Seattle Kraken 3 Keys to a Round 2 Victory
Jonathan West
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Win More Faceoffs
Based on the season series, I’ll be shocked if the Seattle Kraken totally reverses their faceoff woes against Dallas (41%). This translates to a gap of 10 faceoffs lost per game when the average has been 55 total taken per 60-minute contest.
Each of those three faceoffs per period means a potential scoring chance or defensive re-group. Not a recipe for success, especially in the CORSI era.
Yanni Gourde and Morgan Geekie led the Kraken during the regular season in faceoff percentage. Still, both were under 50% compared to eight Dallas players over that percentage.
The Seattle playoff leader is Jared McCann, who can hopefully join the team soon. Let this video from late February be a reminder for teams not only winning faceoffs but also being prepared to receive them as well.
Contain Heiskanen & Benn
Center Roope Hintz may be on a playoff hot streak, but Stars top-line defenseman #4 Miro Heiskanen has been a true Kraken killer this season (2G, 5A, +4). He either scored or assisted the game-winner for both wins in Seattle.
In Dallas’ only defeat to Seattle, Miro still notched a goal and an assist while playing solid defense on the blue line with a +1 rating. His six assists are tied for the Stars’ third-most playoff points, and the Finn also leads in plus/minus with his blueline mate Ryan Suter.
Left winger and team captain #14 Jamie Benn has also been a barnacle on Seattle’s boat this year (2G, 4A, +3). The Victoria, BC native has spent his entire 14-year career “Deep in the Heart of Texas” and led Dallas in powerplay goals, short-handed points, and faceoff percentage this season.
So far in the 2023 playoffs, “Chubbs” has upped his dot-winning percentage to an impressive 67.95%. That number is ranked top-five for all players in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.