Hooky Hockey

Moments before the 1:30 PST puck drop in Seattle, the sewing machine completed its winding road around the top left corner of Jordan Eberle’s jersey. 

After years of anticipation from Kraken fans, 34-year-old Jordan Eberle dons the “C” for SEA, a respectable choice for a man who captures the team-first mentality that the Kraken want to cultivate. He was the hype-man post wins last season, DJ’ed “Come and Get Your Love,” a win song that stuck with the team, and was a steadfast figure in all situations. In many ways, he is the Kraken’s lighthouse. He has a good head on his shoulders and shows up in important moments, hoping to guide the team to shore. Having a Captain should also help the group's cohesiveness, giving them a shared mission, and providing the team someone solid to look to through the season. 

It’s not just Eberle who made headlines today, Jessica Campbell made history this afternoon as the first full-time female coach, assistant or otherwise, behind the bench of an NHL game. Her read of the game through the pre-season has been commendable and cerebral, which translates well with the team, especially on the mental side. As a hard-worker and qualified choice for Assistant Coach, she is well-respected by the team, captivating them even in the final time out of today’s game.

The match-up versus the St. Louis Blues started with a sing-a-long National Anthem and an aggressive forecheck from the Kraken. After a faulty lamp lighting when Kyrou’s shot hit the post, the Kraken were noticeably more active in front of the net. Grubauer, starting in goal, was sharp, and although the team looked antsy in the first 10 minutes or so, they seemed poised to get the season started. This paid off in the first period, garnering strong momentum to carry into the second.

The defense did a good job to battle net front against a fast-skating Blues team, while also generating both of the Kraken’s goals. Defensive play from Kraken ‘vets’ Dunn, Larsson and Borgen, was strong, and initiative taken by Ryker Evans and new add, Brandon Montour helped to generate several chances.

When the boys returned for the second period, Dunn scored a goal against the Blues (the first in his career) with a clean rebound behind Binnington just 27 seconds in. Shortly after, off of a faceoff win from Shane Wright, Ryker Evans took a shot towards a screening Eeli Tolvanen, who tapped it in at the 2:20 mark. Things were looking up for the squids, until Dunn and Gourde butted heads with Walker and Torepchenko, respectively. Though more entertaining than expected for a Tuesday matinee game, the undisciplined play from this point on sealed the Kraken in their watery grave.

Kyrou opened the Blues scoring on a PP, using his unmatched speed to beat Oleksiak to the goal, where he went 5-hole on Grubauer. This seemingly invigorated the Blues, who then scored two more goals (Broberg, Kyrou) within a two minute span. 

The Kraken, despite a decent Power Play following an interference call on Schenn, were unable to mount a comeback, and closed out the game with an empty net and a 3-2 deficit. 

Of note, Oleksiak put one in the back of the net, although it was disallowed on an offside call, and some some sparks of chemistry between former teammates Burky and Stephenson stirred up throughout the game. I’m sure Bylsma will look to build on that dynamic. The stick-to-itiveness of the players in the final minutes, Tye Kartye rushing the net (needs to build his shooting confidence), Shane Wright working to keep the puck out of the empty net after a lost a faceoff in the final seconds, and defensive players protecting the net at all costs, will also be building blocks to look to in future, close games. 

I expect the Kraken to be an exciting team this season, more so than many predicted prior to this opening night game. If they are able to hold onto leads, and learn a bit more discipline (or improve their PK) I think they have the potential to arise a diamond in the rough. 

With the coaching changes and a new captain, this will be an intriguing season to follow, no matter the results. I see a future for this team where depth returns as their strength, and I believe Bylsma and his coaching staff can polish that depth into something great.