Friday’s 3-0 win on Fan Appreciation Night felt like the perfect ending to what had been an otherwise disappointing inaugural season for the Kraken. The atmosphere in Climate Pledge Arena was electric and emotional, as the fans and players shared what felt like a heartfelt goodbye for the summer.
Wait…there’s another game? Due to a heavy mid-April snowstorm in the city lovingly dubbed “Winterpeg,” the Kraken and Jets are left with a wacky one-off matinee game today while all 30 other NHL teams are finished with their regular season schedule. Does anybody care about this game-and how much? That’s the biggest question that will be answered tonight as two teams eager to begin their summer vacations duke it out. While the Jets are locked into their place in the standings, The Kraken actually have a sizeable incentive to lose tonight. If Seattle picks up a point, their odds at selecting first overall drop from 12.3% to 10.2% and the average draft pick they can expect post-lottery drops from 3.6 to 4.4.
Opponent Spotlight – Winnipeg Jets
It’s been a disappointing season for the Winnipeg Jets, who will finish 11th out of 16 in the Western Conference. They have no shortage of high-end talent at forward and in goal, but struggle on defense and lack depth everywhere. Despite making an in-season coaching change, they could never get everything to come together and gel as a team.
It’s difficult to give a proper scouting report on the Jets for tonight because it’s unknown how many of their top players will sit this one out. When healthy, the Jets have one of the most dangerous forward lines in the NHL, consisting of Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Blake Wheeler. They’ll be the trio to watch if they suit up.
Three Keys
- Play motivated – In a game like this, the team that takes the game the most seriously will probably win. The Kraken took care of business against a checked out opponent last game. Time to do it again.
- Heavy net-front – The Kraken have allowed far too many easy goals in front of their own net this season. Avoiding those lapses for the season’s final two games would be a good statement going into next season.
- Have fun – Let’s face it, nobody wants to travel to Winnipeg for a meaningless game at the end of the season. Finding a way to have a good time with your teammates is the best takeaway you can have from this road trip.
Did You Know…
Did you know that I appreciate you? It’s true. As the Kraken’s season comes to a close, I want to give a sincere thank you to everyone who’s read these morning briefs throughout the season. They’ve been a joy to write and it means so much to me to know that you keep coming back to read them. I hope you’ve been able to take something away from each one, whether it’s knowing what to look for in that night’s game, learning about the other teams around the league, or discovering an interesting moment from hockey’s vast and colorful history.
While the next Morning Brief won’t be until October, I hope you’ll follow along for Emerald City Hockey’s playoff and offseason coverage. Dylan and I have a ton of Kraken-specific and league-wide content planned for the next few months that we’re thrilled to share with you.
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!
