"GENTLEMAN, BEHOLD! MORE HOCKEY BETWEEN THE SEATTLE KRAKEN AND THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS!"
"Shee-I don't know, man. I mean, after last time—"
"THIS TIME... SHALL BE DIFFERENT! MWHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Ah, well, alright. I am kinda hungry for some hockey."
*The Seattle Kraken defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in a shootout, 4-3*
"IT'S NOT DIFFERENT AT ALL, IS IT, STEVE?!?! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Imagine that horrific—albeit funny—nightmare happening to Golden Knights fans this season. It'd be akin to sitting next to two 50-year-old alcoholic dudes who don't know a thing or two about personal boundaries because too much beer has rotted their small minds (I've been there sitting in Section 217 at T-Mobile Arena, trust me).
Alas, that's what happened in 2025-26 as the Kraken stole the season series from the Golden Knights, 3-1-0. Seattle even handed John Tortorella his lone regular season loss by beating him on April 9. That was the aforementioned 4-3 shootout loss mentioned in the joke.
Still, the Golden Knights want to exact some revenge on the "World's Greatest Expansion Story" for the upcoming season. They'd like to come away with more than one win, especially if it didn't come in the last regular season game. Wouldn't that be nice, especially if you're looking to win Stanley Cup No. 2?
Anyway, let's look at this Kraken team and see how they suddenly became frustrating for the Golden Knights to play against. What caused them to become a troubling team? How can the Golden Knights handle this new (ish) nemesis and get back the momentum in the series? Let's see how Vegas can shift the tide against another Pacific Division adversary, similar to what they did against the Los Angeles Kings.
How the Vegas Golden Knights must handle the Seattle Kraken in 2026-27
First, let's make one thing perfectly clear. The Kraken are entirely composed of middle-six forwards. These players aren't going to score more than 40 goals in a season. Just look at Jordan Eberle, who scored a team-high 26 goals last season. The season prior? The leading goal-scorer was Jaden Schwartz with 26.
Instead, the bread and butter for the Kraken is the defensive structure. Seattle loves to suffocate their opponents and bore them into an offensive lull. Of course, they don't do this by hitting people (sixth-fewest team hits last season with 1,516). Instead, they take the puck away from opponents and force you into turnovers (ninth-most takeaways last season with 392).
This goes back to taking care of the puck and keeping it safe from your adversaries. The Golden Knights have the 11th-most giveaways in the past three seasons (3,191), while the Kraken technically had the fewest (2,825, only behind the Coyotes and the Mammoth).
Therefore, puck possession is a must. Vegas must wear down Seattle whenever and wherever they can, holding onto the puck and keeping the Kraken on their toes. Don't let the other expansion team take control of the puck and keep it away. If that happens? Well, it's not so different at all, is it, Steve?
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