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KRAKEN THIS MORNING: Smashing into the New Year vs. Nashville (1/1) · Seattle Kraken Audio Network

0:01
Speaker 1: Welcome to Cracking this morning, a presentation of the Cracking
0:05
Speaker 1: Audio Network Ken Sports Radio ninety three point three KJR FM.
0:10
Speaker 1: Here's Mike Benton.
0:12
Speaker 2: All right, the balls drop, the Rose Parade is probably
0:14
Speaker 2: getting going while you're listening to this, and we are
0:16
Speaker 2: ready for a brand new year of twenty twenty six.
0:19
Speaker 2: Welcome to Cracking this morning. On a Thursday, January one,
0:24
Speaker 2: the Cracking take on the Nashville Predators, looking to carry
0:28
Speaker 2: over what they had going to the end of December
0:31
Speaker 2: and pick up right where they left off at four
0:33
Speaker 2: zero and one in the last five games, which has
0:36
Speaker 2: put them right back into the thick of this Western
0:39
Speaker 2: Conference playoff race. This evening's game seven o'clock Pacific time
0:43
Speaker 2: from Climate Pledge Arena Everett and Ali Korsav the Call.
0:46
Speaker 2: I'll join you six point thirty airtime for your pregame
0:49
Speaker 2: show served up by Frostbured cors Light Choose Chill back
0:52
Speaker 2: by the cors Light landing in section twenty. Anders Hurst
0:56
Speaker 2: will join me as well for talking Cracking up to
0:58
Speaker 2: an hour after the final horns will again for your
1:01
Speaker 2: post game comments. Get those into us and keep this
1:04
Speaker 2: number in mind. Four nine four five one. The place
1:07
Speaker 2: to text us with your thoughts on the KJR text
1:11
Speaker 2: line again. That's four nine four five one. First matchup
1:15
Speaker 2: of the year coming up against Nashville, and this one
1:18
Speaker 2: is a big one. The Predators, who appeared to be
1:21
Speaker 2: dead to rights back in November, have all of a
1:24
Speaker 2: sudden roared right back into the playoff race. They beat
1:27
Speaker 2: Vegas on New Year's Eve and now are one point
1:31
Speaker 2: ahead of the Krack and winning five of their last six.
1:34
Speaker 2: They have won seven of ten as well for an
1:36
Speaker 2: eighteen seventeen and four record at forty points, one out
1:41
Speaker 2: of the cut line in the West. So this game
1:44
Speaker 2: certainly carries a ton of magnitude. We worked our way
1:48
Speaker 2: around the Krack and dressing room after practice on New
1:51
Speaker 2: Year's Eve, and we'll hear more from Krack and for
1:54
Speaker 2: Ben Myers Ford Ellie Toven to name the course, the
1:57
Speaker 2: NHL second start of the week for Burke Catton, who
2:00
Speaker 2: will be wearing a different number on his back. More
2:03
Speaker 2: on that and a bit plus more updates from krackenead
2:05
Speaker 2: coach Lane Lambert at practice at krack In Community ice Plex.
2:10
Speaker 2: The Krack in getting back after a day off following
2:12
Speaker 2: a three to two shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
2:15
Speaker 2: Be yet four zero and one in the last five
2:17
Speaker 2: game certainly tells a picture that's getting rosier here by
2:21
Speaker 2: the day, with bodies also getting healthier. One player noticeably absent,
2:26
Speaker 2: defenseman Adam Larson, Yet it's very minimal. Lane Lambert said
2:31
Speaker 2: he was quote under the weather end quote and that
2:33
Speaker 2: he'll be fine. Josh Vahura was seen in Larson's spot
2:37
Speaker 2: back on defense with Vince Dunn in practice the Kraken
2:40
Speaker 2: after that, essentially getting most of their group back for
2:44
Speaker 2: a ten thirty am practice. The only exceptions, of course,
2:47
Speaker 2: Brandon Montour and Jaden Schwartz still right now out nursing injuries,
2:52
Speaker 2: but the crack and still showing three goalies back on
2:55
Speaker 2: ice with Joey Decord, Philip Grubauer and Matt Murray. Well,
2:59
Speaker 2: I miss all the injuries here. In this last month
3:02
Speaker 2: we have seen the ascension of Ben Meyers, a big
3:05
Speaker 2: part now of the fourth line, winning key faceoffs and
3:08
Speaker 2: also delivering an abrasive game that has certainly fit with
3:12
Speaker 2: Ty Cartier and Jacob Mallonson on his wings and Ryan
3:16
Speaker 2: Winterton stepping in for the meantime. In Tuesday's game against
3:20
Speaker 2: Vancouver and scoring an exquisite late first period goal set
3:25
Speaker 2: up by Mallonson. That line certainly hass at the ground
3:29
Speaker 2: running and then some. And we talked with Ben Myers
3:32
Speaker 2: after practice, beginning with this most recent run, which began
3:36
Speaker 2: right before the holiday break. Ben, first off with this
3:39
Speaker 2: team's play last five games. What's working you think out
3:42
Speaker 2: of the hood when you consider five on five and
3:44
Speaker 2: getting off to a good start.
3:46
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think we try when we're playing our best,
3:49
Speaker 3: we're kind of attacking north right away. We're not you know,
3:51
Speaker 3: turning back Pugs or you know, taking bucks back into
3:54
Speaker 3: our own end. We're just going north and you know,
3:57
Speaker 3: for checking well and playing a structured game.
4:00
Speaker 2: When you think of the role that you and your
4:04
Speaker 2: line plays, Mellie's in there, Jacob Malanson, Ty Karshe and
4:08
Speaker 2: recently Ryan Winderton. How much does a brasveness really kind
4:11
Speaker 2: of come into play when you think about how you
4:13
Speaker 2: should play, but also how that can you know, cause
4:15
Speaker 2: and effect as far as a chain reaction here for
4:17
Speaker 2: the guys coming up very next ship.
4:18
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, we're trying to be reliable and you know, yeah,
4:23
Speaker 3: we're trying to be reliable in all three zones. And
4:25
Speaker 3: you know, I think the more you know, we can
4:28
Speaker 3: be responsible and you know, take some dzeled draws and
4:30
Speaker 3: take some pressure off, you know, some of the top
4:33
Speaker 3: lines a guys that are playing more, I think it
4:37
Speaker 3: helps our group and you know, we're just trying to
4:39
Speaker 3: bring energy at the end of the day. I think
4:41
Speaker 3: that's that's what we're on that line for, and you
4:44
Speaker 3: know that's the main goal.
4:45
Speaker 2: Part of this, you know, intrigue with the schedule before
4:48
Speaker 2: the Olympic break is the amount of back to back
4:50
Speaker 2: games that this team is going through, just like almost
4:52
Speaker 2: any other team in the NHL. But you had one
4:55
Speaker 2: set before the holiday break, you had one coming out
4:58
Speaker 2: of it. Now you have Nashville and then being Couver
5:00
Speaker 2: as well. And I think part of this is kind
5:02
Speaker 2: of a long round, long winded way to describe it
5:04
Speaker 2: as that there have been issues on the second game
5:06
Speaker 2: of back to backs, but recently you get a win
5:10
Speaker 2: in Los Angeles, you get ahead here for the game
5:12
Speaker 2: in Vancouver, and things are ultimately competitive. So you know,
5:15
Speaker 2: I think the question here is what's working out for
5:17
Speaker 2: this team, whether it's physically or mentally in that second leg.
5:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think we we were just getting play into
5:23
Speaker 3: our structure. I think that's, you know, the biggest thing
5:25
Speaker 3: I would say, you know, our attention to detail and
5:28
Speaker 3: playing with that structure is you know what we're supposed
5:32
Speaker 3: to do.
5:32
Speaker 2: So the Krack and have a hard hitting identity with
5:35
Speaker 2: their fourth line. But also we're seeing some solidifying right
5:38
Speaker 2: now with Chandler Stevenson's line, Ellie Toulvenan on the left wing,
5:42
Speaker 2: and Freddie Gudreau playing on the right wing. It certainly
5:45
Speaker 2: has benefitted Toulvenin named the NHL Second Star of the
5:49
Speaker 2: Week and also capping off a tremendously successful month of
5:54
Speaker 2: December as far as the offensive side, picking up fourteen
5:57
Speaker 2: points and thirteen games led the Krack in for the
6:01
Speaker 2: entire month of scoring is production certainly has been a
6:05
Speaker 2: big part of the Kraken. You turn back north, so
6:08
Speaker 2: to speak, and we cut up with Tolbanen after practice
6:11
Speaker 2: on Wednesday. What's working around the holiday break and heading
6:13
Speaker 2: into the new year.
6:13
Speaker 4: Right now, I think everybody's working hard, playing simple, kind
6:20
Speaker 4: of playing our game. Then you know, we've been talking
6:23
Speaker 4: the whole year, giving simple, being good. In report Chicken,
6:28
Speaker 4: I was taking care of the pocket and I feel
6:30
Speaker 4: like everybody's been doing that at pretty well lately.
6:33
Speaker 2: The production is coming here for you, and I think
6:35
Speaker 2: when the league is able to recognize what you do,
6:37
Speaker 2: there's certainly a lot that you're doing right right now.
6:40
Speaker 2: But what difference has this last month I think made
6:43
Speaker 2: in your game and the guys that you're also playing
6:45
Speaker 2: with as well.
6:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, obviously there are two really good players. It's easy
6:48
Speaker 4: to play with players like that. You know, they see
6:50
Speaker 4: the eyes well, you know, the skill set they have,
6:55
Speaker 4: the pois that they play, you know, it's its gives
6:58
Speaker 4: them room, it gives me a due our ding and
7:02
Speaker 4: you know, I think in the past month, I think
7:04
Speaker 4: as a Lion, we've played really good hockey. You know,
7:07
Speaker 4: I've got lucky in the points too, but I think
7:11
Speaker 4: getting a big, big minuisity defensively and I think we've
7:14
Speaker 4: done pretty much.
7:15
Speaker 2: I'by the finally, what does a hockey player do to
7:17
Speaker 2: get ready for a game on New Year's Day? But
7:19
Speaker 2: you enjoy a little bit of a downtime for New
7:21
Speaker 2: Year's Eve?
7:23
Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't know.
7:24
Speaker 4: I'm probably not much grab a nice dinner or something
7:27
Speaker 4: order in.
7:29
Speaker 5: I think right now I just.
7:30
Speaker 2: Get the rest because preparation matters and habits.
7:32
Speaker 5: Matter right on hundred percent.
7:33
Speaker 2: While Berkeley Catton is still looking for his first career
7:37
Speaker 2: NHL goal, it's his play under the hood that has
7:40
Speaker 2: grab plenty of positive attention. Additionally, it's a number that's
7:43
Speaker 2: going to be on his back beginning today against Nashville.
7:47
Speaker 2: Caton changing his number from seventy seven to twenty seven
7:51
Speaker 2: the Crack and announcing that move shortly before practice began
7:54
Speaker 2: on Wednesday. And this move doesn't happen unless the number
7:58
Speaker 2: gets vacated by Mason March who left the Crack and
8:01
Speaker 2: via trade to Columbus shortly before the holiday break. But
8:05
Speaker 2: it is Caton getting his familiar number twenty seven back,
8:09
Speaker 2: a number reflective of his wildly productive spoken chiefs days
8:13
Speaker 2: in the Western Hockey League, and Caton talked more with
8:16
Speaker 2: the media about how this happened while answering a pretty
8:20
Speaker 2: firm tongue in cheek question about the movie.
8:23
Speaker 6: You chase Mason Marshman out of town so you could
8:25
Speaker 6: still have his jersey number.
8:26
Speaker 7: No, No, I did not do that, but uh, you know,
8:28
Speaker 7: it's uh, it's pretty cool.
8:30
Speaker 5: I think, you know. It was obviously kind.
8:32
Speaker 7: Of a conversation when he did get traded though that
8:34
Speaker 7: you know, I had twenty seven before, just very short
8:37
Speaker 7: time before he came and you know, actually bought He
8:39
Speaker 7: called me yesterday and you know told me there was
8:42
Speaker 7: you know, a chance that they could do it this year.
8:43
Speaker 7: Obviously I was kind of thinking next year maybe, but
8:46
Speaker 7: and then you know, Jeff and his staff you know,
8:49
Speaker 7: obviously worked hard and got it done. So I'm really
8:51
Speaker 7: grateful for that and kind of just a number I've
8:53
Speaker 7: always warned and even as a kid, so pretty cool
8:56
Speaker 7: they get tore it here. Yeah, pretty much. You know,
9:00
Speaker 7: bots gave me the call yesterday and just kind of said, hey, like,
9:04
Speaker 7: if you want, we can try and do it this year.
9:06
Speaker 7: I was kind of surprised, but you know, pretty awesome
9:09
Speaker 7: that they got it done.
9:10
Speaker 5: Do you remember how you first wore that number?
9:13
Speaker 7: Twenty seven? I wore like I was, like, I don't
9:15
Speaker 7: even remember. It's just it was my mom's birthday. They
9:17
Speaker 7: have her birthday, so I've always just kind of worn it.
9:19
Speaker 7: I think she actually picked it for me when I
9:21
Speaker 7: was young enough, so that's kind of how it started.
9:23
Speaker 7: And I always kind of had it growing up and
9:25
Speaker 7: obviously in Spokane, so you know, my favorite number, and
9:29
Speaker 7: I'm not a superstitious guy or anything. But it is
9:31
Speaker 7: cool to wear it there.
9:34
Speaker 6: It's February seventh, not like the twenty seventh of something, right.
9:37
Speaker 7: No, it's the twenty seventh of April.
9:39
Speaker 5: Like that's why, yeah, yeah, right, yeah yeah.
9:43
Speaker 2: How's your chemistry with with your linemates right now?
9:46
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's it's good.
9:47
Speaker 7: I mean, obviously just maybe I want to put the
9:50
Speaker 7: pocket in that a little more. But I think we've
9:52
Speaker 7: created lots and obviously haven't got like Jared on your
9:54
Speaker 7: line is awesome for me and Shane. We've been Shane
9:56
Speaker 7: and played together lots this year, so we have some
9:58
Speaker 7: And then I was trying to get to fuck to
10:00
Speaker 7: Jared in the slot and good things.
10:02
Speaker 8: Happening in what ways do you feel like you can
10:04
Speaker 8: best compliment Jared kind of coming into the mix with
10:06
Speaker 8: you guys.
10:06
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think, you know, he's obviously a shooter, and uh,
10:10
Speaker 7: you know, I think, you know, me and Shane have
10:13
Speaker 7: a good ability to you know, to make plays and whatnot,
10:16
Speaker 7: and and obviously Jared can too. But I think it's
10:18
Speaker 7: a good mix of everything, and and you know, I
10:20
Speaker 7: think we're trending in the right direction.
10:22
Speaker 8: And I got some time back. Now, what's been the
10:24
Speaker 8: you know, most difficult part or biggest challenge coming back
10:27
Speaker 8: from you know, your injury and kind of working back
10:28
Speaker 8: into things here.
10:29
Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean obviously just the speed of things. Uh,
10:34
Speaker 7: you know, as much as you do as any bikes
10:35
Speaker 7: and skates as you want, but nothing can emulate a
10:37
Speaker 7: NHL games. So I think just getting used to that
10:41
Speaker 7: again is good, and you know I do in a
10:43
Speaker 7: sense feels stronger though a little bit of time off to.
10:45
Speaker 5: You know, work on stuff.
10:46
Speaker 7: So you know, just trying to build seventy.
10:49
Speaker 3: Seven like a random assign assignment number or.
10:52
Speaker 7: Yeah, it's just like I love seven saw it was
10:55
Speaker 7: like two sevens, but it was there wasn't a whole
10:58
Speaker 7: lot of options obviously a lot of people in this,
11:00
Speaker 7: so that was kind of just yeah an option.
11:04
Speaker 9: Lineup.
11:05
Speaker 6: Yeah yeah, so okay, and with your mom picking twenty
11:09
Speaker 6: seven when you started, what was her reaction when she
11:11
Speaker 6: found ou about your number?
11:12
Speaker 7: Now, I honestly don't even know if they know yet.
11:15
Speaker 7: I might just keep it a secret and they might
11:16
Speaker 7: be like, who's They might not even recognize me on
11:18
Speaker 7: the ICFLCE, But uh, it was just honestly so quick,
11:21
Speaker 7: like I just kind of you know, bos he'd called me.
11:24
Speaker 7: I was kind of shocked, and I didn't really know
11:27
Speaker 7: until I, you know, fully came in this morning and
11:28
Speaker 7: saw it on everything so often maybe shoot them in text.
11:31
Speaker 2: Here, cracking head coach Lane Lambert has steered his team
11:34
Speaker 2: to now scoring first six games in a row, which
11:37
Speaker 2: has also led them now to just being two points
11:40
Speaker 2: back of the cut line in the Western Conference and
11:43
Speaker 2: players finding their role even with numbers being called in
11:46
Speaker 2: the light of injuries which have become heavier as far
11:49
Speaker 2: as the load on the roster in this last month.
11:53
Speaker 2: Here's Lambert speaking with the media after practice Wednesday, beginning
11:56
Speaker 2: on Berkeley Catton, who was still looking for his career goal,
12:00
Speaker 2: yet delivering this kind of play which has kept him
12:04
Speaker 2: in the lineup.
12:05
Speaker 9: He's getting some opportunities. It'll be nice to see him
12:08
Speaker 9: sort of break the goose egg and see where it
12:10
Speaker 9: happens to go from there.
12:13
Speaker 5: But in saying that, you know, having him continue to.
12:17
Speaker 9: You know, be responsible and play at both ends of
12:21
Speaker 9: the rink is extremely important. You know, We've put mccount
12:25
Speaker 9: on that line with him, and right for now, we
12:28
Speaker 9: feel like that's a line that can generate some offense
12:31
Speaker 9: for us against other teams lines.
12:34
Speaker 5: So we think.
12:35
Speaker 9: That'll be a positive situation for certainly for Right and
12:39
Speaker 9: Catton and Canner obviously is a veteran guy who you
12:45
Speaker 9: know can help those guys out for sure.
12:47
Speaker 10: Would you got to do a double take in practice
12:49
Speaker 10: today when he's at twenty seven out there again?
12:51
Speaker 5: No, I knew it was coming.
12:54
Speaker 7: It seems silly, But could it move like that?
12:57
Speaker 6: You know some persisterusponsinal could that kind of could that
13:00
Speaker 6: possibly energize.
13:01
Speaker 9: Player a little bit? I don't know, you'd have to
13:05
Speaker 9: ask him, certainly, h you know, that's the number he
13:10
Speaker 9: was and you know now the veteran player isn't here anymore,
13:15
Speaker 9: not wearing that number, you know him and.
13:18
Speaker 5: Uh bots chose to make that move.
13:21
Speaker 8: Now you mentioned a you know mccamlin, Wright and Katon,
13:24
Speaker 8: what do you you.
13:25
Speaker 5: Know have contents that they have that offense and production?
13:27
Speaker 8: What do you think they you know, need to go
13:29
Speaker 8: on the first two games together to kind of see
13:31
Speaker 8: that coming fruition?
13:32
Speaker 9: Well, uh, I mean they made some good plays, They
13:35
Speaker 9: had some great scoring opportunities.
13:38
Speaker 5: You know, they see the ice.
13:39
Speaker 9: Well, each and every one of them, uh, you know,
13:41
Speaker 9: and as they continue to move forward here.
13:44
Speaker 5: You know, they'll get a little bit more chemistry.
13:46
Speaker 8: And with the Yannie Newman going down, what should his
13:49
Speaker 8: focus be, uh, you know, trying to fight.
13:52
Speaker 5: His way back up here?
13:53
Speaker 9: Yeah, No, Yanni Yannie did a lot of good things here,
13:57
Speaker 9: you know, And I think for him part of his
14:01
Speaker 9: development was, you know, certainly being here and he'll be
14:03
Speaker 9: back again getting to understand, you know, the way things
14:08
Speaker 9: are done, how we're doing things here, and uh, you
14:11
Speaker 9: know it's important for him to keep playing as well,
14:14
Speaker 9: and it'll be nice for him to go down there,
14:16
Speaker 9: play in the power play, you know, have some success
14:19
Speaker 9: that way, you know, and get get himself ready to
14:24
Speaker 9: come back whatever that might be.
14:26
Speaker 5: Oh, you say, the way things are done, what specifically
14:28
Speaker 5: are you looking for from him in that regard?
14:30
Speaker 9: Just like everybody else, you know, your understanding of what
14:34
Speaker 9: to do when you don't have the puck.
14:36
Speaker 10: Laid, Your PK has been turning in the right direction.
14:40
Speaker 10: The longer sell you've simp before you've simplified it. Has
14:45
Speaker 10: there been anything else that you've been doing you've been
14:47
Speaker 10: working on to get a going on redrection?
14:50
Speaker 9: Well, I think, you know, I think Aaron Schnee Klass
14:53
Speaker 9: done a real good job of having the guys understand
14:55
Speaker 9: exactly what we're looking for. We made some changes, that's
14:58
Speaker 9: all there. That's all there is to it, and I
15:00
Speaker 9: think we're more aggressive with those changes.
15:03
Speaker 6: Well, this might be a silly question. I've had some
15:05
Speaker 6: coaches say that this part of your mentally, it's kind
15:08
Speaker 6: of a grunt, right because you're looking to break. You're
15:10
Speaker 6: not pushing for the playoffs just yet. It's crazy that
15:13
Speaker 6: we just saw Vancouver for.
15:14
Speaker 9: The first time.
15:15
Speaker 11: Now we're just seeing Nashville.
15:16
Speaker 6: Does seeing an opponem for the first time at this
15:19
Speaker 6: point in the season maybe get an extra jump or
15:21
Speaker 6: mental loose.
15:22
Speaker 9: Uh, you know what, It gives you a little bit
15:25
Speaker 9: extra focus. Maybe not that you shouldn't have focus. You know,
15:31
Speaker 9: a new opponent, different players, you know, so you're right,
15:36
Speaker 9: like you know, they call it the dog days of January.
15:40
Speaker 9: I guess based on a variation of different things. We
15:44
Speaker 9: can't afford to have a dog day of January because
15:47
Speaker 9: we have seventeen games, which I think are probably tied for.
15:50
Speaker 5: The most in NHL history in a month.
15:51
Speaker 9: So we've got to do a real good job here
15:54
Speaker 9: of keeping our focus, keeping them rested, having them come
16:01
Speaker 9: to the rink every day energized and giving that proper balance,
16:07
Speaker 9: you know, and getting a full commitment out out of
16:09
Speaker 9: them each and every time they're at the rink and
16:12
Speaker 9: especially for games.
16:13
Speaker 6: So in that it wouldn't be fair to say that
16:16
Speaker 6: extra boost to focus with a brand new plment quote
16:19
Speaker 6: unquote help They need to be there themselves already.
16:22
Speaker 9: Well, it's just a different team, but I think, you know,
16:26
Speaker 9: we have to be ultimately focused, doesn't matter if we've
16:28
Speaker 9: played a team five times in a row.
16:31
Speaker 5: You know, that's just my opinion on.
16:32
Speaker 9: It, and that's the way we like to have them
16:34
Speaker 9: do things.
16:35
Speaker 5: Then, going back to camp, we heard about the words internal.
16:38
Speaker 11: Competition, how much it was a big thing, and.
16:40
Speaker 5: Kind of the scope of getting four wins last.
16:43
Speaker 11: Five games and with money out with other players out
16:46
Speaker 11: as well. What are you knows as far as how
16:48
Speaker 11: much that can drive players with you know, the continuity
16:52
Speaker 11: across your lines to you know, find their role and
16:54
Speaker 11: keep their role as well.
16:56
Speaker 5: Well.
16:56
Speaker 9: What we've tried to do, I guess also is give
16:59
Speaker 9: them some continuity, some chemistry, try to keep our lines
17:02
Speaker 9: together a little bit, you know, the Stevenson line from
17:04
Speaker 9: moving Freddie Goodreau up has really you know, made an
17:08
Speaker 9: impact on that line. Those guys have done a real
17:12
Speaker 9: good job of that, you know. And you know, with
17:15
Speaker 9: Monty being out, Flurry has played well and you know,
17:20
Speaker 9: and so it's must and so you know, you get
17:23
Speaker 9: those guys, they get opportunities, and we've talked over and
17:26
Speaker 9: over again about you know, how they are when they're
17:28
Speaker 9: not playing.
17:29
Speaker 5: They haven't played for a long time. You know.
17:31
Speaker 9: It's a credit to both those guys, and it's a
17:33
Speaker 9: credit to everybody that doesn't play for a while. I
17:37
Speaker 9: think they've done a really good job. I think our
17:38
Speaker 9: strength and conditioning guys have done a good job, you know,
17:42
Speaker 9: of keeping them in shape, and they've done a really
17:45
Speaker 9: good job of making sure that they're ready if they
17:47
Speaker 9: do get the opportunity. And I think, you know, both
17:50
Speaker 9: Flury and her have played well.
17:52
Speaker 11: You mentioned the word responsibility when it comes to the
17:54
Speaker 11: foreth line with the mons and there Ben Myers even
17:57
Speaker 11: learned to got a goal as well there.
17:58
Speaker 9: And what defines them you're looking for at the trio
18:03
Speaker 9: their defensive game. It's very important that you're able to
18:06
Speaker 9: put them out in a defensive zone, face off and
18:08
Speaker 9: have full trust that will allow you know, other guys
18:12
Speaker 9: that maybe you want out in an offensive situation, uh,
18:15
Speaker 9: to go out and do that. So you know, they've
18:18
Speaker 9: been very good at doing that. Malanson, you know, he
18:23
Speaker 9: obviously he can skate, he can hit, but he's been
18:26
Speaker 9: extremely responsible defensively, which has been really nice to.
18:29
Speaker 1: See playing Benjie tales that I go going back to
18:33
Speaker 1: this sort of the thought process and putting him and
18:35
Speaker 1: Labor together.
18:36
Speaker 5: What is it about those two that sort of made
18:38
Speaker 5: you want to look at that? Apparently? Yeah, I like
18:41
Speaker 5: ready Lefty.
18:42
Speaker 9: I always like ready lefty D's I think I think
18:44
Speaker 9: it's hard, uh sometimes to play the offside. Alexiak plays
18:49
Speaker 9: the off side. He's done it a lot in his career.
18:51
Speaker 9: But it's not an easy thing to do. Believe me,
18:54
Speaker 9: It's just not and uh you know so uh you know,
18:59
Speaker 9: I I think Fleury deserved an opportunity certainly coming back in,
19:03
Speaker 9: but I like the already lefty aspect of it.
19:06
Speaker 2: So the Krakens settling down after that to enjoy the
19:09
Speaker 2: rest of New Year's even get ready here for the
19:12
Speaker 2: New Year's Day bash against Nashville and facing a Predator's
19:16
Speaker 2: team that is right now playing like a heat seeking missile.
19:19
Speaker 2: They were six twelve and four in late November and
19:23
Speaker 2: since then have turned things around to a twelve and
19:25
Speaker 2: five record in the last seventeen games. May beat Vegas
19:29
Speaker 2: four to two on New Year's Eve for their fifth
19:31
Speaker 2: win in the last six games. As well. In that game,
19:35
Speaker 2: Stephen Stamkost, the future Hall of Famer, picked up his
19:38
Speaker 2: six hundredth career NHL goal. All a big highlight here
19:42
Speaker 2: of what is a season long seven game road trip
19:45
Speaker 2: on the Predator's side. How the Kraken can count that potentially,
19:48
Speaker 2: We'll keep an eye on special teams. The Krack and
19:51
Speaker 2: right now have the fourth best power play in the
19:53
Speaker 2: NHL since December ninth, and the penalty kill as well,
19:57
Speaker 2: tightening the screws recently for a twenty seven of thirty
20:01
Speaker 2: two effort in the most recent run that is tied
20:04
Speaker 2: for seventh best in the NHL in that stretch. Offensively,
20:08
Speaker 2: Jordan Eberley brings in a four game point scoring streak.
20:11
Speaker 2: He owns thirty points in thirty eight games livetime against
20:15
Speaker 2: the Predators, and he could be a big part of
20:18
Speaker 2: the Krack And offense here in this first of three
20:21
Speaker 2: meetings against Nashville. Looking forward to it with the Z
20:24
Speaker 2: two teams jockeing for inside position in the chase for
20:28
Speaker 2: one of the two wildcard spots. And again we'll have
20:30
Speaker 2: all the action for you coming up at seven o'clock
20:32
Speaker 2: with puck drop airtime in six thirty all across the
20:36
Speaker 2: Global Credit Union Kraken Audio Network, the front end back
20:40
Speaker 2: to back games before the crack, and head to Vancouver
20:43
Speaker 2: to end the back to back coming up on Friday
20:45
Speaker 2: at seven thirty pm. Enjoy this one and have a
20:48
Speaker 2: happy New Year. And for Kracken this morning, I'm Mike Benton.
20:51
Speaker 1: You're home for the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three point
20:54
Speaker 1: three kjr FM