3 Game Essentials | Kraken (39-24-8) at Predators (36-26-8) | 11 a.m.

NASHVILLE - When the Kraken get on the team plane to St. Paul later Saturday, they will be traveling to play their final game of the four-game, eight-day road trip Monday against a red-hot Minnesota Wild squad (12-3-5 in their last 20 games going into Saturday play). It also means Seattle is down to 10 games left on the regular season schedule.
Work the Stanley Cup Playoffs math any way you want, but departing Nashville with more than one standings point out of a possible four will make those calculations look significantly more promising. Defeat Nashville and the wild-card first-position Kraken are eight points clear of Nashville, which currently holds the 9th place outside-looking-in spot in the wild card. The Predators have a game in hand on Seattle (and a whopping three on Winnipeg, which is in the second wild-card spot) but even a subsequent NSH win only closes the gap to six points. Getting to overtime for the second game in two matchups is less optimal but still keeps the Predators seven points out from Seattle if Nashville prevails in OT or a shootout.

Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros faced seven Grade-A scoring chances in the scoreless third period Thursday night and 13 overall, leading his teammates to a needed victory. He now leads the NHL in quality starts with 35 and goalie "steals" with eight, including Thursday against the Kraken. For his part, Dave Hakstol has season-long made the point: When you are generating good scoring chances, keep doing it and the goals will come. Players like Jordan Eberle say the same. You worry about scoring goals more when you are not getting the chances.
"I liked our third period," said Hakstol Thursday post-game. "I thought we generated five, maybe six pretty good opportunities. We didn't give up a whole lot, but we weren't able to finish on one."
When facing Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger in Tuesday's win, the Kraken knew they had to get in Oettinger's line of site. That strategy is a worthwhile endeavor with Saros on Saturday. Another idea raised by Kraken analyst Eddie Olczyk: Saros is an elite puck-handler as a goalie, especially shutting down potential puck retrievals by opponents when comes to meeting the puck instead of relying on his defensemen. "Shoot the puck on net [instead of chipping the puck in the zone], keep him honest." One more idea: Kraken shooters might consider holding the puck a bit longer on some shot attempts, forcing Saros to move and, likely, down to the ice, then shoot above Saros now positioned on the ice.
Jordan Eberle and his fellow power play combatants for the Kraken scuffled a bit on the four fruitless power play attempts Thursday. "We had trouble getting [and keeping] the puck in the offensive zone," said Eberle.
The Kraken practiced at the Predators' training rink Friday and there was significant time spent on power play reps, with players and coaches alike knowing man-advantage goals can be so valuable down the stretch of the regular season. Jared McCann did have some good looks Thursday and he's definitely a player to watch as Seattle looks to pump up the power play in Saturday's next big game in the first-ever playoffs chase for the Kraken.
McCann has notched 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in his last 25 games dating back to Jan. 25 (25s are wild, apparently). The Kraken's leading goal scorer leads the NHL in goals-per-60 at five-on-five this season (1.88 goals per 60) among players that have played in at least 13 games this year.