C’mon Seattle, let’s get Kraken!

By Olivia Lawrence

RP Show Intern

The Seattle Kraken is now sitting at 3-6-1 after a 5-2 loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. Rod Pedersen chatted with Seattle Kraken Studio Host Mike Benton on Tuesday’s episode of The Rod Pedersen Show to discuss the team and their season so far. 

“That was a game where it was going to be as stiff of a test as it got maybe here for the season,” said Benton. “The Edmonton Oilers are firing on all cylinders, it was going to require as close to a mistake free game as it got for the Seattle Kraken. They’re built this season to win a lot of games 2-1, 3-2, to stay out of the penalty box, and get some timely goaltending on top of that. They hung around for a good while in that game.”

Jaden Schwartz from the Kraken was able to respond with a goal early in the game to match the Oilers, and then Carson Soucy was able to make it a one goal game toward the end of the second period. But ultimately, it did not stop the Oilers from pulling away. The Kraken spent some time in the penalty box, and there were not enough saves or goals by the Kraken.

Rod Pedersen thinks the Kraken have won more games than they should have so far for an expansion team, but he asked Benton what the expectations are for the team this season.

“The playoffs are still maybe a realistic goal, but for a lot of people around here there’s not so much that huge expectation to do what the Vegas Golden Knights did and make a serious run for a Stanley Cup,” said Benton. “If they get there, certainly, I mean, it’s another storybook season. But again, they have some new players waiting in the wings that they’re building out long term.” 

The team is currently sitting at the bottom of their division, so it is going to be tough to make the playoffs, but we need to remember there are a lot of games to go. There is also a soft spot and fan base for this team on the prairies, considering the roster has four players from Saskatchewan: Hayden and Cale Fleury from Carlyle, Jaden Schwartz from Wilcox, Jordan Eberle from the “Sweatpants Capital”, and Kole Lind from Swift Current.

“The start is certainly tough at 3-6-1, but night after night you hear from [head coach] Dave Hakstol about putting the pieces in place,” said Benton. ”Not getting too down after a loss and seeing if those building blocks can be useful again to make a serious run for a playoff spot once we get deeper and deeper into the season and head toward March and April.”

The Kraken play again on Thursday Nov 4 at home against the Buffalo Sabres.