Things have been quiet in Kraken land lately. 

Their power play went 0-6 on the day, and they were shut out for the second time in their last three games. That same PP is 0/14 in their last four games. 

Head coach Lane Lambert has focused on special teams in practice lately, as the Kraken look to improve during this four-day break from games. 

“The competition between the two is critical,” Lambert said about his top PP practicing against the top PK. 

“If you have a good powerplay, it improves your penalty kill. If you have a good penalty kill, it improves your powerplay. We did a lot of film the last couple days, we did some work on the ice the last couple days on both things. We talk about our powerplay, our powerplay has won us some games this year. And you’re going to go through little stretches in the season, 82 games, where maybe the powerplay gets a little dry. It’s not like we didn’t have shots.” 

Lambert added that the penalty kill allowing 24 goals this year is a “problem” and that the PK has to be better. 

One element that may not carry over is the nastiness, because prime instigator Mason Marchment will not be on the flight to Edmonton. Lambert didn’t delve deeply into the nature of the injury, but he could be back in the Kraken lineup on Saturday. 

This is a one-off road game for Seattle, before they begin a three-game homestand against Detroit on Saturday. 

Jared McCann

Jared McCann is still getting revved up after a long injury layoff. 

The de facto franchise leader, McCann has led the Kraken in all four seasons of the Kraken’s existence. Playing just seven games so far this year for an offence-starved group, a healthy McCann is hoped to help this ailing squad. 

“We’re getting shots to the net. We’re making the goalie make some tough saves. I feel like we’re making some plays too. But we got to stick with it…I think it comes down to shooting the puck more. Creating second chances off shots.” 

Again, without leading point man Jaden Schwartz in the lineup, they are trying to find ways to score goals. But this is as much as scoring-by-committee as an NHL team gets. 

Schwartz, Eberle, Beniers, Montour, Dunn, Stephenson, Marchment, Wright, and Tolvanen are all significant parts of the team’s payroll and have double-digit points, but no one has more than 15. 

There’s so much emphasis on the power play, yet 5-on-5, no team in the league has scored fewer times than Seattle. Their 36 goals 5v5 is six fewer than the 31st-best, Los Angeles. 

If their special teams don’t create, they don’t score all too often. 

With all of this said, the Kraken are 11-7-6 and on the fringe of a playoff spot. It’s not doom and gloom in the near future if they can find some goals. But long-term, what is Seattle’s ceiling?

The ceiling doesn’t matter in the context of Thursday’s game specifically, one you have to expect the Kraken are going to come out with a dogged, determined effort. 

Notes:  The Oilers will be starved to score too, of course, after being shut out by the Wild, and the Kraken boast an impressive team save percentage. SEA’s team save percentage 5-on-5 is second in the NHL, right behind the Wild, at .933. The Oilers will have to work themselves to get goals. Off a regulation loss, the Kraken are 3-2-1 this season. The Oilers are 2-4-2 off a regulation loss. Both the Oilers and Kraken have been past regulation 10 times this year. SEA is 4-6 past regulation, EDM is 5-5. The Oilers are 13-4 vs the Kraken all-time, and 6-1 at home lifetime. PRESENTED BY SOUTHVIEW ACURA

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