The Seattle Kraken's playoff hopes took a hit with their 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Thursday night. This setback has nudged them out of playoff contention, leaving them with 71 points, just a hair behind the Los Angeles Kings, who now hold the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
But don't count the Kraken out just yet. With 13 games left in the regular season, there's still a potential 26 points up for grabs.
The Pacific Division is a nail-biter this year, with just 28 points separating the top-ranked Anaheim Ducks and the last-place Vancouver Canucks. It's a tight race, and anything can happen.
In their clash with Nashville, Freddy Gaudreau was the lone goal scorer for the Kraken, assisted by Chandler Stephenson and Kaapo Kakko. Statistically, the teams were neck and neck.
Seattle won 53.7% of faceoffs, and shots were nearly even at 26-27. However, the Kraken struggled to capitalize on their chances.
Nashville's goalie, Justus Annunen, was a wall, boasting a .962 save percentage and earning the first star of the game. Goals from Ryan Ufko, Ryan O’Reilly on the power play, and an empty-netter from Filip Forsberg sealed the deal for Nashville, who now share the same 71-point tally as the Kraken.
Next up, the Kraken head to Florida to face the Panthers on the 24th. If they can replicate their performance from their previous matchup on the 15th, they might just skate away with a crucial victory.