The Edmonton Oilers are sitting in the spot the Kraken have occupied for much of the season. The natural order has been disrupted. And given the chance to restore it, the Kraken whiffed Sunday.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and the Kraken in the top three spots in the Pacific Division for months without much movement. The Oilers are two points ahead of the Kraken with a game in-hand with about a fourth of the regular season remaining.
The Kraken were in the second and final wild-card spot, behind the Winnipeg Jets. Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at home didn’t help.
The push from star-studded Edmonton, which made it to the Western Conference finals last season, isn’t unexpected. The Oilers haven’t been able to hold on to any ground they’ve gained in the Pacific so far, but that could change, especially with help from the Kraken, who are 3-6-1 since the All-Star break.
“We were in a great spot going into the break. We need to find a way to get back to that level,” Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn said.
“We’re excited for anything ahead. I think everyone’s pretty satisfied with the opportunity we have here.”
As far as teams outside the playoff picture, the Kraken sit four points ahead of the idle Calgary Flames, who aren’t making moves at the moment. Like the Kraken, the Flames have won three games since the All-Star break, going 3-4-3.
First up on the Kraken’s upcoming four-game trip are the St. Louis Blues, who are well behind in the Western Conference. Next is a Detroit Red Wings team three points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have the worst record in the Eastern Conference, then lastly the Colorado Avalanche, who have climbed into third in the Central Division.
“We know how good we are when we’re playing the way we can. The standings show that. We just need to keep pushing,” Eberle said. “You’re going to have ups and downs in a season. Obviously, we’ve lost a few in a row, this is a bit of a down — but we’re capable of turning it around, and I know we will.”
Short-handed officiating crew
The Kraken announced linesman Kiel Murchison was injured during Sunday’s first period at Climate Pledge Arena and wouldn’t return. It wasn’t obvious when the injury occurred.
The remaining linesman, Tommy Hughes, and two officials, Wes McCauley and Trevor Hanson, finished the game without major incident.
Murchison saw his first NHL game in 2013 and has gone on to 718 more in addition to 58 playoff games, according to Scouting the Refs. Hughes is a relative newcomer and all 50 of his games have come this season.