There’s another biggie on tap Saturday afternoon for the Kraken, who are playing for the right to have no more biggies for a while.
Saturday’s so-called four-point game represents the last direct chance the Kraken will have to sabotage the Edmonton Oilers, their nearest neighbors and consistent annoyance in the standings for many weeks. A regulation Kraken loss would give the Oilers two points and prevent the Kraken from gaining two points, and it would give Edmonton some breathing room.
With 13 games to play, the Oilers (38-23-8) have 84 points, one ahead of the Kraken (38-23-7), and are in the third Pacific Division playoff spot. The Kraken have a game in hand. The Kraken were in the first wild-card spot following Thursday night’s 2-1 overtime victory at San Jose, four points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets.
The Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators are well behind that second wild-card spot but can’t safely be counted out. The Kraken are done with the Flames this regular season but get two cracks at the Predators next week.
“The schedule coming up is crucial,” defenseman Vince Dunn said. “We have teams that are neck and neck with us. [Have to] just find a way to get it done. Just find a way to get two points, however it is.”
It never should have been that close Thursday night against the lowly Sharks, but style points count for nothing, particularly this time of year.
Seattle flirted with a second consecutive bad loss at San Jose’s SAP Center, unable to solve Sharks goalie James Reimer until midway through the third period. But the Kraken did just enough to end a three-game skid on Dunn’s overtime winner.
“One of the real traits of our group is [we’ve been] pretty even keeled and steady throughout the year,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said, “We’ve had some great stretches and some good runs. We’ve been able to limit the streaks on the other end.”
The Oilers have won six of their past eight and convincingly took their past two games against teams that have given the Kraken trouble lately — the Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators.
Bjorkstrand’s new look
Winger Oliver Bjorkstrand hasn’t been the prolific scorer the Kraken might have expected during his first season in Seattle. But lately the trade acquisition has been a clutch scorer, and that’s come at a good time.
Bjorkstrand scored the badly needed equalizer in San Jose, cherry picking near the Sharks’ blue line and converting a short breakaway. He also had a hand in Dunn’s overtime winner, stalling and circling for a bit in the neutral zone before dishing to the red-hot defenseman, who extended his franchise-record point streak to 11 games.
Bjorkstrand scored what looked like the winner March 11 against the Stars, a late go-ahead goal the Kraken couldn’t make stand. He kicked off March with a two-goal effort, including the overtime winner, at the Detroit Red Wings.
Off the scoresheet, he’s been more noticeable out there.
“I don’t believe he’s changed his game at all from Day One,” Hakstol said of Bjorkstrand. “He’s probably a little more comfortable and gained a little bit of confidence, and you’re seeing some of that swagger coming out in him now.”
He went cold for several long stretches, but Bjorkstrand has been pushing for more. He’s led the team in shots on goal all season. He has 14 more shots than Jared McCann, who has more than twice as many goals with a career-high 33.
“The number of opportunities he’s getting is similar to the number of opportunities he was getting earlier in the year,” Hakstol said.