2. The Seattle Kraken are one of the highest scoring teams in the League.
The Kraken have won five of seven (5-2-0), averaging 4.00 goals per game. They have scored at least six goals in three of their seven games; they did that twice in 82 games last season.
There will be the Kraken critic, or realist, however you want to look at it, that will say the team got fat on a pair of 6-1 wins against the struggling Calgary Flames and a 6-3 victory against the Detroit Red Wings, and really they’re not as good as their record and goals would indicate now.
Fair. The Flames and Red Wings certainly have had their struggles at the start of the season but then explain to me the Kraken’s 5-3 win against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 11.
The Capitals are considered one of the top Stanley Cup Playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference and the Kraken went into their building, Capital One Arena, and put a five spot up on goalie Logan Thompson, a Vezina Trophy favorite.
Seattle has a plus-9 goal differential in all situations (28-19), including plus-11 at 5-on-5 (23-12).
Sustainability is a real question.
The Kraken are getting outshot 214-188 in total, about minus-4 per game. They’re near the bottom of the NHL in shot attempts percentage at 5-on-5 (43.7 percent) while being near the top in 5-on-5 shooting percentage (15.3 percent, third) and save percentage (.931, fifth).
But they’re rolling now, and for a team that last season finished 28th in goals per game (2.73), seeing the puck go in the net this early in the season is a great thing for confidence.