By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
After a humiliating 8-1 loss Tuesday night at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, the Boston Bruins will head south of the Canadian border for their final matchup of the regular season against the Seattle Kraken. The Bruins were victorious in their previous matchup against the Kraken, recording a 2-0 shutout win at TD Garden back in November.
Goaltending Woes
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman surrendered all eight goals during Tuesday’s loss, including a Mason Appleton goal on a shot from below the goal line. It was the first time in Swayman’s National Hockey League career that he gave up eight goals in a single game.
The former University of Maine Black Bear has struggled this season. According to Moneypuck.com, Swayman has a goals saved above expected of -11.6 this season, the worst amongst all goaltenders. There is nowhere to go but up for Swayman, who signed an eight year contract extension with the B’s this summer.
Joonas Korpisalo on the other hand, has enjoyed a bounce back campaign after a disastrous single season with the Ottawa Senators. In ten appearances with the Bruins, Korpisalo has a .909% save percentage, up from the .890% he had in Canada’s capital. Korpisalo also has 2.4 goals saved above expected this season.
Injury Report
The Bruins are still without defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who suffered a lower body injury against the St. Louis Blues November 12th. The Kraken will be without their captain Jordan Eberle, who is expected to be out until February after undergoing pelvic surgery. Seattle will also likely be missing Yanni Gourde, who left in the third period of the Kraken’s 2-1 Shootout loss to the Florida Panthers. Jared McCann is a game-time decision for Seattle, who recalled forward Ryan Winterton from their American Hockey League affiliate the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday.
Seattle’s Season So Far
Just like the Bruins, Seattle has played 30 games this season, although they have a record of 14-14-2, slightly worse than Boston’s 15-12-3 start. The Kraken are currently three points out of the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, currently occupied by the Vancouver Canucks.
Jared McCann leads Seattle in points, with 24, and also has the team lead in goals, with ten. Among the Kraken’s defenders, free agent signing Brandon Montour has produced the most offense from the backend, with 19 points. North Andover’s own Joey Daccord has had an excellent year in between the pipes, with a .916% save percentage in his 20 games this season, while Philipp Grubauer has struggled this year, with a .870% in 10 games. Special teams have been a struggle for the Kraken. Seattle’s power play ranks 24th in the NHL, with a 17.6% success rate, while their penalty kill is slightly better at 19th, killing penalties 78.9% of the time.
All-Time Records
The 32nd Franchise in NHL history, the Bruins have faced Seattle seven times, holding a 4-2-1 record. In three matchups at Climate Pledge Arena, Boston has not lost in regulation, going 2-0-1 in the state of Washington. Puck drop on the west coast is scheduled for 10:00 ET, and tonight’s game will be broadcast on NESN.
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