One: Montour Returns to Lineup, McCann Moves to IR
Kraken D-man, away from the team for the last four games, will be back alongside defenseman partner Ryan Lindgren Saturday night as the Kraken look to post a third-straight home win to start the season. Montour talked to the media with a heavy heart and unabashed tears after Saturday’s morning skate, detailing his feelings about losing his older brother, Cameron, to ALS after a four-year battle. No doubt Kraken will give the popular Montour a warm welcome home.
The team announced Saturday morning that forward Jared McCann has been moved to the injured reserve (IR) list. Coach Lane Lambert characterized it as a transaction to manage the active roster, and the Kraken’s all-time leading scorer was still “day-to-day” with a lower-body injury. In more optimistic news, fellow IR teammate Kaapo Kakko skated with the team Saturday morning, with Lambert saying the Finnish forward is progressing and is now officially “day to day.”
Lambert praised Jaden Schwartz post-game Thursday for his two goals and stellar all-zone play. He added positive remarks about Chandler Stephenson’s faceoff work (clarifying the outcomes of where the puck ended up rather than judging on what can be a misleading percentage stat of faceoff wins and losses.
If you are looking for another Kraken who might be pivotal against a talented Oilers squad, one vote here is to keep an eye on Shane Wright. He’s playing a tenacious game in all zones while producing two goals and three assists, including Schwartz’s first goal in Thursday’s win in Manitoba. Wright is trending to puck more pucks toward the net and that’s a good thing.
Two: Digging Deeper on the Seattle Penalty Kill
Lambert was adamant that the Kraken penalty killers are working at an elite level, even if the basic statistic—percentage of penalties killed — is more middle of the pack. The PK units kept an offensively gifted Jets power play off the boards, and we all know who and what Edmonton brings to town on man-advantage.
“The penalty kill was good,” said Lambert, who has led his past teams to elite PK status. “The statistics don’t say our penalty kill is good, but our penalty kill has been good this year. If you look at expected goals against, which takes into consideration everything, every shot that comes in, where it comes in, from what we’ve done, we’re in the top [third] in the league. We’ve had some goals go in on us, and that’s the way it goes.”
Let’s “phone” a friend and colleague, Kraken Hockey Network analyst Alison Lukan, who, on-air and on the Kraken app and website, provides her own top-level hockey analytics storytelling. Here’s her take on Lambert’s PK comments: “Basically, if you look at shorthanded play, in terms of expected goals per 60, per Evolving-hockey.com, the Kraken rank ninth in the league (7.67 expected goals against). That’s a big improvement from last year, when they ranked 31st, allowing 9.85 expected goals against per 60.”
Three: Know the Foe: Oilers Spreading Out McDavid and Draisaitl
Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday that 19-year-old rookie Isaac Howard will be on his team’s top line with Connor McDavid at center and right wing Andrew Mangiapane. Draisaitl will center wingers Matthew Savoie and Vasily Podkolzin. The quality depth continues with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the third line between Adam Henrique and Jack Roslovic. Edmonton sits right behind the Kraken in the Pacific Division with nine points in its first eight games with a 4-3-1 record.
Projected Lines/Pairings (not official):
Catton-Beniers-Eberle
Marchment-Stephenson-Tolvanen
Schwartz-Wright-Nyman
Kartye-Meyers-Winterton
Dunn-Larsson
Lindgren-Montour
Mahura- Oleksiak
Daccord