The Seattle Kraken found themselves on the wrong end of a 5-1 scoreline against the St. Louis Blues, marking their second consecutive defeat.
The Blues came out with guns blazing, putting eight shots on target and hitting the post twice before Dylan Holloway opened the scoring. Holloway didn't stop there, adding a second-period goal and an empty-netter to complete his hat trick.
Seattle did show some fight after the initial goal, with Kaapo Kakko leveling the score at 1-1. The Kraken then outshot the Blues 10-3 in that stretch, but the momentum didn't carry over into the second period.
St. Louis struck twice in the first 95 seconds, and despite some strong saves from Philipp Grubauer, Seattle's offense couldn't find its rhythm.
Key Takeaways:
Takeaway 1: Top Line Struggles
Seattle's top line of Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and captain Jordan Eberle was surprisingly quiet. Despite leading the team in ice time, they recorded zero shots at five-on-five. McCann, Beniers, and Eberle have been productive this season, but they’ve now gone scoreless in back-to-back games.
The trio's lack of impact was concerning, especially against a team ranked 31st in the league. According to MoneyPuck, they generated just 0.131 expected goals, the lowest among Seattle’s lines.
In contrast, Shane Wright’s line led with 0.750 expected goals. The Kraken, who averaged 3.53 goals per game before the Olympic break, need their offense to regain its spark.
Takeaway 2: Slow Starts
For the second game running, the Kraken started sluggishly. The early intensity was missing, and instead of getting pucks on net, they forced passes that led to turnovers-18 in total.
The Blues dominated the opening minutes and scored first. Although Seattle managed to tie it, the second period began with two quick goals against.
St. Louis then scored early in the third, quashing any hopes of a comeback.
Takeaway 3: Powerplay Woes
Seattle's power play continued to sputter, going 0-3 against St. Louis after a 0-4 showing against Dallas.
The Kraken have now gone 0-7 on the power play since the break, managing just five shots and 0.08 expected goals in six minutes of power-play time. Despite a season conversion rate of 22.4 percent, currently 11th in the NHL, the recent lack of cohesion is evident.
Looking Ahead
Despite St. Louis sitting 31st in the league, they proved too much for Seattle.
Next up, the Kraken face Vancouver, ranked 32nd. This game serves as a reminder that rankings mean little if the team isn't ready from the first puck drop.
The Kraken head home needing to regroup. While two losses post-Olympic break aren't ideal, they still hold the final wild card spot. The focus now shifts to how they respond, with the home crowd poised to provide that crucial boost.