SEATTLE KRAKEN NOTES:
CURRENT INJURIES (MAN GAMES LOST: 20)
JOONAS DONSKOI (upper body; IR) | 6 games | no timeline for return
ANDRE BURAKOVSKY (lower body; IR) | 6 games | week-to-week
JOHN HAYDEN (lower body; IR) | 6 games | week-to-week
JARED McCANN (undisclosed) | 2 games | day-to-day
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Tonight’s matchup is the third and final game that will be played at Ball Arena during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
• Among players that have played in at least five games this postseason, Morgan Geekie ranked ninth in the NHL entering play Saturday with a 61.3 percent on-ice Corsi rating according to Natural Stat Trick.
• Entering play Saturday, the Kraken had three players ranked in the top 10 in hits during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Adam Larsson and Brandon Tanev were tied for fifth with 27 apiece and Eeli Tolvanen was tied for ninth with 26.
— Seattle was the only team with three players ranked in the top 10 in hits entering play Saturday.
• Jaden Schwartz recorded 11 shots on goal in Game 4, which is the most by a player in a single game this postseason. Entering play Saturday, no other player had recorded more than eight shots on goal in a single game during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. — Entering play Saturday, Schwartz was tied for second in the NHL with 27 shots on goal this postseason.
• According to Natural Stat Trick, when Carson Soucy is on the ice during 5-on-5 play, the Kraken are outscoring the Avalanche 6-1. Soucy’s six on ice goals for at 5-on-5 were tied for eighth among all NHL defensemen and his plus-5 goal differential was tied for first among blueliners according to Natural Stat Trick entering play Saturday.
• Among goaltenders that have played in each of their team’s first six playoff games, Philipp Grubauer ranked third in both save percentage (0.919) and goals-against average (2.68) entering play Saturday
— Grubauer’s Game 4 win was the 21st Stanley Cup Playoff win of his career, making him the winningest German-born goaltender in Stanley Cup Playoff history.
• Entering play Saturday, Jamie Oleksiak ranked second in the NHL with 23 blocked shots this postseason.
• 2023 marks the first trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs for five Kraken players: Matty Beniers, Will Borgen, Cale Fleury, Jesper Froden and Jaycob Megna.
• Nine veteran skaters set or tied their career highs in goals, assists and points during the 2022-23 regular season: Will Borgen, Vince Dunn, Morgan Geekie, Adam Larsson, Jared McCann, Jamie Oleksiak, Daniel Sprong, Brandon Tanev and Eeli Tolvanen.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
• The Kraken enter tonight’s game with several milestones and records on the line.
• A win tonight would give the Kraken their first playoff series win in franchise history. It would also make them the 10th expansion team to win their first-ever playoff series according to NHL Stats.
• A win would also make the Kraken the first team to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the first round since the Vancouver Canucks
took down the St. Louis Blues in six games in 2020.
• The Kraken could also become the first expansion team to defeat the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in their first-ever playoff series according to NHL Stats. Four other expansion teams have faced off against the defending champions in their first-ever playoff series, but none have been victorious.
• If the Kraken were to win tonight, they would hand Colorado their first, first-round exit since the Avalanche lost in six games to the Nashville Predators in 2018.
SEVENTH HEAVEN
• A win tonight would make the Kraken the 16th franchise in NHL history to win their first-ever Game 7.
• Seattle would also become the 12th team to do so when playing on the road. Teams playing in their first-ever Game 7 on the road have an 11-11 all-time record.
• Seattle is the 10th franchise to require a Game 7 in its first-ever playoff series and first since the Minnesota Wild in 2003 – also against Colorado. The Wild would win Game 7 4-3.
• A win tonight would make the Kraken the sixth team in NHL history to win a Game 7 in their first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff series.
*All stats courtesy of NHL Stats.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN
• Twelve Kraken skaters have previously played in a Game 7 during the Stanley Cup Playoffs: Andre Burakovsky, Joonas Donskoi, Vince Dunn, Jordan Eberle, Yanni Gourde, Philipp Grubauer, Martin Jones, Adam Larsson, Jamie Oleksiak, Justin Schultz, Jaden Schwartz and Brandon Tanev.
• In all, current Kraken players have appeared in 23 Game 7s, posting a 15-8 record in those games.
• Burakovsky has appeared in more Game 7s than any other player, with six in total. He has gone 2-4 in those games.
COLORADO AVALANCHE NOTES:
TONIGHT’S GAME
GAME 7 – FIRST ROUND SERIES
COLORADO AVALANCHE vs. SEATTLE KRAKEN
7:40 p.m.
Ball Arena – Denver, Colorado
Altitude, TNT, SN, TVA Sports / 92.5 FM
The Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken face off for Game 7 of the 2023 Stanley Cup First Round series tonight at Ball Arena in Denver … The Avs forced Game 7 with a 4-1 victory in Game 6 at Climate Pledge Arena on Friday night … Colorado is playing its first Game 7 since the 2020 second-round series against Dallas (in Edmonton) and is hosting its first Game 7 since 2014 (first round versus Minnesota) … Colorado/Quebec is 6-9 all-time in Game 7 contests, 4-8 since arriving in the Mile High City … The Avs are 4-4 when contesting a Game 7 on home ice, 4-2 at Ball Arena … Colorado’s last Game 7 victory was in 2002 against San Jose in the Western Conference Semifinal … The Avalanche are the Central Division champions while Seattle entered its first postseason as the top wild card in the Western Conference … The Avs are the defending Stanley Cup champions as they earned their third championship last spring.
GAME 7 HISTORY
Colorado is playing its first Game 7 since the 2020 second-round series against Dallas (in Edmonton) and is hosting its first Game 7 at Ball Arena since 2014 (first round versus Minnesota) … Colorado/Quebec is 6-9 all-time in Game 7 contests, 4-8 since arriving in the Mile High City … The Avs are 4-4 when contesting a Game 7 on home ice, 4-2 at Ball Arena … Colorado’s last Game 7 victory was in 2002 against San Jose in the Western Conference Semifinal.
9/4/20 R2 vs. Dallas (DAL 5 vs. COL 4, OT) *in Edm
5/8/19 R2 vs. San Jose (COL 2 at SJS 3)
4/30/14 R1 vs. Minnesota (MIN 5 at COL 4, OT)
4/22/03 WCQF vs. Minnesota (MIN 3 at COL 2, OT)
5/31/02 WCF vs. Detroit (COL 0 at DET 7)
5/15/02 WCSF vs. San Jose (SJS 0 at COL 1)
4/29/02 WCQF vs. Los Angeles (LAK 0 at COL 4)
6/9/01 F vs. New Jersey (NJD 1 at COL 3)
5/9/01 WCSF vs. Los Angeles (LAK 1 at COL 5)
5/27/00 WCF vs. Dallas (COL 2 at DAL 3)
6/4/99 WCF vs. Dallas (COL 1 at DAL 4)
5/4/98 WCQF vs. Edmonton (EDM 4 at COL 0)
5/2/87 DF vs. Montreal (QUE 3 at MTL 5)
5/2/85 DF vs. Montreal (QUE 3 at MTL 2, OT)
4/25/82 DF vs. Boston (QUE 2 at BOS 1)
FIRST ROUND OPPONENT – SEATTLE KRAKEN
This marks the first-ever playoff meeting between the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken … That leaves Winnipeg as the only Western Conference team who has never faced the Avalanche in the postseason … The Avs finished 1-1-1 against the Kraken during the 2022-23 regular season, with all three matchups decided by one goal (two went to overtime) … This is the fifth all-time playoff series between an NHL franchise making their postseason debut and a reigning champion, following the 2009 Conference Quarterfinals (CBJ vs. DET), 1983 Division Semifinals (WSH vs. NYI), 1980 Preliminary Round (HFD vs. MTL) and 1929 Quarterfinals (NYA vs. NYR).
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE vs. KRAKEN
Oct. 21 vs. SEATTLE (L, 2-3)
Jan. 21 @ Seattle (W, 2-1 SO)
Mar. 5 vs. SEATTLE (O, 2-3)
RECORD vs. KRAKEN
THIS SEASON 2021-22 ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS
Overall: 1-1-1 Overall: 2-1-0 Overall: 3-2-1 Series: 1
Home: 0-1-1 Home: 1-0-0 Home: 1-1-1 W-L record: 3-3
Road: 1-0-0 Road: 1-1-0 Road: 2-1-0
PLAYOFF NOTES
GAME 7
Tonight is the Avalanche franchise’s 16th Game 7 and 13th since relocating to Denver … Colorado/Quebec is 6-9 all-time in Game 7 contests, 4-8 since arriving in the Mile High City … The Avs are 4-4 when contesting a Game 7 on home ice although that includes the 2020 second round which was played in Edmonton but designated as a “home” game … The Avs are 4-2 in Game 7 at Ball Arena … Colorado’s last Game 7 victory was in 2002 against San Jose in the Western Conference Semifinal.
DOWN 3-2, AVS FORCE GAME 7
This marks the 11th time since moving to Denver that the Avs have faced a 3-2 series deficit …. Colorado has now forced a Game 7 in six of those 11 series and has gone on to win two of those series, the 2001 Stanley Cup Final against New Jersey and 2002 Western Conference Semifinal versus San Jose.
