One: Shoot-First Mentality and Math
The Kraken have earned three of six standings points in the last three games while scoring just six goals, with four in one game. While the goal count is scarce, head coach Lane Lambert said Wednesday it wasn’t because shot attempts were in short supply. He informed the media that the Kraken had recorded 187 shot attempts over the three games, averaging 61-63 per game.
Problem is, more than 100 of those shots missed the net or were blocked by opponents. It was hard to keep track of how many shots Columbus stuffed, almost at the point of the stick blade meeting the puck. In fact, only 44 percent of pucks shot by the Kraken got through to the net.
“That is not good enough,” said Lambert after an optional practice. “There are always going to be some blocks and missed nets. We’ve talked about it [with the players], we’re taking too long to get shots away. Fractions of seconds sooner is the difference between a shot block hitting a stick and going into the stands or us getting a shot [on goal] that has potential to create a rebound and maybe two or three cracks at it. It’s certainly a way to up those opportunities. There are things we can do to build to that. We can’t defer to passing and instead have a shoot-first mentality. We’ve got to get pucks through.
Lambert has coached in the pro ranks for two decades —six in the American Hockey League —and is now embarking on his 15th year behind NHL benches. He speaks from experience, having been a high draft choice himself in the mid-1980s, scoring 20 goals as a rookie and another 14 in his second season with Detroit. From there, his coaches, including Colin Campbell, now Hall of Famer and executive vice president of hockey operations for the NHL, concede he sacrificed scoring to emphasize his physicality as one of the bigger players on the Red Wings roster. Despite a career-average shot percentage of nearly 17 percent, he only reached double digits in goals in one more season (with Quebec, now Colorado) because his assigned role reduced his shot opportunities.
Lambert was “selfless as a player,” said Campbell during a conversation when Lambert was hired last spring, but interestingly, the Kraken coach wants his players to be more selfish when the decision is pass or shoot.
“If a player is being selfish and that means he is getting pucks to the net, to me that’s for the team,” said Lambert.
Two: Fourth Line Keeps Going Forth
In Tuesday’s matchup, fourth-line center Ben Meyers was a standout from the first shift. Thus, not a surprise he assisted on the Kraken’s lone goal with a hard drive to the net before slipping the puck to a wide-open Ryan Winterton. On Sunday, Meyers and linemates Winterton and Tye Kartye clicked for most scoring chances for and fewest scoring chances against, a stat pointed out by Lambert post-game.
“We want [Meyers] to keep playing the way he is,” said Lambert about a player fans can track Thursday. “He’s using his speed. He’s in on pucks and the forecheck. He’s owning the puck in the offensive zone as well. He took one to the net in the first period. He was coming off the wall, taking one to the net, when he made the play to Winterton. He obviously took one to the net [on the penalty]. I don’t like penalties 200 feet away from our net, but I can live with those penalties when we’re taking pucks in the net.”
Three: Know the Foe: While 10-6-0 Overall, Jets Scuffling a Bit
While the Kraken lead the NHL in overtime/shootout games heading into action Wednesday night, Winnipeg is just one of five teams yet to play in one. The Jets likely wished that they had forced extra time in recent matchups. Before beating Vancouver 5-3 on Monday in B.C., Winnipeg dropped the first three games of its current road trip, losing to LA (3-0), San Jose (2-1) and Anaheim (4-1). Their power play, typically a strength and last year’s league leaders with 28.9 percent success in the regular season, was zero-for-14 on the trip until converting two of four man-advantage situations against the Canucks. WPG start Mark Scheifele is off to a hot start with nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 16 games, along with Kyle Connor, who has nine goals and 10 assists.
Projected Lineups (not official)
Schwartz-Stephenson-Kakko
Marchment-Beniers-Eberle
Tolvanen-Catton-Wright
Kartye-Meyers-Winterton
Dunn-Larsson
Lindgren-Montour
Evans-Oleksiak
Grubauer
