Seattle Kraken: 5 Must Watch Games in 2022-23
Jan. 10, 2023 @ Buffalo Sabres
Most people would think a Tuesday night matchup with the Sabres in the middle of January isn’t important. But this contest has a few storylines to follow.
First, the Kraken played Buffalo twice last season and went 2-0, scoring 12 goals. The team performed even better against San Jose (more on that in a moment), but the Sabres struggled against the upstart franchise. Buffalo will be out for a bit of revenge this year.
The Kraken may be prime for the picking because it will be the second night of their first Eastern back-to-back of the season.
On Monday, they are in Montreal. It will be an emotional night for Kraken rookie Shane Wright The presumptive first overall draft pick for most of last year skates in front of the team that passed on him at number one.
There will be plenty of buzz when the Seattle Kraken roll into Buffalo, whether it is warranted or not. How they respond on these two nights will go a long way toward handling more important back-to-backs like Tampa Bay and Edmonton the following week.
Geekie buries the one-timer just after the Sabres penalty expired as the Kraken take a 1-0 lead late in the 1st #SabresAfterDark #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/BpPFfWNqCd
— Crossing Swords ⚔️ (@CrossSwordsPod) November 5, 2021
Dec. 22, 2022 @ Tampa Bay Lightning
Last season the Kraken faced off against the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Champions twice. They lost both games while scoring a single goal. Tampa is fresh off appearing in their third straight Cup Finals and is re-focused after losing their grasp on the silver chalice.
Whether their opponents are an expansion team or a veteran team jockeying for a playoff spot, Tampa has skated with a target on their back for years. Seattle didn’t match up well against them at all last year; however, the calendar turned towards a new season, and a unique opportunity presents itself.
For the Seattle Kraken to take the next step, they must hang with the league’s powerhouses and shed those expansion team blues.
Yanni Gourde nets one against his former team. 🚨
📺: @NHL_On_TNT ➡️ https://t.co/LaJpv7c3yx #NHLonTNT pic.twitter.com/bBwX1bu9fK
— NHL (@NHL) March 17, 2022