{"id":370160,"date":"2025-12-22T22:18:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T22:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/370160\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T22:18:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T22:18:11","slug":"monday-musings-a-pulse-amid-the-plunge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/370160\/","title":{"rendered":"Monday Musings: A pulse amid the plunge?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Seattle Kraken, at least momentarily, ended their skid Saturday night with a gutsy 4\u20132 win over the San Jose Sharks. It\u2019s been a grueling four\u2011week stretch, 10 losses in 11 games, and while the Kraken haven\u2019t played outright poor hockey, their issues run deeper than bad luck. Injuries, a thin roster, and too many nights where the opponent simply had more have all caught up to them. Saturday didn\u2019t fix everything, but it did give them a bit of reprieve from this brutal stretch.<\/p>\n<p>Playing tight games<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of what the record says, the Kraken have been competitive all season. As rough as the last several weeks have been, they\u2019re still keeping games close and giving themselves a chance. Their last eight games have all been decided by one goal, and they\u2019ve played 25 one\u2011goal games this season when you exclude empty-netters, second most in the league behind the Los Angeles Kings.<\/p>\n<p>A great example came last Tuesday against the best team in the league, the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken went toe-to-toe with them and entered the third period with a one\u2011goal lead before Colorado flipped the game with two goals (plus an empty-netter) in the final frame. In the first 20-plus games of the season, that game almost certainly would have reached overtime and earned Seattle at least a point. But that just isn\u2019t happening right now. In their first 23 games, the Kraken reached overtime 10 times; over their last 10, they\u2019ve made it to the extra frame just once.<\/p>\n<p>They mentioned this on the postgame show Saturday night: when Vince Dunn turned the puck over deep in the Kraken zone, leading to San Jose\u2019s go\u2011ahead goal early in the third, it felt like another \u201chere we go again\u201d moment. But the Kraken responded less than a minute and a half later to tie it, and suddenly the energy shifted. A few minutes after that, Ryan Lindgren scored his first as a Kraken, the eventual game\u2011winner.<\/p>\n<p>Departure of Mason Marchment<\/p>\n<p>As you probably know by now, the Kraken <a href=\"https:\/\/soundofhockey.com\/2025\/12\/19\/kraken-trade-mason-marchment-to-columbus-blue-jackets-for-draft-picks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">shipped off Mason Marchment<\/a> on Friday for a couple of draft picks from Columbus. There was some excitement about Marchment providing additional depth scoring, but that never materialized. Coming into the season, I thought it was reasonable to expect around 20 goals from him, roughly 0.25 per game. Instead, he managed just four goals in 29 games (0.14 per game). He also struggled defensively, leading Kraken forwards in turnovers and penalties taken.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">His Kraken legacy <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6YcIZiCSNI\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/6YcIZiCSNI<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 g (@krakenisles) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/krakenisles\/status\/2002252162227986834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">December 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Considering the drop\u2011off in performance, it\u2019s actually impressive that Seattle got more in return than what they paid for him in the offseason.<\/p>\n<p>More trades to come?<\/p>\n<p>Given how the season has gone, a lot of fans are expecting, or demanding, a sell\u2011off of veteran players. As always, the team will listen to all inquiries, but there\u2019s no rush. The trade market doesn\u2019t really heat up until about 30 days before the deadline. If the Kraken do become sellers, and right now that seems likely, they\u2019ll want as many teams in the mix as possible to drive up demand. Some clubs don\u2019t yet know whether they\u2019re buyers or sellers, and others may develop deeper needs as the deadline approaches.<\/p>\n<p>The other side of the equation is prospect readiness. You don\u2019t want to bring up players who aren\u2019t ready for the NHL, and right now there aren\u2019t many in Coachella Valley who are prepared for full\u2011time roles. Rushing them would be detrimental to their development.<\/p>\n<p>Other musings<\/p>\n<p>The Kraken have the same number of standings points as they did at this time last season.<\/p>\n<p>When Seattle scored the empty\u2011netter against San Jose on Saturday with 1:30 left, it was their first two\u2011goal lead since Nov. 15, also <a href=\"https:\/\/soundofhockey.com\/2025\/11\/16\/philipp-grubauer-shines-kraken-beat-sharks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">against San Jose<\/a>. They\u2019ve held a two-plus-goal lead for just 4.4 percent of their total game time this season, the lowest rate in the NHL.<\/p>\n<p>One encouraging trend: special teams. The penalty kill hasn\u2019t been perfect, but over the last seven games it\u2019s operating at 80 percent after sitting at a league\u2011worst 64.8 percent prior. The power play has also surged, converting at 30 percent over the same stretch after sitting at 17 percent for the season.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"975\" height=\"508\" data-attachment-id=\"45966\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/soundofhockey.com\/2025\/12\/22\/kraken-show-a-pulse\/image-499\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-20.png\" data-orig-size=\"975,508\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/soundofhockey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-20-300x156.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-20.png\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-20.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy lazy-hidden wp-image-45966\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Seattle averages 0.65 points per game when scoring first and just 0.31 when allowing the first goal.<\/p>\n<p>In case you missed it, Brandon Montour is out four weeks. Add it to the long list of significant injuries this season. Montour is second on the team in time on ice and has often dragged the Kraken back into games. Injuries happen to everyone, but when they hit your best players, the impact is brutal.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Brandon Montour out approximately four weeks after hand surgery, per <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SeattleKrakenPR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@SeattleKrakenPR<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Got injured in the below brouhaha. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sfuIsVGNDp\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/sfuIsVGNDp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sound_hockey\/status\/2003171933245047054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">December 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It was great to see the Torrent open the 100 level and Space Needle Lounge for Sunday\u2019s game versus the Boston Fleet. Seattle is averaging the second\u2011highest attendance in the league this season.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"975\" height=\"513\" data-attachment-id=\"45967\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/soundofhockey.com\/2025\/12\/22\/kraken-show-a-pulse\/image-500\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-21.png\" data-orig-size=\"975,513\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/soundofhockey.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-21-300x158.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-21.png\" data-lazy-type=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-21.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy lazy-hidden wp-image-45967\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Goal of the week<\/p>\n<p>Regular readers and Sound Of Hockey listeners know how much I love this kid:<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WHAT A GOAL BY OSCAR MOLGAARD. HIS 5TH OF THE SEASON AND GIVING THE BIRDS BACK THE LEAD <\/p>\n<p>3-2 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xdXmUdevH1\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/xdXmUdevH1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Firebirds\/status\/2001520148822528038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">December 18, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<p>By the way, the Kraken are 2\u20110\u20110 with Molgaard in the lineup.<\/p>\n<p>Player performances<\/p>\n<p>Chandler Stephenson (SEA) \u2013 Riding a four\u2011game goal streak with five points in his last four. He also has points in eight straight. <br \/>Jagger Firkus (CVF\/SEA) \u2013 Five points in two weekend games. He has 13 goals in 26 games after scoring 15 in 69 last season.<br \/>Nathan Villeneuve (SBY\/SEA) \u2013 Eight points in his last four games. He has 14 multi\u2011point games and is on pace for 98 points in the OHL.<\/p>\n<p>The week ahead<\/p>\n<p>The Kraken face a dreaded back\u2011to\u2011back with games against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, starting Monday night in Anaheim. Both teams sit ahead of Seattle in the standings, but the Kraken have beaten each of them once already this season. Nothing is easy for Seattle right now, but both the Ducks and Kings look more vulnerable than their records suggest. Anaheim is 5\u20115\u20110 in its last 10 and has been giving up goals in bunches. The Kings are 4\u20112\u20114 and struggling to score. If there\u2019s ever a good time to face these teams, this might be it.<\/p>\n<p>After the holiday break, the Kraken return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday the 28th. The Flyers have lost four of their last five but reached overtime in four of those games, including two against Carolina.<\/p>\n<p>Given how Seattle has been playing, grabbing three of six possible points this week would be solid. But if they can snag three of the four points available against Pacific Division teams, that would be a real confidence boost, and a sign that this slump might finally be ending.<\/p>\n<p>And finally\u2026<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s plenty of other hockey to enjoy this week. The Seattle Torrent play one more home game this month when they host <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepwhl.com\/en\/stats\/player\/31\/8\/marie-philip-poulin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marie\u2011Philip Poulin<\/a> and the Montreal Victoire on Tuesday night at Climate Pledge. After the break, they head to Dallas for their first Takeover Tour game against the New York Sirens. Both games will air locally on Fox 13+ and YouTube (though you wouldn\u2019t know it from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepwhl.com\/en\/stats\/schedule\/8\/8\/all-months\/homeaway?league=1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PWHL schedule page<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>World Juniors also kicks off Friday. The Kraken will be represented on at least three teams (Finland, Sweden, and Czechia) and possibly a fourth if Blake Fiddler sticks with Team USA. Regardless of who you\u2019re rooting for, the tournament is always a blast. All games will air on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/news\/nhl-network-announces-exclusive-2026-iihf-world-junior-championship-coverage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NHL Network<\/a>, which is getting harder to find with the current streaming landscape.<\/p>\n<p>This column will likely take next week off, but the hockey certainly won\u2019t. Between the Torrent\u2019s final home game of the month, the Takeover Tour stop in Dallas, and a World Juniors tournament loaded with Kraken prospects, there\u2019s plenty to keep Seattle fans entertained through the holidays. It\u2019s been a chaotic, injury\u2011riddled, occasionally maddening calendar year for the Kraken, and hopefully this team can turn the page with the new calendar year. Thanks for reading, for riding the waves with me, and for making this space such a fun one to write in. Enjoy the holidays \u2014 we\u2019ll pick things back up in the new year.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Seattle Kraken, at least momentarily, ended their skid Saturday night with a gutsy 4\u20132 win over the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[5,4188,4,2686,5888,234,11354,5318],"class_list":{"0":"post-370160","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-seattle-kraken","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-kraken","10":"tag-nhl","11":"tag-seattle","12":"tag-seattle-hockey-news","13":"tag-seattle-kraken","14":"tag-seattle-kraken-news","15":"tag-seattlekraken"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115765543359167284","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}