Kraken fall to Coyotes in disappointing showing

February 9, 2022

NelsonAaron_Seattle_Arizona_2_9_2022-2 — Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – Coming off of the All-star break, the Seattle Kraken would fall to the second to worst team in the league, the Arizona Coyotes. The Kraken would put plenty of shots on goal, but Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka would have an incredible game between the pipes. With the 5-2 win, the Coyotes would take the season series over Seattle.

It would be the same old defensive story that we have grown used to with Seattle, as the Kraken had turnovers to blame as the cause of the first two Arizona goals. Consistent puck control has been an issue for the Kraken, and it would be no different in this contest as the inability to clear the puck or make a connecting pass would result in Arizona getting on the board. This is one of a few issues that for some reason, Seattle cannot overcome. Whether that is on coaching or the players, is to be seen over the remainder of the season. Head coach Dave Hakstol would talk about his defense after the loss.

“In reality, each of the three goals tonight, we were not sharp and clean with the puck. In reality, each of their three goals came off of our stick, one off of an entry two off of breakouts and exits out of our zone… The rust showed. We’re not making an excuse. When we’re sharp with the puck, we don’t have to defend as much,” Hakstol would remark.

Another major issue for the Kraken, in this game and in the last few games, would be Seattle’s power play. The Kraken are two for their last 35 on the power play, which is similar to the issues that the team had earlier in the year on special teams. Take that information into account, and then add that the Coyotes have the second worst penalty kill in the league. The same bad habits, back to bite Seattle. Head coach Dave Hakstol would speak on his team’s power play performance as of late.

“We had several good looks on our powerplays, I was happy with the amount of opportunities that we generated… We need one to go on our power play to give us a jump start. For our power play to really get going and feeling good. That would have been a great opportunity tonight to get one, but we could not find the back of the net,” Hakstol would state.

Lastly, this game would be closer than the final score would show. The Coyotes were able to get two open net goals as the Kraken pulled Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer in an effort to try to tie the game up, as the score was 3-2 in favor of Arizona with a little over four minutes to play in the final period. Seattle’s effort and constant fight are definitely something that they should be given credit for, considering that ten of the team’s losses have come by one goal. There is hope for this team yet in the remainder of the season to try and fully turn things around, but adjustments need to be made on issues that have hung around the Kraken.

Seattle’s next contest comes on Friday, February on the road against the Anaheim Ducks with a 7PM PST puck drop.

Clash at the Coliseum 2022

Otis Hollins

February 7, 2022

NASCAR @ the Coliseum 2-6-22 (2834) — Photo by William Johnson

Los Angeles, CA – This is the very first time that NASCAR has had an event in the middle of a small town called South Central Los Angeles in the Memorial Coliseum. I strongly believe that NASCAR has found another supportive fan base.

The entertainment provided by Pit Bull and Ice Cube was 2nd to none clearly entertaining the Fans which also allowed the fans attending the NASCAR event to further enjoy there day with some good music and some good ole NASCAR racing.

Ladies and gentlemen, today is a nice sunny California Sunday here at the Los Angeles Coliseum, no we’re not here for a football game, we are here for the inaugural NASCAR Clash At The Coliseum where a field of 23 cars is competing to win the inaugural Clash at the coliseum 2022 title, however there will only be 1 winner.

Based on pre qualifying Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Brad Kieslowski failed to qualify to move on to the main event.

Failed to qualify heat#1 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

Failed to qualify Heat#2 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

Failed to qualify Heat #3 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

Failed to qualify Heat# 4 (13) 43 Erik Jones, 78 BJ McLeod, 14 Chase Briscoe, 17 Chris Buescher, 15 Ryan Preece, 38 Todd Gilliland #, 6 Brad Keselowski, 7 Corey LaJoie, 45 Kurt Busch, 1 Ross Chastain, 19 Martin Truex Jr., 51 Cody Ware, 42 Ty Dillon.

The lead changed 5 times during the 150 lap race. The race had been lead by Tyler Reddick for 51 laps until he experienced mechanical issues.

Joey Logano continued on in the race to win the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum 2022.

Super Bowl LVI Experience at the Los Angeles Convention Center

Brianne Ingram

February 5, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – The National Football League is set to showcase the ultimate fan Super Bowl LVI Experience with festivities and NFL player appearances at the Los Angeles Convention Center Saturday, Feb. 5 at 1 p.m.

“We haven’t been here since 1993 so we are excited to be here. We are excited to preview the Super Bowl Experience which is the interactive football festival for fans of all ages,” said Nicki Ewell, Senior Director of Events for the NFL.

The festivities range from player autographs, photo opportunities with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, interactive games, sponsor displays, giveaways, clinics, and the NFL Shop.

“We will certainly have players from various teams from around the league, legends, and hall of famers making appearances,” said Ewell.

Super Bowl XXXIV Champion and legendary Ram Torry Holt will debut the Lombardi trophy on Saturday, Feb. 5.

The full collection of the 55 Super Bowl rings will be on display.

Fans have the chance to race in the 40-yard dash, test their skills with a field goal kick, drop back a pass in the Two-minute Drill, stop by NFL Training Camp and much more.

“There’s certainly something for everybody. Games, clinics, merch, Instagrammable moments. We’re excited to welcome you,” said Ewell.

The NFL OnePass App is required for entry. The app has the list of all player appearances attending the event. Fans who download and register for the app will also be entered for a chance to win two tickets to Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Tickets are $20 this weekend Saturday, Feb. 5 and Sunday, Feb. 6 for adults 13 and over. Tickets will then increase to $40 Thursday, Feb. 10 – Saturday, Feb. 12 for adults 13 and over.

Children 12 and under can attend for free every day.

“In LA County, we are excited to welcome you this weekend,” said Ewell. “This is your weekend to come if you are an Angeleno.”

UCLA Defeats Stanford 66-43 for Sixth Straight Win

Brianne Ingram

January 30, 2022

Westwood, CA – The UCLA Bruins (16-2, 8-1 Pac-12) were in the driver’s seat all game to take home the landslide 66-43 victory against the Stanford Cardinal (12-7, 5-4 Pac-12) for their sixth straight win on Saturday night.

Not one Stanford player shot in double figures.

UCLA held Stanford to just 18 points in the first half, 37-18.

“Tonight, wasn’t their night. We got to see them again. I’m sure it will be a different story. Our pressure dictated the game. We forced 14 turnovers at halftime,” said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin.

The Bruins have kept three teams under 60 points in three games in a week.

“Defensively, 40 deflections, 22 turnovers we forced, just a tremendous effort. We try to build a culture for what it takes to win,” said Cronin.

Jake Kyman stepped up in Johnny Juzang and Jaylen Clark’s absence and scored 15 points and five rebounds.

“I just preach to myself to stay in the gym. Things will happen when it’s your time. It was my time to play tonight, and that’s what I did. I enjoyed every moment out there with my teammates. I’m just so proud and just happy to be out there,” said Kyman.

The Bruins switched various players on Stanford’s freshman starting forward Harrison Ingram and limited him to five points.

“Yeah, he’s really, really good. We tried to recruit him. He comes from a great family. He’s had a great year. He’s clearly had the best year of any freshmen in our league today,” said Cronin.

UCLA has played five games in ten days.

The Bruins were without Johnny Juzang for the second straight game due to COVID protocols.

UCLA was also without Jaylen Clark, who has missed the past two games while in concussion protocol.

This marks Stanford’s first appearance in Pauley Pavilion since Jan. 15, 2020, when the Cardinal won 74-59 over UCLA.

The Cardinal has won three of the last four matchups against UCLA.

The Bruins take a trip to Tucson, AZ for a rematch against the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, February 3^rd at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

UCLA Cruises Over Cal 81-57

Brianne Ingram

January 27, 2022

Westwood, CA – Coming off of their dominating win over Arizona, the No. 7 UCLA Bruins (15-2, 7-1 Pac-12) kept that same energy against the UC Berkeley Golden Bears (9-11, 2-7, Pac-12) with another dominating win 81-57 on Thursday evening.

Cal tried their best to make it competitive but didn’t stand a chance against the number seven ranked team in the nation.

“It was a collective group mentality that we bring it this game,” said UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. “It could be easy after a game like Arizona, big crowd and everyone cheering to just roll over and try to play this one. But we didn’t do that. We came out with intensity and the same fire that we had before and we just tried to keep that throughout the game.”

Out of the ten available UCLA players who played, eight players scored at least two points and two rebounds.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin commented on his team sharing the ball.

“When we pass the ball, we’re really good.”

The Bruins went on a heist and hustled for 14 steals. This set a record for the most steals that Cronin has had since being the UCLA coach.

“The deflections and our defense have gotten exponentially better lately because we’ve been averaging 36 deflections a game and tonight we had 40 and 22 at the half, which always is going to equal steals. We didn’t have many blocks like the other night, but the fourteen steals helped break them trying to disrupt Cal’s offense.” said Cronin.

UCLA’s largest lead was 26 points 75-49 at the 3:32 mark in the second half.

David Singleton made his first start of the season filling in for Johnny Juzang. Juzang was out due to COVID protocols.

“He’s fine, he’s highly disappointed. It was terrible for him but great for Jake and David. Very, very happy for both of those guys,” said Cronin.

Jaylen Clark was also ruled out due to a concussion. UCLA takes on the Stanford Cardinals at home on Saturday, January 29^th at 6:30 p.m.

No 7 UCLA Routs No 3 Arizona in Return of Fans at Pauley Pavilion

Brianne Ingram

January 25, 2022

Westwood, CA – With the fans back in attendance at Pauley Pavilion, the No. 7 UCLA Bruins (14-2, 6-1 Pac-12) routed the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats (16-2, 6-1 Pac-12) with a 75-59 victory on Tuesday night.

“By far I thought this was our most spirited 40 minutes of the year,” said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. “Obviously, fans back helped. But I really think it was more our players excitement to play against a great team like Arizona. They are a great team. No one has held them to 59 points, or even close all season.”

The projected heavyweight matchup between two of the top Pac-12 powerhouse teams lived up to the hype within the first five minutes of the first half.

Arizona started off strong, but their fire soon burned out.

A three-point jumper by Johnny Juzang off of an Arizona turnover gave UCLA the lead 17-16 at the 15:29 mark.

This shot sparked UCLA to take control of the game and they never let up.

From this point on, Arizona struggled to find the bottom of the net throughout the game.

“They were 4-4 from three at the first TV timeout. From there, they were 3-24. But I thought our effort defensively disrupted them from what they are good at,” said Cronin.

The Wildcats shot just 30.7% (23-75) from the field and 25% (7-28) from three-point range.

The Bruins on the other hand shot well with 50% (32-64) from the field and 47% (8-17) from beyond the arc.

“Effort matters. I learned a long time ago. Effort matters. Our effort was awesome. I told Peyton Watson like his spirit, his athleticism, it changed the game in the first half. Just tremendous, tremendous effort from our guys,” said Cronin.

Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard each had 15 points for the contest.

This was the first time that fans were allowed to attend a UCLA home game at Pauley Pavilion since Dec. 1.

The crowd showed up and showed out for their Bruins as it was pure pandemonium in Pauley Pavilion from the opening tip.

“First, it’s so huge having the Den back. All the Bruin support. So having all of the fans back is huge man. We missed them, so that was great. This group of guys we love these types of games. We love these big games. Everybody battled tonight man,” said Juzang.

Bruins’ guard Johnny Juzang was named this week’s Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week on January 24^th. This is his second Pac-12 Player of the Week honor of the season.

This past week against Utah and Colorado, Juzang averaged 25.5 points on 58% shooting (18-31), 57% (4-7) from three-point range, and 92% (11-12) from the line.

The Bruins blocked eight shots and Jaime Jaquez Jr. led with three blocks.

“I haven’t seen Jamie jump that high in three years. He had three blocked shots. Are you kidding me? He blocked one shot I couldn’t believe it was him. But again, effort matters,” said Cronin.

Former Bruin and NBA player Matt Barnes was also in attendance.

UCLA leads the all-time series against Arizona 61-44.

UCLA has won seven of its last nine meetings against Arizona and have recorded a five-game win streak in the series.

The UCLA Bruins host the University of California Berkeley Golden Bears on Thursday, January 27^th at 6 p.m.

Kraken can’t make the most of their chances in loss to Predators

Charles Hamaker

January 25, 2022

MG_0307 — Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken would end their six game homestand with a two to four loss to the Nashville Predators. Seattle would dominate in shots, but ultimately failed to capitalize off of the opportunities that they generated. The Predators would be able to take advantage of the Seattle mistakes, with a power play goal and a goal that came off of Vince Dunn’s skate.

Following an incredible performance last game against one of the league’s best in the Florida Panthers, Seattle looked like it’s defensively sloppy self. Nashville’s Luke Kunin would beat Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer with a five-hole goal, Filip Forsberg would be able to bring the puck from net to net to score, Mattias Ekholm would have his wrap around pass bounce off of Vince Dunn’s skate into goal, and lastly Matt Duchene would score a power play goal as he was left wide open. That power play that Duchene scored on would happen because Seattle was caught with too many skaters on the ice.

Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer would not have a good game despite playing well early in this contest. Grubauer had been on a streak of good performances, but was beat via the five hole (something he struggled with earlier in the season), and should have made the save on the Duchene goal as well. Head coach Dave Hakstol would speak about his starting goaltender’s performance in the game.

“He had two good saves early in the hockey game… the first goal is one he’s gotta stop, second one as well. Those are things that can

push a team back on their heels. Not his best, he’ll need to be better in Pittsburgh,” Hakstol would remark.

A positive to note from this game would be that while yes, the team did not capitalize on as many chances as they should have, the offensive shifts did still generate shots. Seattle put 35 shots on Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros, eight more than the Predators put on Grubauer. The Kraken were able to earn four power plays, scoring once. Centerman and team points leader Jared McCann would reflect on the team’s power play as of late.

“Obviously we can be a lot better, right? We feel like we have kinda gotten back to passing the puck around too much and not shooting. We need to focus on getting the pucks in and getting traffic, and they’ll go in for us,” McCann would state.

Looking back on the six game homestand, there are pros and cons to reflect on. Beating Chicago and San Jose in tight games, losing in bad fashion to the Kings and Blues, and beating the Panthers in electric fashion. For a few games, you had excellent goaltending and defensive play. What Jordan Eberle said after the loss to St. Louis will be something to note going forward, looking to see if this team is able to establish an identity for itself as well as gradually improve.

Seattle will not return home until February 9th, when they take on the Arizona Coyotes in the first of four rescheduled home games. The Kraken will play their next game on the road, against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, January 27th with a 4PM PST puck drop.

Kraken beat Panthers in game of the year candidate

Charles Hamaker

January 23, 2022

E1A4645 — Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken and Florida Panthers played a truly electrifying game on January 23rd, with the Kraken pulling out the win in arguably their best game all season. After an unlucky bounce off a Seattle defender gave the Panthers the early lead, the Kraken were able to lock in and apply serious pressure to Florida. In the waning moments, the Panthers would look to tie things up with six skaters, but the Kraken were able to shut the door with a Calle Jarnkrok open net goal.

To put it simply, this may have been Seattle’s most complete game on the season. The offense applied tons of pressure on Florida and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, the defense was able to disrupt most of Florida’s attack, and the puck possession in the final frame positioned Seattle perfectly to close the game out. The Kraken were able to make the right passes and complete their possessions, resulting in five goals. Seattle displayed tons of energy early on in the first period and a half, but seemingly couldn’t get anything to go in. It would all pay off with their three goal second period. Head coach Dave Hakstol would speak on the win and what he saw from the offensive attack.

“One of the areas that we scored on tonight, the winning goal, was attacking with possession. Getting in the zone and being able to make a play off of the rush. Our poise there and our presence to read that situation and to know that there was an opportunity and enter the zone with possession to make a play was the difference maker tonight,” Hakstol remarked.

The defensive unit came to play as well in this game. When you play a team like Florida, sitting atop the league tied for most points, they will find a way to score eventually. With that being said, two of the Panthers three goals came off of dumb luck as the first would glance off of Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy and into the net. The second would be a slapshot that would clip Seattle centerman Yanni Gourde’s stick, and float over the head of goaltender Philipp Grubauer into the net. The defense was able to register 25 blocks and force six giveaways during a stellar performance. Yanni Gourde would speak about the effort the team displayed in the win, and how it helped to limit the Panthers offensive unit.

“They are a very very skilled team. They are gonna get their chances, and probably score goals. We knew that going in, just had to stick to the game plan, stick to what we were doing. Chipping pucks and winning races, all sorts of things. It just kept us in the game… Everybody was committed to playing that way. When a team is fully committed to playing that way, we’re tough to beat… Grubi was excellent, lights out. Huge blocks from a lot of guys… that’s what we need to bring every single night,” Gourde would say after the win.

An area to work on coming off of this win would be the continued penalties. In the second period of the matchup, coming off of their two goals within 17 seconds of each other, Seattle put Florida on the power play. It would come back to bite them as Jonathan Huberdeau would score for the Panthers, and just a few minutes later Aleksander Barkov would tie the game up. The penalties have allowed teams to get back into games against the Kraken, and it is an aspect that should be cleaned up.

Overall, this is a great win for Seattle. To have won both games that they have played against the best team in the league (points wise), is no easy feat, especially for an expansion team still trying to find an identity. That identity is slowly taking shape, as a team that needs to play good defensive to open their game up. Yanni Gourde said the same thing post game, and it has been evident in Seattle’s biggest wins all season. Alternate captain Jordan Eberle mentioned that the team needs to focus on finding an identity and improve gradually after the embarrassing loss to the Blues. This sort of game is a great launching point for that to happen going forward.

Seattle will close out their six game homestand with a matchup against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, January 25th starting at 7PM PST.

Rams Advance to NFC Championship Game

Christopher Floch

January 23, 2022

20210926_152737 (1) — Photo by Michael C. Floch

TAMPA, FLA- On a last second field goal courtesy of Matt Gay as time expired, the Los Angeles Rams reached the NFC Championship by dethroning the reigning Super Bowl champs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27.The game was held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, January, 23rd.

SoFi Stadium will host the NFC Title game next Sunday, when the Rams will host their arch rival in the San Francisco 49ers for a right to play in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, February 13. After the Bucs and Tom Brady tied the epic NFL Playoff matchup at 27 apiece in the waning seconds, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford led a game winning drive.

Matt Stafford was acquired for pivotal moments exactly like this- with the season hanging in the balance. It was Stafford 43rd game winning drive, most among quarterbacks since 2009.

“This is a resilient team,” said Stafford, “I got great playmakers on the outside. I tried to run on first down in two-man, bad idea. It was just great plays by Cooper there. Great job by the O-line, they tried to bring everybody on the last one. Not a good recipe, so glad we hit it.”

With 42 precious seconds left in the fourth quarter, Stafford hooked up with his favorite weapon, as well as the best wide receiver in the game in Cooper Kupp for two season saving receptions. First, it was a 20 yard catch, than a 44-yard yard catch where Stafford seen Kupp being single covered and put the ball in the hands of the speedy wide receiver at the 10 yard line.

It will be an NFC West duel between the Niners and the Rams next Sunday , who just met a few weeks ago in the regular season finale, where the 49ers beat the Rams in OT, 27-24. On Saturday night, the 49ers stunned the Green Bay Packers 13-10, at Lambeau field. The Niners have owned the rivalry against the Rams recently, winning the last six contests.
The resilient Rams were dominant early, dominating as Stafford was surgical in the dramatic victory. Going 35 of 46 for 366 yards, and 3 total touchdowns while Copper Kupp caught nine passes for 183 yards and a touchdown.

It marks the second time in the last four seasons the Los Angeles Rams will reach the NFC Championship game. Also, it will be the first time in NFL history a conference championship and the Super Bowl will be held at the same stadium.

Building a cushy 27-3 lead, with 7:11 left in the 3rd quarter, Tom Brady led a furious postseason rally as we have watched often over the past two decades. The Bucs offense and a few costly Rams blunders turned the game around. In fact, the Rams became the first team in NFL Playoff history to win despite turning the ball over four times.

It’s a geographic battle all California sports fans can relate to; the Bay area with such iconic landmarks as the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39 of San Francisco against the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory in L.A.

The NFC Championship will kickoff at 3:40 p.m. PST on Sunday, January 30 at SoFi Stadium when the Rams face off against the 49ers for the opportunity to reach the Super Bowl. The NFC Championship will air on FOX.

Kraken drubbed by Blues in 5-0 loss

Charles Hamaker

January 21, 2022

_E1A6562 — Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The St. Louis Blues laid the smack down on the Seattle Kraken with a resounding five to zero result at Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle would make their characteristic defensive miscues against a good Blues team, resulting in the blowout loss at home. Five different St. Louis skaters would net goals, and the Kraken would be shutout for the third time this season. Seattle’s win streak would end at two games.

Defensive miscues would rear their ugly head in a big way in this loss, as turnovers, defensive breakdowns, and poor passing all were apparent throughout this game. After an early rush of energy from Seattle that saw the Kraken almost push for a chance on goal, St. Louis would net a short-handed goal to set the tone for the night. Five minutes later, the Blues would add a power play goal to create a quick two goal deficit. Alternate captain Jordan Eberle would reflect on the loss, and how the group needs to move forward.

“Power play didn’t do anything, made some bad turnovers, myself giving up the penalty shot. There’s just a lot of plays that ended up in the back of our net, and it is frustrating. We’ve had games where we’ve grown, and we have had games we haven’t. Nobody said that this was going to be easy, you get a new expansion team, you have high expectations for yourselves but you just want to get better every day. We want to grow an identity, get better as a team over these final 40 games,” Jordan Eberle would remark.

Perhaps the only positive from this game would be the play of goaltender Joey Daccord. This game was a case of the stats not

telling the full story, as you simply cannot pin any of the five goals on the goaltender. Daccord made several miraculous saves, and if he had a defensive unit that played a half way decent game, we are more than likely looking at least at a close game. His teammates would share that viewpoint, speaking about the young goaltender after the game.

Jordan Eberle would speak on his goaltenders play, saying “The goalies have played really well the last little bit… Joey played well tonight. We hung him out to dry on quite a few plays.”

“Joey played a good hockey game. One thing Joey does is that he moves the puck well, he helps his defenseman there. There were some really good saves throughout this game, really timely saves. He was seeing the puck well. There were a couple lessons he can build on, but he battled hard,” head coach Dave Hakstol recounted.

What Jordan Eberle said embodies exactly how Seattle needs to approach the rest of this season: finding their identity and improving gradually. It is far too late to try and right the ship in a week, or a month. The Kraken will miss the playoffs, but the season can be saved if the team shows steady improvement over the remaining slate of the season. An expansion side will always have its issues in the inaugural season, but to ensure that those issues do not carry over into next year, steady and consistent improvement need to start as soon as possible.

The Kraken will play the fifth game of their six game homestand on Sunday, January 23rd against the Florida Panthers with a 6PM PST puck drop.