3 Takeaways From the Kraken’s 4-1 Win Over the Flyers

Grubauer’s last NHL win came on Dec. 30 against the Utah Hockey Club. It appears general manager Ron Francis had the right idea in sending him down to the Firebirds. His confidence has been restored, and Grubauer played like an NHL-level goalie. 

Kartye Benefitted From Coachella Valley, Too

Tye Kartye played his last game with Seattle exactly a month before this one, on Feb. 8. He was consistently a healthy scratch until the end of the month, when he was sent down to Coachella Valley. There, he played in three games and earned four points with two goals and two assists. After his month-long break from the NHL, he returned and scored the first goal for Seattle.

He received the puck after Vince Dunn sent it down the boards. Kartye picked it up and skated it up and around the net. Turning around once he hit the face-off circle, Kartye let the puck fly, burying it into the net. 

This season is Kartye’s second in the NHL. Last season, he recorded 20 points in 77 games, from 11 goals and nine assists. So far this season, he has played in 50 games and recorded eight points via four goals and four assists. His last goal was on Dec. 15 against the New York Islanders, and his last assist was on Jan. 28 against the Anaheim Ducks. 

Kartye was not going to learn from constantly being a healthy scratch. Once again, Francis made the right move by sending him to Coachella Valley. He regained his confidence after the four points he earned in the AHL, and his performance yesterday displayed just that.

Strong Penalty Kill Kept Kraken in the Game

In penalty kills overall in the league, the Kraken are toward the bottom of the pack at 23rd place, with a 76.1% kill rate. Despite taking five penalties against the Flyers, the Kraken managed to kill off each one. Not only that, Chandler Stephenson scored a short-handed goal. He is the only player on the team who has scored a shorthanded goal this season. That marked his second of the season. 

Stephenson stole the puck from the Flyers off a bad pass from Rasmus Ristolainen. He skated up to the goal with no one defending him and scored the third goal of the game with 22 seconds left in the second period. His goal came on Seattle’s final penalty of the game. 

The Kraken couldn’t put the puck away during one of the three power-play chances they earned, but their chances on the penalty kill certainly made up for that.

The Road Trip Continues

The Kraken will have the second half of a back-to-back today. On Sunday, March 9, they take on the Washington Capitals.