Seattle will be without Jared McCann tonight. The Avalanche will be without Cale Makar. Both players are huge difference makers for each team and how each team reacts to their respective absence could be the key in who wins this game.
I still don't like that Makar only got one game for that suspension. The puck had gone out of play well before the hit and McCann was just skating back. He is not prepared for that hit, nor should he be because there is no reason for a hit to be coming.
To me a one game suspension is a play where something bad happens but it occurs in a split second decision. Someone getting boarded as the puck comes to them, a knee on knee hit where it's clear the player didn't purposefully try to stick their knee out. Things that may be completely accidental but still resulted in a dangerous play.
That isn't what I saw in the Makar hit. Makar didn't go in to try and take a puck because there was no puck. That is intent to injure and even though he doesn't have a history of that kind of play I feel anything that is just a boneheaded move out of frustration to hurt should be at minimum a 2 game suspension. You may disagree. That's fine.
Seattle won Game 4 in OT with a Beniers, Schwartz, and Eberle line and that is what I expect to be rolled out as the top line tonight. I wouldn't break up the Tolvanen, Gourde, and Bjorkstrand line which means someone else needs to jump up to play with Wennberg and Geekie. Personally I would like to see Sprong maybe get a bit more ice time.
Seattle has done well on the road in Colorado and will be looking for that trend to continue. Colorado has led at home for just a hair over 8 minutes of play. The Kraken won 3-1 in Game 1 and had a 2-0 lead in Game 2 before it was slowly evaporated by the pressing Avs.
A win tonight puts the Kraken back in the driver seat with a chance to beat the former Stanley Cup Champions on home ice in Game 6. The players on that team need to understand the opportunity in front of them and press the attack from the moment the puck drops. Seattle is playing their best when they aren't afraid to push for offense> The moment they start falling back on their own heels is when they get in trouble.
It's going to be a wild game and this series is quickly becoming a favorite to watch around the NHL. It's high flying high offense hockey and the Kraken are proving they belong in the show.
Enjoy the game!