Kraken are the NHL’s Cinderella Team This Season

Good morning and happy Friday, April 7th.

Two-thirds of yesterday’s poll participants think the Calgary Flames won’t make the playoffs and we particularly appreciated this reader’s feedback:

Touché, sir!

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The Seattle Kraken finished 30th in the NHL last season and now are headed to the NHL playoffs as one of the league’s remarkable stories.

Goalie Philipp Grubauer made 27 saves Thursday to lead the Kraken to a 4-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes that clinched a spot in the postseason pool. Seattle joins the Atlanta Flames and Vegas Golden Knights as the only NHL teams to qualify for the playoffs in their first two seasons in the league.

The Kraken totaled 60 points in their inaugural season and this season they are flirting with a 100-point season. They have 96 points with four games remaining.

Whether they get there or not, they have the largest increase for an NHL team from its first to second season. They already show a 36-point improvement to break the previous record of a 26-point increase by both the 1973-74 New York Islanders and 1925-26 Boston Bruins.

The key for the Kraken this season is consistency: They rank fifth in the Western Conference with a +31 goal differential and rank fourth overall with a scoring average of 3.54 goals per game.

What’s remarkable about the team’s scoring prowess is the Kraken don’t boast a single player among the league’s top 60 scorers. Jared McCann leads the team with 38 goals and 66 points.

Their 25-10-4 road record also speaks to their mental toughness and compete level. They play competitive hockey start to finish.

The secret sauce for this team is they have many players who understand what it takes to win.

Through GM Ron Francis wheeling and dealing, the Kraken have players from the last seven Stanley Cup-winning teams:

• Andre Burakovsky (2022 Colorado, 2018 Washington)

• Yanni Gourde (2020 and 2021, Tampa Bay)

• Vince Dunn (2019, St. Louis)

• Jaden Schwartz (2019, St. Louis)

• Philipp Grubauer (2018, Washington)

• Justin Schultz (2016 and 2017, Pittsburgh)

• Martin Jones (2014, Los Angeles)

🟠🔵 Brock Nelson’s three points lead Islanders over Lightning 6-1, keep pace in Wild Card race. The Warroad, MN native one-timed a Samuel Bolduc feed to score his 33rd of the year midway through the 2nd, the eventual game-winner, before collecting two primary assists in the same period. Adam Pelech, Kyle Palmieri, Ryan Pulock, Simon Holmstrom, and Bo Horvat each scored and Ilya Sorokin made 31 saves for a .968 save percentage as the Islanders improved to 6-3-1 in their last ten. The win keeps the Islanders tied with the Panthers with 89 points for the two Eastern Conference wild cards.

⭐️ Joe Pavelski collects three points, Stars beat Flyers 4-1 to hit 100 points. The 38-year-old forward deflected in the game-winner just over a minute into the 2nd period, his 26th of the year, and assisted on both of Jason Robertson’s goals as the Stars won their second game in a row, and four of their past five. Pavelski is now one point shy of 1,000 NHL points through 1,246 career games. The win gives Dallas 100 points for the 10th time in franchise history and keeps pace with the Colorado for the top of the Central division, with Minnesota sitting two points back.

How many American players have recorded 1,000 career NHL points?

• Bruins beat Maple Leafs in OT, Leafs clinch home ice for 1st round

• Rantanen has hat trick, Avalanche defeat Sharks to keep pace in Central

• Blues spoil Tarasenko's return with OT win over Rangers

• Lyon makes 56 saves, Panthers top Senators to keep pace in East wild card

• Penguins keep pace in playoff chase with win over Wild

• Devils score 8, top Blue Jackets to gain in Metro Division race

• Predators keep playoff hopes alive, beating Hurricanes

• Sorokin, Ullmark both have strong case for Vezina

• Why Luke Hughes is ready for the NHL right now

• Minnesota, Quinnipiac advance to Frozen Four final

• 🎩 Mikko Rantanen scores #50, #51, and #52 on the season

• 🥊 Tkachuk brothers get in a pair of fights after the whistle

• 💥 Joel Armia showcases wicked shot for 2nd career hat trick

• 😱 Erik Karlsson puts on an absolute clinic to set up Lorentz

• 🎯 Kyle Palmieri snipes high glove

• Vegas Golden Knights regroup 2v1 flow drill

• Advanced: develop your multi directional puck protection deception

TRIVIA ANSWER

10 American players have recorded 1,000 career NHL points. Joe Pavelski will be #11.