The Seattle Kraken hit their third straight weekend upset — . And their next five opponents will be tough to beat, leaving the very real possibility that Seattle will fall far behind in the Pacific Division Stanley Cup playoff race.
The Kraken just passed by a 3-1 loss at the hands of the underdogs Chicago Blackhawks Thursday. And their next five opponents will be tough to beat, leaving a real chance for Seattle to fall far behind in the race to lock up a Stanley Cup playoff spot.
The Kraken start the weekend with a road game on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Seattle beat Vegas 4-3 in overtime Nov. 8 in Seattle, but the Golden Knights are the best team in the Pacific Division for good reason, and their 12-3-0 home record is pretty scary. Vegas is also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. And Seattle has a new player of note in right winger Kaapo Kakko. Kraken GM Ron Francis explained how the deal came about:
Once the Kraken are done with Vegas, their next opponent is Colorado, a team Seattle has already lost twice this season in late October and early November. This time, however, the Kraken face the Avs the day after playing Vegas, so Seattle’s resolve will be tested.
And after that, the Kraken enjoyed a holiday break before splitting with Vancouver on the road. The Canucks’ 6-7-4 home record presents an opportunity for the Kraken to improve on their current 7-9-0 streak.
Related: Kraken Hit Home Run With Acquisition Of Former New York Rangers Young Star Kakko
In any case, after taking the Canucks Dec. 28, the Kraken face Utah two days later. Then, in their next match on Jan. 2, Seattle hosts the Canucks. The Kraken get two more games against the Canucks this season — once on March 1 in Seattle, and in Vancouver on April 2. Regardless of the details, the Canucks will provide a tough test for the Kraken.
If the Kraken are going to make the playoffs this season, they will have to perform as well as they can. Any extended stumbles, and Seattle will have it out of their hands this season. And that will probably spell “no hockey to play” for the Kraken for his year.
