Seattle Kraken Set to Clash with Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena
As the Seattle Kraken prepare to face off against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, fans are eager for what promises to be a gripping encounter. The upcoming game, scheduled for October 13th, is set against a backdrop of recent performances that suggest an uphill battle for the Kraken.
In their last outing on October 12th against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center, the Kraken displayed both resilience and areas of concern. Despite scoring four goals and launching an impressive 48 shots on goal, defensive lapses led to a -8 plus-minus rating and ultimately contributed to their overtime loss. The powerplay was a silver lining with three goals from five opportunities; however, this was overshadowed by shortcomings in faceoff win percentage (43 percent) and goaltending (save percentage of just 82 percent).
The previous games have painted a picture of inconsistency for the Kraken. On October 7th against the Edmonton Oilers, they managed three goals from 33 shots but were let down by their defense in the third period where they conceded four times. Their faceoff performance improved slightly (49 percent), yet it wasn't enough as they fell short with another loss.
The first game of this sequence on October 3rd versus Calgary Flames showed similar trends: difficulty in maintaining puck possession as evidenced by winning only 31 percent of faceoffs and being outscored despite taking fewer penalties than their opponents.
For Seattle fans looking ahead to the clash with Los Angeles Kings, there's hope that lessons have been learned from these encounters. The team's ability to generate offensive chances is clear; however, tightening up defensively will be crucial if they are to come away with a win.
The Kings will not make it easy – they'll look to exploit any weaknesses shown by Seattle's defense and goaltending while aiming to control puck possession through faceoffs where Seattle has struggled recently.
As anticipation builds for this Pacific Division matchup, fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+, BSW channel 692 or ROOT Sports NW channel 687 on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena starting at 7:30 PM local time (10:30 PM Eastern Time).