After a 1-3 loss in San Jose, the Kraken come back to Climate Pledge Arena with a losing streak that now stands at seven games. They’ll take on the Nashville Predators, who they beat in the second game of the season to earn the first win in franchise history. Tonight’s game will be Seattle’s last chance to get some momentum going at home before starting a five-game Eastern Conference road trip this weekend.
Opponent Spotlight – Nashville Predators
The Predators will be playing in front of a much smaller crowd tonight than they did in their last game. The game will surely be another Kraken sellout, but the attendance won’t come close to matching the over 68,000 fans who attended the Preds’ Stadium Series game Saturday in Nashville. The Predators lost a close game 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Lighting and have now lost five of their last seven. Every point matters dearly to this Predators team, as they’re in the thick of the Western Conference wild card race, hanging onto a wild card spot by a margin of only three points.
Keep an eye on the Preds’ Roman Josi. The Swiss defenseman is a rare case of a blueliner who leads his team in scoring. A lot of the Nashville offense operates through him and he has a point in each of the two prior meetings between Seattle and Nashville.
Three Keys
- New look powerplay – The Kraken’s powerplay has been abysmal for over six weeks now and Dave Hakstol has made some personnel changes to try to get things going again. The first unit now features two defensemen, Mark Giordano and Vince Dunn. Having Dunn on the right side boards should be a good outlet for his creativity. Seattle will need him to make things happen tonight.
- Depth contributions – When two top-six forwards are out of the lineup, you’re going to need depth players to step up and create offense. Sometimes giving younger players opportunities can create that spark. We saw it happen to the Kraken last game as the Sharks’ Scott Reedy scored a goal in his 6th NHL game. Keep an eye on Kole Lind, who will make his return to the Kraken lineup for the first time since December.
- Don’t give them anything easy – When playing against a team with defense and goaltending as good as Nashville’s, you can’t afford to gift them high-quality chances by turning the puck over in the defensive zone. Any goal they score will take a lot more work to get back.
Did You Know…
Did you know that Predators star winger Filip Forsberg is an upcoming free agent? After Ron Francis said yesterday that the Kraken “will be aggressive in free agency” this summer, it’s worth keeping an eye on players like Forsberg, who could be coveted free agent targets. Here’s a little taste of what he can do:
ECH Postgame Live
Join us after the game for ECH Postgame Live! After every Kraken game this season, RJ and Dylan will do a live postgame show on the Emerald City Hockey YouTube Channel. ECH Postgame live will include a postgame wrap-up, analysis, and a live Q&A with viewers. Join the community of Kraken fans who tune in after the game to talk Kraken hockey!
