Game 25: Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Kraken
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST
In Canada: Sportsnet East/Ontario/Pacific (English)
In the Canadiens region: RDS (French)
In the Kraken region: ROOT Northwest
Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, Sportsnet+
In their second season of existence in 2022-23, the Seattle Kraken were responsible for some of the top offensive outbursts. On seven different occasions they scored at least seven goals, with the peak being a 9-8 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings. On 24 occasions they found the net at least five times.
This year things are much different for the NHL’s newest franchise. From the fourth-best goals-per-game rate of 3.52, they’re currently fourth-worst at 2.68, and have been held to one goal or less nine times, or 36% of their games. Most recently, they were shut out by the Ottawa Senators, the second time this season they’ve lost despite surrendering only two goals.
Losing Andre Burakovsky early in the season was a blow to the team. The Austrian winger had carried the form from his Stanley Cup win with the Colorado Avalanche into his first season in Seattle last year, producing 39 points in 49 games. Just as large a loss was the failure to sign Daniel Sprong to an extension after his breakout season. He inked a deal with the Detroit Red Wings, and the Montreal Canadiens just witnessed him score his sixth goal of the year on Saturday night.
There are healthy players still playing each day who have been unable to replicate last year’s success. Matty Beniers scored 24 goals on his way to the Calder Trophy, the second-highest total on the team behind Jared McCann. So far this season, he’s scored four. From 20 goals, Jordan Eberle sits on three. Reduced production from the back end may be the biggest culprit for the decline. Seattle’s defencemen combined for 44 goals last year, but despite enjoying perfect health on the blue line with their six defencemen playing all 25 games so far, they’re on pace for just 30.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Kraken |
|---|---|---|
| 10-11-3 | Record | 8-11-6 |
| 45.6% (27th) | Scoring-chances-for % | 53.0% (9th) |
| 2.75 (28th) | Goals per game | 2.68 (29th) |
| 3.54 (26th) | Goals against per game | 3.40 (23rd) |
| 16.9% (24th) | PP% | 21.0% (15th) |
| 73.9% (27th) | PK% | 75.7% (22nd) |
| 1-1-0 | Head-to-Head Record | 1-1-0 |
Offence from the defence is one of the things the Canadiens were able to carry into the new campaign. Goals from Justin Barron and Gustav Lindström helped Montreal overcome a 3-0 lead for Sprong and company to get Saturday’s game to overtime, and that has brought the number of goals from the Habs’ blue-liners to 20 on the year — projecting to 68 over the full season.
Getting the forwards going is a work in progress for Martin St-Louis, especially with the losses of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook for the foreseeable future. He’s been resorting to the blender trying to stumble upon some trios that work for him. He and the team could use more of the play that Joel Armia has been providing since his most recent call-up from the AHL, not just with two goals in three games, but eight shots on target as he’s trusting his high-level release more. If he can keep up that effort, he just may hang onto his top-line spot with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.
Offence is only half of the problem, however. Saturday’s game was the 11th in which the Habs have allowed at least four goals, and they’ve lost each time they’ve done so. Samuel Montembeault has only been responsible for two of those outings, and it’s his turn to play in the simple rotation St-Louis has been using the last few weeks. That level of consistency earned the goaltender a contract extension, so he comes into this game with the most job security he’s enjoyed in his hockey career. The question is whether that will make him feel he needs to do even more than he’s already been doing — the second-most goals saved above average per 60 minutes of five-on-five time among goalies to have at least five starts — or if he relaxes just a bit with the negotiations behind him.
