2023 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: Avalanche vs. Kraken

If you watched the Colorado Avalanche’s final game of the 2022-23 regular season, you already know it: Nathan MacKinnon is in playoff mode.

In game No. 82, a must-win against Nashville in order to clinch the Central Division away from Dallas and claim home-ice advantage in their quest to defend their title, the centreman took matters into his own hands. MacKinnon tallied a hat trick as pretty as you’ll ever see, capped by the late-game winner that might just be his most impressive goal of the year.

“Impressive” is an understatement when it comes to what the Seattle Kraken have accomplished this year. After posting just 60 points for a 30th-place finish in their inaugural season — a year that carried grand expectations after Vegas set an impossibly high standard for expansion-team success — the 2022-23 Kraken clicked in Year Two. Seattle posted 40 more points for an even 100, marking the largest such jump in league history, and settled into the first wild card spot.

Their reward? Oh, just the reigning Stanley Cup champions. No big deal.

Here’s what you need to know about what the Kraken have dubbed the sea to summit series.

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

Avalanche: 1-1-1

Kraken: 2-0-1

THE BREAKDOWN

Truthfully, it’s not just MacKinnon. The Avalanche have been in playoff mode pretty much all year long, battling injuries from the very beginning.

On Oct. 12, captain Gabriel Landeskog took the Stanley Cup for one last lap around the rink to conclude a summer of celebrations for the 2022 champions before opening their campaign to run it back. Turns out, those celebratory strides would be his only appearance in an Avalanche sweater this year, a knee surgery and the rehab that followed keeping him sidelined all year long — including, as the team announced this week, the playoffs.

There’s no overstating that loss, but it’s a loss his team has had 82 games to adjust to, making the Avalanche’s Central-topping finish that much more impressive. Injuries have plagued Colorado all season, forcing the defending champs to play without some of their biggest names for varying periods of time. Just four players, in fact, appeared in all 82.

And yet, here they are, the defending champs flexing their depth in post-season form already with some incredible accomplishments from their biggest stars. Take MacKinnon, who despite missing 11 games still registered career-highs in goals (42), assists (69) and points (111). Mikko Rantanen also passed the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Cale Makar, limited to 61 games, averaged more than a point per game.

The Kraken certainly know a thing or two about depth. Where Colorado has relied on its heavy hitters to carry the bulk of the offence, Seattle spreads the scoring through four lines deep. Jared McCann leads the way with a remarkable 40-goal campaign, while the team boasts six 20-goal scorers and 13 skaters who’ve scored at least 10. They, too, have dealt with their share of injuries, the biggest being former Avalanche Andre Burakovsky who’s been out since Feb. 7.

Bolstered by breakout performances throughout the lineup — McCann’s 70 points, Vince Dunn’s 64 from the blue line, rookie Matty Beniers’ veteran-like rookie season — the Kraken sit fourth in goals per game (3.52).

An interesting storyline for both sides in this series takes place in the crease, with Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer facing his old club — or will Martin Jones get all the starts after taking over the top spot for much of the campaign amid Grubauer’s inconsistent play? Colorado has the edge with Alexandar Georgiev, who took over Colorado’s crease after the team let Darcy Kuemper walk last summer. The 27-year-old former Ranger wasted no time proving he was ready to be an everyday starter, tying Linus Ullmark’s league-best 40 wins on the season.  

The Kraken won two of three regular-season matchups against Colorado this year, the loss coming via shootout and all three games being decided by just one goal. Seattle has a 3-2-1 all-time record against Colorado.

ADVANCED STATS

(5-on-5 totals via Natural Stat Trick)

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

Avalanche X-Factor: J.T. Compher

MacKinnon is a cheat code every time he’s on the ice, and Rantanen has been in fine form all year, too, as he’s registered his first 100-point season. But in a year that presented as many injuries to Avalanche players as this one, depth has been tested — and they passed with flying colours, thanks to players like Compher.

After a season so good he priced himself right out of Colorado in free agency, Nazem Kadri’s departure left a 28-goal gap in the Avalanche’s top six and a crucial question about who would fill it. It didn’t take long for Compher to present his case, and he’s proven to be the perfect answer. He’d had some practice, after all, suiting up in Kadri’s spot as needed last spring when the now-Flame was sidelined with an injury.

Now a mainstay centring that all-important second line, Compher has proven himself a valuable weapon who’s also thrived on the first power-play unit for the league’s sixth-ranked PP. His versatility also makes him the perfect not-so-secret weapon for a head coach like Jared Bednar, who’s never shy to mix up his lines — and, in fact, has had to get creative at times due to an ever rotating injury list.

In 81 games this season, Compher registered new career highs by a wide margin in assists (35) and points (52). 

Kraken X-Factor: Vince Dunn

When it comes to shutting down No. 29 in burgundy and blue, Seattle’s best hope might just be their own No. 29.

Dunn showed flashes of his skill in St. Louis, but since landing in Seattle via expansion he has become a true No. 1 defenceman — a do-it-all rearguard deserving of his place in the conversation among the best this year. With 14 goals and 50 assists for 64 points this season, all personal bests, he sits 10th league-wide in scoring by a defenceman and second on Seattle overall, behind just McCann. Dunn’s logging important minutes, quarterbacking the first power-play unit, and sets the tone on a near-nightly basis. Like the team he’s about to suit up against, Dunn also has himself a Stanley Cup ring and the knowledge of what it takes to win it all. Only this time, he’s in position to take a leading role in the battle.

BROADCAST DETAILS
(all times Eastern)

Tuesday, April 18: at Colorado, 10 p.m. (Sportsnet 360)
Thursday, April 20: at Colorado, 9:30 p.m. (Sportsnet 360/FX)
Saturday, April 22: at Seattle, 10 p.m. (Sportsnet 360)
Monday, April 24: at Seattle, 10 p.m. (Sportsnet 360)
*Wednesday, April 26: at Colorado
*Friday, April 28: at Seattle
*Sunday, April 30: at Colorado