Post-Game Talk: Game 35: Seattle Kraken (15-17-2, 7-9-0 Away) at Vegas Golden Knights (21-8-3, 12-3-0 Home) - 7:00 p.m. PT

[Fistfullofbeer]

Hard to tell which team is down by 2.

 

[Fuhrious]

Why is Hertl able to skate completely unbothered along the boards down behind the net and pass to a wide open Karlsson out in front of Grubauer? Who are they even covering?

 

[kihei]

Vegas can move that puck around pretty damn good. I'm impressed.

 

[Fuhrious]

fkn hell Evans, who are you blindly throwing that puck to?

 

[kihei]

Oh, damn.

 

[Fuhrious]

That's me done.

Night folks.

 

[kihei]

It just gets worse and worse.

 

[The Marquis]

If I’m Francis, I’m trying to save my job by dealing with the coaching issue. It isn’t working.

 

[kihei]

Nice primary assist by Wright on that Schwartz goal. Wright's play is as close to a ray of sunshine as anything we have seen on the Kraken for a while now.

 

[kihei]

Wish I could say that I see light at the end of the tunnel, but I would be lying if I said so. This team is in desperate straits right now.

 

[Fuhrious]

4 game losing streak, outscored 17-4 in that stretch

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

If I’m Francis, I’m trying to save my job by dealing with the coaching issue. It isn’t working.

I mean, do you really think changing a coach at this point does anything?

 

[Fuhrious]

ECH mentions the McCann / Beniers / Kakko line was outshot 20 to 2

 

[Kevinsane]

I missed this game due to other commitments, but yikes.

 

[Toomany7pins]

I missed this game due to other commitments, but yikes.

You are so lucky.

 

[The Marquis]

I mean, do you really think changing a coach at this point does anything?

No, but I’m not trying to keep my job as a GM of an NHL team.

 

[CLW]

So, just from watching the last couple of games I get the sense of a team going through the motions, lots of busywork but no real traction, cohesion or support. Also, the team seems to try and play faster than the players are capable of so everyone ends up chasing the play. What is Bylsma's big idea? Hakstol was probably too systemic but this certainly does not look like an improvement.

 

[kihei]

I mean, do you really think changing a coach at this point does anything?

Francis' other option is to ride this streak out and hope it's a slump and not an indication of the team's terminally flawed design. I mean, he has stuck himself (and the team) in a corner largely of his own making.

 

[The Marquis]

So, just from watching the last couple of games I get the sense of a team going through the motions, lots of busywork but no real traction, cohesion or support. Also, the team seems to try and play faster than the players are capable of so everyone ends up chasing the play. What is Bylsma's big idea? Hakstol was probably too systemic but this certainly does not look like an improvement.

This point on speed is very valid. I think in year one and two, we had a lot of players who could keep up with the speed, but many of those players have left and many of those remaining have aged themselves to a slower game, but nothing has changed with the speed they are trying to play at and frankly it isn’t working.

Then Cups gets the puck and slows the speed down to a crawl and nobody is ready for it because their brains are trying to keep up with the play up to that point.

Even guys who feel like they are hopped up on uppers like Tanev and Gourde have slowed and it’s obvious. Where 2 years ago they would have been right on the puck, now they are reaching to get it and often failing, and the young teams they play against are quick enough to read it. It’s ugly and I think largely why the Kraken are struggling against bad but young teams.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Didn't expect anything out of this one and that's what we got.

Also liked ECH talking about putting wingers next to Stephenson to elevate him.
'Great stuff having to do that for a guy you signed to a seven year deal this offseason...

If I’m Francis, I’m trying to save my job by dealing with the coaching issue. It isn’t working.

1) Is Francis even allowed to make that move?
He fired a guy he just extended for three seasons(starting this one) and hand picked the guy who's now coaching.

2) Even if you change the coach, again, this team still has problems talent wise.

I think we'll see Francis being moved to president of something at some point, the summer being the latest.

 

[The Marquis]

Didn't expect anything out of this one and that's what we got.

Also liked ECH talking about putting wingers next to Stephenson to elevate him.
'Great stuff having to do that for a guy you signed to a seven year deal this offseason...



1) Is Francis even allowed to make that move?
He fired a guy he just extended for three seasons(starting this one) and hand picked the guy who's now coaching.

2) Even if you change the coach, again, this team still has problems talent wise.

I think we'll see Francis being moved to president of something at some point, the summer being the latest.

You’re probably not wrong. This team is bumming me out right now, more than they should be, but that’s probably the lifetime Mariner’s fan talking more than anything.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

You’re probably not wrong. This team is bumming me out right now, more than they should be, but that’s probably the lifetime Mariner’s fan talking more than anything.

The team is mid at best, not all that young and has some crap contracts thanks to Francis free agency doings.

I think we're in need of at least a re-tool but don't know how that should ever happen with the current guys in charge and ownership wanting to be competitive consistantly.

So we're basically in a state of meh which is how you turn away fans from actually giving two shi*** about it.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think we'll see Francis being moved to president of something at some point, the summer being the latest.

This is what the folks at ECH have mentioned a few times now. But this is not something that happens in mid-season. So that would mean the only 2 options are 1) Replace Bylsma 2) Ride it out.

I am being 100% real here that I have no idea what really fixes this issue. I understand that more talent will certainly help but this team is underperforming given the roster we have. I am not saying we would be in race for our division but at least be a bubble playoff team.

My guess is Francis is hanging on to hope that we somehow bounce back or even go on another small 3-4 game win streak to keep the playoff dream alive. We are currently 7 points off from the closest wild card spot and 6 points above the worst team in the NHL. Francis probably feels it's still pretty close to really make any big move.

 

[Dead Coyote]

1. If Keegan Kolesar and Tanner Pearson look like Pavel Datsyuk on breakaways against you, you should probably just hang up the pads. Not excusing the defense here either because holy f*** guys, there were so many plays that should have just...not been plays, but if you can't even save muffins from guys like Kolesar and Hanifin, you should probably see yourself out.

2. There are like 3 players moving their skates in the defensive zone at any given time. Out of our whole roster. Why? Did we all just decide to collectively watch the game instead of play it? The lack of jump- well, the lack of really *anything* is...uh...something. I feel like I'm watching the mid 2000s Leafs who have only shown up to collect their paycheque and go home.

3. I don't wanna act like it's super simple to just fix the issue but...look, the guy across from you is not a good goalie. You scored two nothing goals on him. Yet we just...won't shoot the puck? It's like we're thinking the game at the speed of molasses, okay we need to get set up in the o-zone, move the puck around, get some screens going, and then we can shoot the puck! No. Just shoot the f***ing puck. I guarantee if we had 40 shots at least 5 of them would have gone in. Like 20 shots in 3 periods is just embarrassing. Just shoot the puck! All you need to do is get lucky and shoot the puck, time honored tradition that works against every team in the league. Put pucks to the net. Isn't this hockey 101? Why is this such a hard concept for most of our team to grasp?

I saw that Grubaeur was in and we were playing the VGK and knew we were going to get walloped with a 7-1 score or something like that immediately but the absolute just lack of effort, lack of energy, going through the motions just kills me. Yeah, our GM hasn't exactly put the 80s Oilers out there, but it wouldn't matter if this was the kind of effort those guys gave either.

Honestly at this point I feel like our team would improve by jettisoning almost anyone over $3m on this roster. Like, objectively good players are just not giving a shit. Our top scorers don't seem to give a shit.

"Hey Sale, you want to be playing 1st line minutes in the NHL this year? Well come on up and hustle your f***ing ass off and maybe you will!"

"Hey Kessel, I heard you want to return to the NHL. You try your best out there and hustle and we'll give you a contract, alright?"

It's a sad day in time when I can look at this roster and think to myself "they would get picked apart by Brad f***ing Richardson and Michael Grabner in 2019"

 

[Dead Coyote]

ECH mentions the McCann / Beniers / Kakko line was outshot 20 to 2

Not quite accurate, it was 11-2 at ES and 11-3 with special teams.

The first goal was pretty much entirely on McCann and the 2nd was pretty much entirely on Beniers though if I'm remembering correctly.