts and the roster that will take shape from here. The regular season opener comes October 1st against Calgary, with puck drop set for 6pm PT.
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