"Seattle's a city with a deep maritime history," general manager Ron Francis said, per NHL.com's Nicholas Cotsonika. "I think this name embodies a connection with the sea and a curiosity of what lies beneath it. It's a natural tie to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
"In theory, it reflects the power and aggression in the game of hockey. We're hoping that's the kind of tenacity our players show every time they take the ice. So I'm excited by it."
Here's a look at the Kraken's inaugural uniform set, which features a unique double-blue theme with subtle hints of red to match the eye of the monster in the logo.
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The play-in round will give the Nashville Predators a second lease on what was a disappointing season by their standards, but they'll face a hungry Arizona Coyotes squad with its sights on ending a seven-season playoff drought.
Will the Predators punch their ticket to the postseason for a seventh successive year, or will the Coyotes secure their first playoff berth since the franchise changed its name from Phoenix to Arizona?
TEAM
ODDS
Nashville Predators
-135
Arizona Coyotes
+115
The case for Nashville
The Predators know what this is all about. With a roster boasting mounds of playoff experience, they're no strangers to high-pressure situations. They didn't post great numbers offensively this season, but they are well and truly four lines deep. That makes them incredibly dangerous in postseason play. Leading the group is a legitimate game-breaker in Filip Forsberg, who can take over a series if he heats up.
Nashville also happens to own one of the NHL's top defensive pairings featuring Norris Trophy nominee Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. Both are capable of logging heavy minutes and should be fresh following a lengthy layoff, meaning the Predators can lean heavily on their top unit in this series.
What really held Nashville back this season was goaltending. The Predators' underlying numbers suggest they were slightly above average defensively, yet they were on par with some of the NHL's worst defensive teams in terms of goals allowed. That's because Pekka Rinne was, to put it mildly, abysmal. The 37-year-old saw his play fall off a cliff in 2019-20, posting a 3.17 goals-against average and .895 save percentage in 40 starts - easily the worst marks of his career.
Juuse Saros took over as the starter in early February, and it's no coincidence Nashville's play drastically improved around that time. The Predators were 10-4-0 in his starts from February on, with the 25-year-old posting an outrageous .940 save percentage over that stretch. He should be the unquestioned starter heading into this series. With their goaltending issues finally behind them, the Predators can focus on making another deep playoff run.
The case for Arizona
Throw the standings out the window. The Coyotes were four points back of Nashville for the Western Conference's final playoff spot when the league suspended the season, but they were 20-12-4 when Darcy Kuemper got hurt in December. That's a 100-point pace over the course of a standard 82-game campaign. Because he plays in Arizona for a team that consistently flies under the league-wide radar, you probably didn't realize just how great a season Kuemper was having.
The native of Saskatchewan was third in the NHL in both save percentage (.928) and goals-against average (2.22) this season and would have been a lock for a Vezina Trophy nomination if he hadn't suffered an injury. He returned to play following a two-month absence and posted a .924 save percentage and 2.55 goals-against average in four games, so there's no evidence to suggest he'll be negatively impacted by the NHL's hiatus. On the off chance he does falter, Antti Raanta is one of the league's best backups.
Both Coyotes netminders will be supported by an extremely strong defensive corps. Jakob Chychrun is an absolute stud, emerging as the 22-year-old leader of a group that includes the dynamic Oliver Ekman-Larsson, as well as sturdy veterans Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers (with the latter two now healthy following the break). Only the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins allowed fewer goals than Arizona this season, a testament not just to the Coyotes' goaltending, but to the defensive strength of their roster - especially in Kuemper's absence.
We know the Coyotes can keep goals out, but can they score? They had the league's fifth-worst shooting percentage this season, which suggests they were victims of some bad luck. They need more out of their top forwards, but Taylor Hall is playing for a new contract this summer and Phil Kessel has a history of elevating his game in the postseason. Improved play from those two - and some better puck luck - could help Arizona make some serious noise in the playoffs.
The pick
Arizona Coyotes (+115)
Comb through all the numbers you want; the fact is, these teams are very similar. The difference? Arizona holds a significant edge between the pipes, behind the bench - Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet is criminally underrated - and on special teams. Nashville's power play (25th in the NHL) and penalty kill (29th) were disastrous this season, while the Coyotes boasted a top-five penalty kill and a middle-of-the-road power play. Those are three massive advantages for Arizona, which is one of my favorite bets of the play-in round at +115.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
One of the most intriguing matchups of the play-in round pits the seventh-seeded Vancouver Canucks against the 10th-ranked Minnesota Wild.
The dynamic, upstart Canucks are the clear favorites, but the more battle-tested Wild have a couple of tricks up their sleeves that make them prime candidates to pull off an upset.
Minnesota hasn't gone far in the postseason recently, but the club qualified for the playoffs in six straight years before missing out in 2018-19. Conversely, Vancouver hasn't taken part in the postseason since it was bounced in the first round in 2014-15.
While the Canucks boast more firepower, the Wild's experience and a young game-breaker of their own could make this series more interesting than many are anticipating.
Schedule
Game
Date
Time (ET)
1
Sun. Aug. 2
10:30 p.m.
2
Tues. Aug. 4
10:45 p.m.
3
Thu. Aug. 6
TBD
4*
Fri. Aug. 7
TBD
5*
Sun. Aug. 9
TBD
*If necessary
Tale of the tape
Canucks
Stat
Wild
36-27-6
Record
35-27-7
3.25 (8th)
Goals per game
3.16 (12th)
3.1 (21st)
Goals against
3.14 (24th)
24.2 (4th)
Power play %
21.3 (11th)
80.5 (16th)
Penalty kill %
77.2 (25th)
48.43 (23rd)
5-on-5 Corsi For %
49.6 (17th)
8.6 (9th)
5-on-5 SH%
9.43 (2nd)
91.9 (14th)
5-on-5 SV%
91.5 (20th)
Season series
The Canucks took the first meeting between these clubs 4-1 on Jan. 12, but the Wild responded by winning both subsequent clashes, first by a 4-2 margin on Feb. 6 and then by a 4-3 count in a shootout less than two weeks later. Vancouver outshot Minnesota 87-59 (an average of 29-19.7) over those three games.
Key players to watch
Elias Pettersson
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
Pettersson is clearly the Canucks' most dangerous weapon. The 21-year-old has proven capable of taking over games at will, tying for the club lead with 27 goals and ranking second with 66 points in 68 contests this season. He improved in his second NHL campaign after winning the Calder Trophy with as many points in three more games in 2018-19.
The Swedish center can drive possession at an impressive clip, posting favorable expected goals for (54.75), scoring chances for (53.16), and Corsi For (54.34) percentages in 2019-20.
Kevin Fiala
Bruce Kluckhohn / National Hockey League / Getty
After collecting nine goals and 28 points over the first 46 games of the season, Fiala exploded down the stretch, racking up 14 goals and 26 points across 18 contests before the league halted play. The 24-year-old finished atop the Wild's points rankings and trailed Zach Parise by only two markers for the club's goal-scoring lead despite playing fewer games than many of his teammates.
Fiala is now arguably Minnesota's best offensive player and certainly its best young forward suiting up against the Canucks. His performance will be critical for a Wild team that lacks a wealth of scoring punch.
Canucks can win if ...
Vancouver will advance if its young phenoms can rise to the challenge of heightened stakes and vanquish a team more accustomed to playoff-level competition. The Canucks were only one point better than the Wild through the abbreviated regular season, but they're the superior team and possess more skill than their play-in opponents.
They also need their elite power play to remain as effective as it was during the regular season, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom - who's been cleared to return - must pick up where he left off after an injury forced him out of action in late February.
Wild can win if ...
Minnesota can prevail if its defense manages to stifle the Canucks' young guns. The Wild were the league's best team in expected goals allowed during the regular season and ranked fourth in expected goals for percentage, so it's not completely out of the realm of possibility. Given Vancouver's potency with the man advantage, staying out of the penalty box should help accomplish that.
The Wild also need to resolve their goaltending situation. No. 1 netminder Devan Dubnyk had a difficult campaign and was ultimately displaced as the starter by perennial backup Alex Stalock. Minnesota must get reliable play in the crease from Dubnyk, Stalock, or, if necessary, rookie Kaapo Kahkonen if the team is to have a shot at defeating Vancouver.
Pearson was playing on Bo Horvat's left wing opposite Boeser before the pause, but the Canucks recently bumped him to the top line in practice. Regardless of how he's ultimately deployed, Pearson could be a difference-maker. He ranked fourth on the team with 21 goals in 2019-20, with only three of his markers coming on the power play.
Alex Galchenyuk
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
Galchenyuk was starting to find his game before the hiatus after the Wild acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the trade for Jason Zucker in early February.
Held off the scoresheet in his first three games with Minnesota, Galchenyuk collected three goals and seven points in his final 11 contests. As a third-liner, he won't command the attention that Fiala, Parise, and other Wild forwards will warrant. That could present the former Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes forward with a prime opportunity to make an impact.
"It's hard to say right now," Neely said. "My best guess would be Toronto. Once we get to Toronto, I think we'll be fine."
Pastrnak and Kase haven't participated in the majority of Boston's training camp. Pastrnak's agent said July 17 that his client is quarantining after coming in contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19, though Pastrnak himself tested negative.
Pastrnak finished the season tied for the NHL lead with 48 goals in 70 games, adding 47 assists for a career-high 95 points. Kase only played in six games with the Bruins after being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks prior to the trade deadline.
Both players spent the majority of the NHL's hiatus in their native Czech Republic. The Bruins have missed numerous key players during training camp because of Massachusetts regulations regarding the pandemic.
"Some other teams are dealing with this, obviously, but what the state regulations are compared to maybe some other states are a little different across the country," Neely said. "We're following all the state guidelines. ... We're following all the protocols, not just the league protocols, but the state protocols."
All teams are expected to travel to their respective hub cities by July 26. The Bruins, the No. 1 seed in the East, will participate in a round robin with the other top-four teams in the conference beginning Aug. 2 versus the Philadelphia Flyers.
Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews opposed the return-to-play plan and CBA extension ratified by the NHL and NHLPA in early July.
The Blackhawks and the Carolina Hurricanes were the only teams two to vote against the league's proposal when the NHLPA's executive board took its most recent tally, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on "31 Thoughts: The Podcast" on July 16.
Toews is the Blackhawks' player representative, and Jordan Martinook serves the same role for the Hurricanes.
"I have been told by many, many, many people that one of the most vocal players during the process of coming back to play was Jonathan Toews, that he asked a lot of questions," Friedman said.
"And other players said ... he was great, he asked relevant questions, (and) he challenged whether or not this was really safe to play. They said that when you talk about star players standing up for other people, he did that."
The Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning were the only two teams to oppose the NHL's 24-team playoff in an earlier vote in May.
The NHL and NHLPA ratified the deal to resume the 2019-20 season on July 10.
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There seems to be a belief in hockey circles that young legs will be the least impacted by the NHL's long pause, while older players will take longer to get going.
That idea will be put to the test as the budding Vancouver Canucks take on a veteran Minnesota Wild squad in a best-of-five series.
TEAM
ODDS
Vancouver Canucks
-135
Minnesota Wild
+115
The case for Vancouver
The Canucks are among the league's biggest beneficiaries from the pause in play. When the campaign was halted, they were on a 6-9-2 run, had just lost starting goalie Jacob Markstrom for the season, and were trending toward missing the playoffs altogether. This break afforded them a mental reset while allowing their prized asset to get back between the pipes.
With Markstrom, the Canucks have a massive edge over Minnesota in goal. The Swede is enjoying a career season with a .918 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average. Playing for a new contract and going up against a Wild team that doesn't pack much scoring punch, a rested Markstrom will thrive.
That's not the only area where the Canucks have an edge. Led by Elias Pettersson - whose campaign was worthy of Hart consideration - Vancouver has the superior top six, as well as an advantage behind the bench (the Wild are being instructed by an interim coach) and a favorable mismatch on special teams, where the Canucks' fourth-ranked power play will face the Wild's 25th-ranked penalty kill.
The case for Minnesota
Vancouver's high-flying attack won't strike much fear into a Minnesota team that excels defensively. The Wild do a terrific job of suppressing high-danger shots and forcing opponents to the perimeter, reflected in their 2.07 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) total this season - the lowest mark in the NHL. Their overall goals-against numbers weren't great, but that's down to Devan Dubnyk's struggles. Alex Stalock eventually took over as the regular starter and posted a .920 SV% from Jan. 16 on, with the Wild going 11-4-1 in his starts over that span.
While limiting goals against wasn't an issue for the Wild, scoring was. Minnesota ranked in the bottom third of a number of offensive categories but experienced a reversal of fortune over the second half following the emergence of Kevin Fiala. The 23-year-old came to life in February and ignited the Minnesota offense, posting 14 goals and 12 assists in the Wild's 18 games before the break. It's no coincidence that they averaged 3.5 goals per game over that span. For comparison, the Tampa Bay Lightning were the league's best offense this season, averaging exactly 3.5 goals per game.
If the Wild truly have the offense to match their typically dependable defense, the Canucks are in trouble. Also helping Minnesota's cause is a porous Vancouver defense that posted a 2.77 xGA/60 this season - third-worst in the NHL. The Wild play a fundamentally sound brand of hockey suited for the postseason, while the Canucks' defensive game plan is for Markstrom to bail them out. That's ... not ideal.
The pick
Minnesota Wild (+115)
Minnesota came a long way over the second half of the season thanks to Fiala's emergence, a more aggressive approach under interim head coach Dean Evason, and the steadiness of Stalock. Vancouver boasts plenty of firepower, but it's still a very green team that's a bit too unstructured in its approach, and that will cost the Canucks against the stingy, patient Wild.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
