Kraken can’t jumpstart offense against streaking Predators, suffer 4th straight loss

SEATTLE – Some line shuffling by the Kraken failed to jumpstart an offense missing in action much of this homestand, including Saturday night in a fourth consecutive loss.

The only Kraken player to put a puck in the net the first two periods of this 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators was defenseman Justin Schultz, who had one go off his skate and behind goalie Philipp Grubauer to open the scoring. While the Kraken finally got on the board with a man advantage in the final frame, they surrendered a go-ahead power play goal by Roman Josi fewer than three minutes later as the Predators extended their points streak to 14 games.

Josi managed two goals that third period, following up with a blistering slapper from the point through traffic at 9:03 after Yanni Gourde cleanly lost an own zone faceoff. That put Nashville up by two and the way the Kraken have been offensively this homestand, that was the signal for Climate Pledge Arena fans to get an early jump on postgame traffic.

Filip Forsberg added an empty-net goal in the final minute with Grubauer pulled for an extra attacker.

The Kraken had just 12 shots on goal against Predators’ star goalie Juuse Saros the opening two periods and had trailed 1-0 entering the third courtesy of the Tommy Novak deflection goal off Schultz’s skate. But Andre Burakovsky tied things up early in the third, taking a Ryker Evans pass and burying a wrist shot behind Saros from the right circle. That looked to give the Kraken new life until Gourde took a borderline tripping penalty soon after and Josi wound up with the puck after a scramble in front and wristed it past Grubauer.

The Kraken have scored just six goals the first four games of a homestand that’s effectively ended any playoff chances this season. Four of those goals came in a lone game against the Vegas Golden Knights last Tuesday, whereas otherwise it’s been slim pickings for production.

An injury suffered nearly two weeks ago against Calgary by defenseman Vince Dunn certainly hasn’t helped a squad that likes to get its offense going out of the back end, but the forwards also haven’t done enough to create chances. Losing net front presence Jaden Schwartz to an upper body injury the last three games also hasn’t made it easier for the Kraken to get those close-range chances all teams need.

Kraken coach Dave Hakstol had talked pregame about trying some new combinations, going with Kailer Yamamoto as the third line center and reinstating Jared McCann back on the top line wing along with Matty Beniers and Jordan Eberle. McCann got blasted off his feet in the early going by rugged Nashville defender Luke Schenn after a goalmouth scramble, then got hit again behind the net after the whistle by the 6-foot-2, 225-pound D-man on a subsequent play minutes later.

The Kraken did little to respond other than McCann shoving back against the much larger, more pugilistic-skilled Schenn. Whether that impacted the Kraken’s subsequent play — and opponents have targeted the top scoring McCann all season long with impunity — wasn’t clear, though net-front chances were few and far between the opening 40 minutes.

Of the dozen shots managed by the Kraken the opening two periods, the most dangerous chance came on a puck that missed the net entirely. Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde broke down the ice 2-on-1 in the opening frame and engaged on a nice give-and-go.

But Tanev’s return pass to Gourde at the goal mouth was slightly behind him and could not be redirected on net.

Late in the second period, Tanev was on the receiving end of a hit by former Kraken defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, who rode him hard into the end glass and knocked him off his feet. Yamamoto — all 5-foot-8, 153 pounds of him — immediately charged in hard after Lauzon in the best response to a hit by a Kraken player all night, with Nashville drawing the only penalty on the play.

That power play carried over into the third period when Burakovsky scored. But at even strength, the Kraken once again struggled to get anything going.