SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken have reached the halfway point of the season in a tie for first place in the Pacific Division.
They've been one of the great sports stories among several in Seattle over the last six months. The Seattle Mariners surprised us with not only a playoff berth, but as a team that made some noise in the postseason.
We just finished watching the Seahawks not only surprise us here in Seattle, but shock the entire league by winning nine games to reach the playoffs.
And here we are, mid-winter with the Kraken. The team with the third-worst record at the end of last season. A team that made its share of mistakes on and off the ice in its inaugural season.
But every owner, every boss and for sure every parent on the planet can live with mistakes as long as you learn from them.
The Kraken seem to be a quick study.
General manager Ron Francis said from the start success in building a team starts with solid goaltending. The best team in the league, the Boston Bruins, have the best goalie in the league in Linus Ullmark. The Kraken have a decent 1-2 punch in Martin Jones and Phillip Grubauer.
You couldn't say that last year. Grubauer needed help in front of him, so Francis brought in some quality defensemen. We're seeing far fewer mistakes and turnovers in the defensive end and opponents are getting off less shots. The Kraken rank third in the league in fewest shots allowed.
Francis also said good centers are hard to find. That's why he focused on getting the best center available in Seattle's first draft. He took Matty Beniers out of Michigan and we've seen how that's worked out. He's a leading candidate for NHL rookie of the year and if it hadn't been for a cheap shot by Vancouver's Tyler Myers, Beniers would be playing in his first NHL All Star game this weekend. Instead, he's healing up for the second half of the season.
And by the way, with a renewed emphasis on player safety throughout all of sports, it's puzzling to say the least why Myers didn't face any discipline from the league on his blindside hit of Beniers. Myers is 6-8, 230 pounds. Beniers is 6-2, 175 pounds. You don't need to thoroughly comprehend the laws of physics to understand Beniers would get crushed in that collision, especially when he didn't see it coming.
Mark your calendar. The Kraken play the Canucks April 4 in Vancouver. I'd be surprised if there's no retaliation for Myers' hit on Beniers. Jamie Oleksiak will likely go right after Myers as soon as they drop the puck. At 6-7, 260 pounds that's a much better matchup.
That's enough tough guy talk, although I will say the Kraken need to muscle up and get a few more big guys on the roster so Oleksiak isn't the only one dropping the gloves. This team could use a little more physicality, especially in the postseason.
I'm pretty sure Francis is already thinking about it.
The one thing he doesn't want to do is upset the chemistry this team has developed. It's a credit to the quality of players he brought in and definitely the leadership provided by the head coach he hired in Dave Hakstol.
Any question marks about Hakstol's NHL coaching experience before coming to Seattle have been answered. He has built up respect among his players and that respect is permeating throughout the league - much like Hakstol's stare. A stare that has built its own reputation over the years. Former players call it intimidating. One went as far as to say Hakstol's stare "will penetrate the back of your helmet."
It's a testament to his intensity. At one time, there was even an @AngryDaveHakstol Twitter account. Nowadays, the only followers he cares about are the 23 inside the locker room and the teams following Seattle in the standings.
Right now, there are five teams within six points of first place in the Pacific Division. In a couple of months they'll be staring each other down for the top spot.
Expect the Kraken to be ready. They've seen that stare before.
Watch: Interview with Matty Beniers