GDT: Game 2: Seattle @ Nashville

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Why couldn't the Kraken get someone like GNyquist

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Guess we will have to wait atleast another game for our 1st win of the season.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Why couldn't the Kraken get someone like GNyquist

My guess is because Francis wants to see how the kids do next season before he brings on more than any bargain basement players. I get it, but the way the off-season went, I was expecting us to have a down year anyway.

Dumo signing this season was not very good. I would have preferred going with Megna or Evans. I get signing Yamo, who could potentially turn things around. But I didn't get the PEB signing outside of trying to get someone who is good at faceoffs.

 

[The Marquis]

They don’t look very good tonight. Not clicking at all. Unlike the last game, Nashville has looked better the entire game.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

They don’t look very good tonight. Not clicking at all. Unlike the last game, Nashville has looked better the entire game.

They looked decent for part of the 1st but since Nashville scored their 1st goal, we have been outplayed on both sides of the ice. Gru is the only reason this even seems like a close game.

 

[KrakAttack]

Two unimpressive games to start the year. On to St. Louis, hope for a better result.

 

[Fuhrious]

Only managed to catch the last 10 minutes of the game. They look completely listless, at no point did it seem like there was any chance they might pull one back to make a game out of it. Dunn was beaten to that icing by Evangelista, for example…gift from the ref.

 

[AarG]

1 goal in 2 games is not good. Hopefully they light the lamp in the next one.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

This is going to be that kind of year, isn't it?

 

[The Marquis]

I have a few things to say.

Dumoulin is not good. Wennberg is not good. That’s all for now

 

[The Marquis]

Two unimpressive games to start the year. On to St. Louis, hope for a better result.

Boy will that be a meaningful game. If they can’t get a win in St. Louis it’s going to be a very long season.

 

[Fuhrious]

This is going to be that kind of year, isn't it?

It’s hard not to think that it will, tbh. They aren’t going to sneak up on anyone, and as was said earlier by Fistfull, they pretty clearly got worse with the additions of Dumo and PEB. I get that GMRF didn’t see a realistic “big splash” move to make, but it doesn’t look like he even managed to tread water.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

My guess is because Francis wants to see how the kids do next season before he brings on more than any bargain basement players. I get it, but the way the off-season went, I was expecting us to have a down year anyway.

Dumo signing this season was not very good. I would have preferred going with Megna or Evans. I get signing Yamo, who could potentially turn things around. But I didn't get the PEB signing outside of trying to get someone who is good at faceoffs.

Would rather have gone Status Quo personally...Soucy,Sprong at the very least

Boy will that be a meaningful game. If they can’t get a win in St. Louis it’s going to be a very long season.

Yep

 

[Fuhrious]

Would rather have gone Status Quo personally...Soucy,Sprong at the very least


Yep

They wanted raises and/or term. Don’t blame them but they weren’t going to get that in Seattle.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

It’s hard not to think that it will, tbh. They aren’t going to sneak up on anyone, and as was said earlier by Fistfull, they pretty clearly got worse with the additions of Dumo and PEB. I get that GMRF didn’t see a realistic “big splash” move to make, but it doesn’t look like he even managed to tread water.

Yeah. I get where Francis is coming from considering next season could be a big one for us considering Evans, Wright and I think at least 1 more of our prospects graduated to the NHL full time. I understand signing Yamo but don't get why we signed Dumo and PEB.

Dumo for 2 years was never good to begin with but there was a chance that sheltering him in the 3rd pairing role could potentially work. Doesn't look like it has so far. My biggest concern is that like most coaches, Hakstol will continue playing Dumo given his veteran status and not give Megna much of a chance. Outside of injury I don't see Evans or Fleury being called up either but I really did wish that Francis had given Evans, Fleury and Megna a chance to earn that 6D spot instead of signing Dumo.

 

[kihei]

Watching this on replay. Pretty early in the season to not have any zip. Grubauer is by far our best player at the moment.

 

[Hocktopus]

I really hope it is just a beginning of the season mini-funk as the schedule does not get easier for the Kraken for this month. Trying not to panic as some teams / players may struggle early or get off to great starts only to fade away. Heck, Cup contender Edmonton got absolutely carpet bombed 8-1 last night by what is supposed to be a non-playoff team in the Canucks

 

[Toomany7pins]

What a garbage game. 1 guy, Gru, showed up, and he was masterful. The rest of the team was sleep walking and being spectators. Piss poor effort by those not wearing #31.

PP’s are still horrible, quit spending 45seconds setting up a play only to not get a shot off. Shoot the damn puck!

Defense was crap as well. Clear the puck. Our guys also looked slow AF.

 

[kihei]

The fact that we look so slow is a real mystery to me. How did that come about?

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Once again our power play helps out the other team by giving up that shorthanded goal for the 1-0.

At least Grubauer looked good and tried to keep us in it but if you don't have the kind of shooting percentage we had last year you can't just take 20 shots and shoot from the outside about 90% of the time.

Overall my keys to a successfull season were better goaltending(Grubauer has been good in both games) and an improved power play.
The latter part has been crap, again, and cost us in both games.

I have a few things to say.

Dumoulin is not good. Wennberg is not good. That’s all for now

Well, let's put it that way.
At least we've got some kids we could start playing if things keep on going this way....
But of course it's still very early in the season.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

They wanted raises and/or term. Don’t blame them but they weren’t going to get that in Seattle.

Term,raises...about same money,term...

 

[Fuhrious]

Term,raises...about same money,term...

Soucy got 3 years @ $3.2m with a NTC. He wasnt going to get that here when GMRF specifically stated he targeted Dumo because of the 2 year term.

Sprong got a "show me" deal, presumably with the promise of better-than-4th-line ice time + PP minutes and a chance to get away from Hakstol riding him about his 2-way play. Again, wasnt going to get that in Seattle.

 

[GrungeHockey]

I don't think it has anything to do with the couple player changes they made. I think it's more a case of this team never having been as good as it thought it was and some of the luck we had last year we haven't gotten so far this year. Nothing more than that.
This team has to work hard every night or it just won't get there. Beniers could easily have a sophomore slump. Any number of guys who over achieved last year could step back. It could be a tough year and we might step back until the draft picks like Wright and Evans etc. are ready to take us to the next step forward.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I don't think it has anything to do with the couple player changes they made. I think it's more a case of this team never having been as good as it thought it was and some of the luck we had last year we haven't gotten so far this year. Nothing more than that.
This team has to work hard every night or it just won't get there. Beniers could easily have a sophomore slump. Any number of guys who over achieved last year could step back. It could be a tough year and we might step back until the draft picks like Wright and Evans etc. are ready to take us to the next step forward.

Well, I think everyone knew that we needed other parts of the teams game to improve in order to make the playoffs again.

Another year of that insane team shooting percentage is completely unrealistic and therefore we need to improve on the power play, in net and potentially in creating more chances.

So far only Grubuaer has looked good with a .918 SV% and 3.1 Goals Saved Above expected(trailing only Filip Gustavsons 3.2 GSA league wide) during the first two games.

The power play still sucks and we're also not creating more chances/shots in order to try and increase the volume to still score enough even with a lower shooting percentage.

Anyways, success in the NHL isn't linear and we might be in for a bit of a dip from last year(though, it's very early in the season) which wouldn't be a huge surprise.
Though, if that happens we could start integrating a couple of the younger guys while drafting a little bit higher in a draft that might have some high(higher end defensive prospects.

 

[Irie]

This team has always lived and died on their effort and ability to "outwork their opponent".

It is what Hakstol bases his entire system on.

Just like in 2021-22 where the team lost a ridiculous amount of games by one goal(not counting empty net goals), last season they won two thirds of their games by one goal (not counting empty net goals).

A slight drop off on their roster talent was likely going to swing them back into the the wrong side of that equation.

As has been mentioned on these boards many times by others, it is extremely difficult to outwork your opponent every game, especially when their strategy entails the same philosophy.