Kraken aims to overtake the Kings in their back-to-back games.
In their last two games, the Seattle Kraken each managed a late regulation goal to salvage a point. But when they play the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night, they’re hoping for an improved overall outcome.
On Saturday night, the Kraken tied the game against the visiting Kings with 2:29 remaining in the third period, but they ultimately lost 3-2 in a shootout.
Two days later, Seattle tied the Dallas Stars with 22 seconds remaining in the first game of a four-game road trip, but ultimately lost 4-3 in overtime.
Tomas Tatar, a left winger for Seattle who scored his first goal with the Kraken since being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, said, “We just have to take the positive from this game and play like that in the next one.”
In five of their last six games (2-1-3) the Kraken have earned at least a point, and Seattle coach Dave Hakstol is happy with their consistency during that run of play despite the back-to-back losses.
“We’ve been working,” he declared. “We’re playing well defensively and have been able to muster up enough offense to put ourselves in good positions.
Lower-body injuries forced Seattle forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jared McCann to leave the most recent game. Tuesday, Bellemare was placed on injured reserve, and McCann is questionable for the matchup with Los Angeles.
Due to upper-body injuries, the Kraken were already without their injured forwards, Andre Burakovsky and Jaden Schwartz.
On Tuesday, the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley sent forward Kole Lind back to the Kraken.
After Matty Beniers’ goal against Dallas snapped a nine-game scoring drought, Tatar stated he is at ease skating on the top line with Jordan Eberle.
Tatar described the group as “I think the three of us, we were closely supporting each other.” “We were winning battles and it was a lot of fun to play with those two.”
Starting strong against a San Jose Sharks team that may be fatigued will be crucial for Seattle as the Kings are coming off a 4-1 victory there on Tuesday night.
When trailing after the first frame, the Kraken have only won once in twelve attempts, while the Kings have a 12-1-1 record when leading after the first frame.
Eeli Tolvanen, a forward for the Krakens, stated, “We just have to be confident and get the mindset that we have to start on time.”
Cam Talbot, who backed up David Rittich against the Sharks on Tuesday night, will be the opponent Seattle faces. Talbot, who has a 1.99 goals-against average and a.918 save percentage, has continued to have an outstanding season into December, going 3-1-1 in five starts.
In his most recent appearance, he defeated the Kraken on Saturday, turning away six of nine shots to win the shootout while making 16 saves in regulation and another in overtime.
The biggest surprise for the Kings thus far this season has been Trevor Moore. On Tuesday night, he scored his 15th goal of the year, which puts him within two goals of his career high in the NHL, which he set in the 2021–2022 campaign.
Assists on the play allowed Kevin Fiala and Phillip Danault to maintain their spots on the Kings’ most productive line.
“By being direct, we play better defensively as well,” Danault stated. “It’s weird to say, but that’s how it is.”
