SEATTLE — The Seattle Kraken is in the playoffs for the first time ever, just a few years after the city was awarded the NHL's 32nd franchise.
Although the excitement will be palpable throughout the city, the Kraken faces a daunting first-round opponent that makes the chances of advancing slim.
The Colorado Avalanche are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and won the Central Division in 2022-23 with 109 points. The Athletic is giving Colorado an 80% chance of winning the series against the Kraken and a 26% chance of advancing in just five games.
You won't find an expert just about anywhere who believes the Kraken can advance out of this series, but it's also a fact that the NHL's postseason features the most variance and highest number of upsets of any of the four major North American sports.
Here's a preview of the Kraken's first-round series and how Seattle might be able to turn the tide and put pressure on the champs.
Schedule
(Games in bold will be played at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle)
- Game 1: Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m.
- Game 2: Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.
- Game 3: Saturday, April 22 at 7 p.m.
- Game 4: Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
- Game 5: Wednesday, April 26*
- Game 6: Friday, April 28*
- Game 7: Sunday, April 30*
- Games 5-7 will be played if necessary
* Games 5-7 will be played if necessary
Series history
Obviously, there is not a lot of previous history between these two franchises, but they did play three very close games against each other during the regular season. All three were decided by one goal and two of the three went into overtime.
The Kraken did win two out of those three matchups this season. Seattle went into Denver's Ball Arena on Oct. 21 and won 3-2 on a late goal from Karson Kuhlman, who is no longer with the Kraken. It was Nathan McKinnon who had the lone successful attempt in a competitive shootout to lift the Avalanche to a 2-1 win on Jan. 21 at Climate Pledge Arena. In the teams' final matchup in Colorado, Yanni Gourde put one in the back of the net in overtime to secure a 3-2 Seattle victory.
Injury report
The Avalanche and Kraken will be without a key player for the start of this first-round series.
For Colorado, Gabriel Landeskog did not play a second in 2022-23 after undergoing knee surgery following the team's Stanley Cup victory. Last week, the Avalanche ruled Landeskog out for the duration of the playoffs.
The captain of the Avalanche, Landeskog is a significant absence for Colorado. However, the team still managed to tally 109 points and win its division without his skills out on the ice.
For the Kraken, Andre Burakovsky will be out for at least the start of the series after Seattle announced he underwent surgery on a lower-body injury he had been out for since Feb. 7. Burakovsky was the Kraken's leading scorer when he went down and he will miss out on a chance to face off against his former team after winning a championship with Colorado in 2021-22 and signing with Seattle in free agency.
Another Colorado star, Cale Makar, will be back Tuesday after missing the Avalanche's last seven games due to injury. Makar won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player from the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
BACKUPS TO BIG ROLES
Grubauer and Colorado's Alexandar Georgiev have this in common — both were given a chance to be the undisputed main goaltender in Colorado.
Grubauer was brought in from Washington and won 66 games with Colorado over three regular seasons before moving on to Seattle. Georgiev was a backup to Igor Shesterkin in New York with the Rangers before the Avalanche acquired him in a trade last July. His 40 wins matched Patrick Roy (2000-01) for the second-most in a season in Avalanche history.
“Both (Grubauer and Georgiev) wanted that opportunity to show they can be that sort of carry-the-mail type,” said Chris MacFarland, Avalanche general manager.
FORMIDABLE FOE
A franchise making its postseason debut against a defending Stanley Cup champion doesn't happen all that often. This will mark the fifth time in league history, with the Kraken joining Columbus (2009 against Detroit), Washington (1983 versus the New York Islanders), Hartford (1980 against Montreal) and the New York Americans (1929 against the New York Rangers), according to NHL Stats.
THE METROPOLITANS
The Kraken will host its first playoff game on Saturday. But Seattle was once home to the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. The team played the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup in 1919. Both won two — and tied another — in a series that was halted by the influenza epidemic, according to NHL research.
REIGNING MVP
Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has dealt with his share of injuries this season. But the MVP of the playoffs last season is confident he will be on the ice Tuesday despite missing the last seven games with a lower-body injury.
“I’m as close (to 100%) as I can be right now,” Makar said.
He had eight goals and 21 assists in last season's cup run.