Seattle Kraken 3 Stars of Week 1: Improved Power Play Leads the Way
Ciara Durant
|
The Seattle Kraken’s three stars of the week all impressed, leading the way for the team’s power play to show significant improvement.
We’re starting a new series for the Seattle Kraken this season. Three Stars of the Week is a feature dedicated to showcasing the team’s current talent and giving them their due. At the end of each week, our staff votes for the three players we believe best-exemplified integrity, leadership, and dedication. Those who went above and beyond for their team.
Busy Opening Week
In the first three games of the season, fans saw seen a very mixed bag of results. The Seattle Kraken are currently 1-1-1, snagging 3 of 6 possible points over the last week.
In the opener, they fought relentlessly against the Anaheim Ducks, then won big against the Los Angeles Kings before finishing with a brutal beating from the Vegas Golden Knights. There are still plenty of games left this season, but many moments have left us hopeful.
Despite the small sample size, the team has seen an uptick in scoring. Compared to last season’s 2.60 goals scored per game, the Seattle Kraken are currently scoring at a 3.33 goals-per-game pace. Two players are currently on pace for 109-point seasons. While that may be a bit far-fetched, especially this early, it is exciting to see.
Another reason to smile has been the vast improvement in this year’s power play. Kraken General manager Ron Francis made a few changes in the offseason that have aided Seattle’s special teams, especially on the man advantage. This week’s three stars of the week have spearheaded that initiative specifically.
These improvements currently have the Seattle Kraken sitting fifth in the league in power play percentage. That’s just slightly behind elite teams such as the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Funny enough, one of our three stars of the week and one of our honorable mentions has a history with both of those teams. It’s no surprise the Kraken have seen an improvement in that area.
After just one week of regular season play, there is already much to look forward to over the coming year. After last season, this is certainly the hope Kraken fans need. Seattle may not be phenomenal this season, but they will surely be fun to watch.