2023 Western Conference Playoff Race - Kraken Style

[RainyCityHockey]

The Kraken are 14 games away from finishing their 2nd season and unlike last season, will have something to play for during the reminder of the regular season.

Right now the team is in the 1st wild card spot trailing Edmonton by one point while having one game in hand.
The Kraken also are holding a seven point lead on the Calgary Flames, who're the first team out while also having a game in hand on them.

On the other hand, the Nashville Predators might be trailing the Kraken by eight points, but have to games in hand.

So that's how things are looking right now.

Central Division:
1st Dallas --> 87 points --> 69 games played --> 6-3-1(last ten)
2nd Minnesota --> 86 popints --> 68 games played --> 7-0-3(last ten)
3rd Colorado --> 84 points --> 67 games played --> 6-3-1(last ten)

Pacific Division:
1st Vegas --> 90 points --> 69 games played --> 7-3-0(last ten)
2nd Los Angeles --> 89 points --> 69 games played --> 8-1-1(last ten)
3rd Edmonton --> 84 points --> 69 games played --> 6-4-0(last ten)

Wild Card:
1st Seattle --> 83 points --> 68 games played --> 6-3-1(last ten)
2nd Winnipeg --> 79 points --> 69 games played --> 3-5-2(last ten

Challengers
Calgary --> 76 points --> 69 games played --> 4-4-2(last ten)
Nashville --> 75 points -> 66 games played --> 6-3-1(last ten)

NHL Hockey Standings | NHL.com

The official standings for the National Hockey League.

www.nhl.com

Right now the Kraken are in a good spot to make the playoffs and still have a chance to finish in the top three of the division.
The next five games should show everyone if the Kraken will be going for a top three spot in the division or if they're in a tough fight to try and make it at all.

The home game against the Oilers on Saturday will be important. Not just because the Kraken could get past them again, but also for the fact that they could tie the season series with McDavid, Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers.

Both games against the Predators could also get the Kraken in a really good spot(and put distance between both teams) or it could get the Preds back in the race.

Here's the remaining schedule for the Kraken.
vs Edmonton
@ Dallas
@ Nashville
@ Nashville
@ Minnesota
vs Anaheim
vs Los Angles
vs Arizona
@ Vancouver
vs Arizona
vs Chicago
@ Arizona
@ Vegas
vs Vegas

Looking at it, on paper the schedule get's quite easy after the next five games but a team like Arizona has actually been playing very well since the All-Star break and the Kraken will need to take care of those teams, which, at times, has been a problem this season.

Anyways, the Kraken are holding the cards to their season and are the ones deciding where they end up in the standings.
They're also going to be playing meaningfull games until the end of the season, which is something hardly anyone saw coming before the season started.

So let's see where it ends up and most importantly, let's discuss about it.

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[brewski420]

Not optimistic about the way they are playing. Schedule down the stretch gets better but still only see them squeaking in with a wildcard position. Hoping for some points in next five games for better playoff spot than I anticipate.

 

[Kevinsane]

Not optimistic about the way they are playing. Schedule down the stretch gets better but still only see them squeaking in with a wildcard position. Hoping for some points in next five games for better playoff spot than I anticipate.

The NHL has figured out that to succeed against the Kraken you dump pucks deep and wait for unforced turnovers. It makes Grubauer and Jones have to deal with more pressure in the zone, and stymies the offense having breakout opportunities.
I’m sure Francis will look to upgrade the D over the summer, and if there’s a good defense prospect where Seattle picks at the draft, I expect they’ll look to stock the cupboard.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

The NHL has figured out that to succeed against the Kraken you dump pucks deep and wait for unforced turnovers. It makes Grubauer and Jones have to deal with more pressure in the zone, and stymies the offense having breakout opportunities.
I’m sure Francis will look to upgrade the D over the summer, and if there’s a good defense prospect where Seattle picks at the draft, I expect they’ll look to stock the cupboard.

I wonder if upgrades at D help that much. The job of a good coach is to make adjustments all the time. If the problem is that other teams have figured us out and we are doing nothing to counter that, that should fall on coaching.

Our PP has been bad for a large part of the season. Our PK was bad till about the ASG when they turned it around, but it is trending towards the pre-ASG PK. Ofcourse, adding talent help but if we are solely going to depend on adding that in the off-season, I am afraid not much will change next season.

If the teams have really "figured us out", next season is going to be closer to our 1st season than this one.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I wonder if upgrades at D help that much. The job of a good coach is to make adjustments all the time. If the problem is that other teams have figured us out and we are doing nothing to counter that, that should fall on coaching.

Our PP has been bad for a large part of the season. Our PK was bad till about the ASG when they turned it around, but it is trending towards the pre-ASG PK. Ofcourse, adding talent help but if we are solely going to depend on adding that in the off-season, I am afraid not much will change next season.

If the teams have really "figured us out", next season is going to be closer to our 1st season than this one.

Our PK had actually gotten better since the start of the new calendar year(with Lowry taking over those duties), but hasn't been that good as of late.

Also, I'm not sure if it's just other teams figuring it out(though, Dallas clearly had a plan and showed other teams what to do) but rather us not being able to keep up that insane shooting percentage we had until the ASG.

Anyways, we have some more time to think about next season after a playoff appearance this year.

 

[Scomerica]

Next 5 games and the last 2 against Vegas probably decides the season. I'll be honest and say i'm not feeling great about it. Sucks we aren't playing well as we approach the finishing line after doing so well for so long.

Here's hoping they surprise me. They badly need a spark though. If we are going to suck defensively hopefully we can outscore teams or something.

I said before I was just happy to make the play offs, I don't expect much past that if we do get in but i'll be disappointed if we don't make it.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

FiveThirtyEight has us back to 93% to make the playoffs:

2022-23 NHL Predictions

FiveThirtyEight's 2022-23 NHL forecast predicts the winner of each hockey game and calculates each team's chances of advancing to the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup.

projects.fivethirtyeight.com

It's a modified ELO algorithm so I'm not sure that it stacks up well against more hockey-focused models, but it helps with my anxiety a bit I guess.

 

[kihei]

The Kraken have been a streaky team but in a good way. We have had two streaks of five wins, one streak of seven wins and another streak of eight wins. However we have never had a losing streak of longer than three games, which has occurred five times. We have found ways to right the ship before disaster ensued and that is good trait to have.

I remain optimistic. Our fate is in our own hands and that is all a team can ask this time of year. Nashville is the Kraken's most dangerous rival for a playoff spot but if we split our back to back games against them, we should be all right.

 

[OldCootHockeyFan]

Wherefore art thou, Bura?

That's the spark we need. IMO Burakovsky makes all the other "stars" that much better and I, for one, really miss him. Any idea when he will return?

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Wherefore art thou, Bura?

That's the spark we need. IMO Burakovsky makes all the other "stars" that much better and I, for one, really miss him. Any idea when he will return?

Not really.

He was back on the ice doing stuff on his own about a week ago.
Francis also said he was week-to-week in late February.

Personally I doubt we'll see him back before April.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Big day today!

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Winnipeg beats Nashville in OT.

Nashville now on points with Calgary(76) with one game in hand on us.

 

[The Marquis]

It’s going to be tight at this rate

 

[RainyCityHockey]

It’s going to be tight at this rate

Yep.

Especially since the Kraken haven't been good since the All-Star break(below .500 record since Feb. 1st right now) and with Nashville and Calgary getting closer.
Also, that "easy schedule" thing is a bit misleading with teams like Vancouver and, especially, Arizona playing very well since the All-Star break.

 

[kihei]

Let's hope the Rangers do us a favour tonight.

 

[Kat Predator]

Let's hope the Rangers do us a favour tonight.

The Predators defense is Lauzon, Barrie, and AHL callups. Might be a good time to play Panarin or Kane in your fantasy league.

 

[Scomerica]

Nashville are getting destroyed by New York right now. Ultimately we just need to take care of our business. We are lucky we are in a position of strength but we need to get hot again soon

 

[The Marquis]

Nashville are getting destroyed by New York right now. Ultimately we just need to take care of our business. We are lucky we are in a position of strength but we need to get hot again soon

For sure. I hope this game is a confidence killer. Also rooting for the Blues against the Jets to give us that buffer.

 

[Scomerica]

For sure. I hope this game is a confidence killer. Also rooting for the Blues against the Jets to give us that buffer.

Feels like the jets are imploding too

 

[kihei]

It was all over after ten minutes of the first period. The Rangers scored five quick goals in that short amount of time, and Nashville looked like something the cat dragged in.

 

[GrungeHockey]

It's not so much that teams have figured the Kraken out, it's just that games down the stretch are tougher and real contenders separate themselves from the pack. Teams dig down and check harder and it's not as easy to play run and gun offence as it was earlier in the year. Some teams like Edmonton added talent at the deadline too.
Unless the goaltending picks up I think we might fade and will have a hard time hanging on to that last wildcard spot.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

So both Winnipeg and Nashville lost tonight.

I think those two games in Nashville will be the deciding factor.
If we can get back to playing our "road game" and at least split that mini series we'd be looking quite good, IMO.

 

[Scomerica]

It's not so much that teams have figured the Kraken out, it's just that games down the stretch are tougher and real contenders separate themselves from the pack. Teams dig down and check harder and it's not as easy to play run and gun offence as it was earlier in the year. Some teams like Edmonton added talent at the deadline too.
Unless the goaltending picks up I think we might fade and will have a hard time hanging on to that last wildcard spot.

One thing I will say. Edmonton's defence and goal tending isnt good enough to win a cup. So leaky.

 

[Scomerica]

Can you imagine the utter meltdown on the mainboards if we barely squeak into the play offs and went on an unexpected run to the conference finals and played Vegas. The two new teams.

 

[Scomerica]

Random question but if we did miss the play offs, are we automatically a lottery team? Has any team with a relatively decent record e.g bottom of the lottery odds ever won it?