On this February 29th night, the Kraken leaped past the Minnesota Wild in the Western wild-card race, thanks to a stellar 33-save performance from Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer. All-Star forward Oliver Bjorkstrand scored another clutch goal with more elite net-front stick work on the opening goal, then Alex Wennberg added a much-welcome insurance goal on a later third period power play on a penalty drawn by former Penguin Jared McCann. The 2-0 final provides Seattle with seven of 10 possible standings points on this homestand with one more game, Pacific Division rival Edmonton on Saturday with a 1 p.m. puck drop.
Passing Minnesota is a gratifying outcome, same for now being tied with contenders Calgary and St. Louis, all three squads at 63 points in 59 games played. But wildcard leaders Nashville (now at seven straight wins) and Los Angeles (ending a two-game losing streak at Vancouver) both stayed nine and seven points ahead of Seattle.
Grubauer Gets the Nod, Delivers Clean Sheet
Dave Hakstol has been clear that both goalies, Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord, will be needed over the next month and a half (yes, Friday is March 1). Fans and media can only guess how the tandem will share the crease, but Philipp Grubauer made a strong case in Thursday’s opening period to potentially regain the unofficial starting role. After posting three wins in three spaced starts since Jan. 22, in the backup role to Joey Daccord, the veteran goaltender turned in 18 saves in the first period, including four Grade-A scoring chances. Highlight stops include a couple of saves on Pens defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph and his D-partner Kris Letang, plus a huge mid-period save on the still-dangerous Jeff Carter, the two-time LA Kings Cup winner now playing fourth-line minutes for Pittsburgh.
Grubauer conceded in his post-game remarks that this shutout was special. His last one for Seattle was April 7, 2022. But, like his teammates, he is fully in the present with a wild-card chase in full sprint.
“It’s more important to get those points than get the shutout,” said Grubauer. “It’s huge for the team because everybody plays to their part and everybody does their part [in a shutout].”
Grubauer talked a lot in the inaugural season about needing to see pucks and understand how his teammates were helping to block or divert shots with screening the goalie. Thursday post-game Grubauer noted some nuances about what Pittsburgh was doing to break through a scoreless night, especially during a barrage of 18 shots on goal and nearly double the attempts in the first period.
“They had a couple from the blue line where they tried to miss the net and just created some bounces,” said Grubauer, cheered mightly with “Gruuuu” chants when announced and interviewed on-ice as the game’s first star. “They weren’t all always necessarily shooting at me, more like shooting for sticks [and ensuing deflections]. Also finding guys who tried to get lost [net-front]. We did a good job of eliminating sticks and tips.”
‘Special’ Not Special, Though Grubauer Was
When Seattle dropped a disappointing 5-2 game to Western Conference wild-card Minnesota last Saturday, one culprit trend was too many Kraken penalties. This matchup against Eastern Conference wildcard contender was seeping into the same swamp when veteran forward Jaden Schwartz went off for holding not long into the middle period for the second Kraken penalty-kill of the night.
Schwartz took a tripping penalty late first period too. The trouble with too many penalties is the Kraken prosper when they can roll out four lines playing fast and keep opponents facing their play-fast units of five.
But Philipp Grubauer and the PK units snuffed out those first two threats. The Kraken goaltender fended off three big names on the second Penguins power play, stopping Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang (they’ve been teammates for 18 seasons, setting a trio record with Evgeni Malkin for most seasons for three teammates across NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL), plus offensively-gifted defenseman Erik Karlsson. Grubauer’s best save on that second power play was getting in front of a close-in turnaround shot from first-line forward Rickard Rakell.
There was one more penalty to survive in the middle period (not Schwartz this time) when former Penguin Brian Dumoulin was called for high-sticking 13-and-a-half minutes into the frame. Dumoulin was preventing Pittsburgh fourth-liner Jansen Harkins from pushing the puck past Grubauer, who made the stop while Dumoulin’s stick was inadvertently coming up high on Harkins’ face as the play finished. Grubauer supported his teammate by making two more PK saves on Crosby. The Kraken goalie finished the first 40 minutes with 29 saves.
Dave Hakstol doesn’t like seeing his squad committing penalties when the likes of Sidney Crosby and company are on the power play (“Sidney Crosby is going as good as anybody in the league right now”). But the head coach, victorious in his 500th NHL game, did appreciate the PK’s overall effort with special cred for Grubauer’s work in goal.
“Our competitiveness was good,” said Hakstol. “It starts there. Obviously, that’s a big part of killing, structure, and the individual competitiveness of the guys out there. We got clears for the most part. Their power play recovers pucks very well. but when we had some opportunities, we got pucks down and that enabled us to get fresh bodies on the ice.”
Borgen, Wennberg, Bjorkstrand and a Flying Puck
For the second straight game, Kraken defenseman Will Borgen perfectly timed a shot from his usual right-point heavy shot location that resulted in a goal for teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand. This particular high-speed delivery bounced off Alex Wennberg’s shoulder, where Bjorkstrand batted it in mid-air (spring training has begun, right?) to put Seattle ahead 1-0. It’s a bright and encouraging sign that Bjorkstrand’s scoring touch might be going from nine-game cold to now a two-game heat-up that fans can only hope becomes an all-out torch run. Post-game, the Danish forward was talking a bit like a baseball shortstop waiting on a pop-up.
“I knew it hit Wenny and I kind of focused on the puck,” said Bjorkstrand, smiling just a bit. “I didn’t want to lose it and find a way to whack it. I knew guys weren’t really sure where it went, but I found it.”
