Kraken hope for progress after not emulating Knights’ success

Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy’s first impression of Seattle’s Climate Change Arena was that it was nice. Almost nicer than it needed to be.

“I thought it was almost too comfortable for the visiting team, to be honest,” Cassidy said.

The impressive building was one of many things that stood out during the Kraken’s inaugural season last year. They created a connection with their city. Their attendance numbers were strong. They seemed to do so many things right.

The one thing Seattle couldn’t do was put a good team on the ice.

The Kraken fell well short of emulating the Knights’ first-season success by finishing with 60 points, the third fewest in the NHL. Seattle is hoping to be more competitive in year two.

That wish will be tested when the Knights visit for the Kraken’s home opener Saturday, inviting further comparisons between the NHL’s 31st and 32nd franchises.

“The success that Vegas saw in year one, you didn’t see that with Seattle,” Kraken TV color analyst J.T. Brown said. “I think for Seattle it’s more about getting off to a good start and making sure they’re continuing to grow.”

The Knights made the expansion process look easy their first year when they won the Pacific Division and came three wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup. The Kraken, using the same rules, provided a reminder of how difficult building a team from scratch can be.

Seattle ranked 29th in goals, 29th on the power play, 30th on the penalty kill and 32nd in team save percentage its first season. The team finished last in the Pacific despite signing NHL free agents to complement its expansion-draft haul, something the Knights didn’t do.

There’s hope this season will be different. The Kraken added firepower this summer by signing right wing Andre Burakovsky and trading for right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand. They’ll also get a full season from center Matty Berniers, the second overall pick in 2021, who has 12 points his first 12 NHL games.

“He’s been fantastic,” said Brown, who praised Bernier’s 200-foot game. “He’s adjusting really well to the NHL.”

The changes look good so far. Seattle is 1-0-1 after a road trip to Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Kraken lost 5-4 to the Ducks in overtime Wednesday despite putting up 48 shots, and then beat the Kings 4-1 on Thursday.

The win in particular has the Knights’ attention after they needed a last-minute goal from captain Mark Stone to defeat Los Angeles 4-3 in their season opener.

“(The Kraken are) playing well right now,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “They’re a team with lots of energy and they have something to prove this year, for sure.”

The Knights brought that same attitude when they started playing. It got them 38 playoff wins their first four years, the second most in the NHL in that span. Now they’re trying to contend again after missing the dance last season.

The Kraken are a step behind and just looking for progress. They’re building for the future behind a center duo of Berniers and Shane Wright, the fourth overall pick in July’s draft.

The Knights took a different approach by trading away prospects Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom in deals for for veterans Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone their second season that helped them continue winning.

Saturday will be an opportunity for both clubs to see how they stack up side-by-side. The Knights won all four meetings last season in regulation, but they’re expecting more of a challenge this time out.

“Going into LA and winning is not an easy task and they did it,” center William Karlsson said. “We got to be ready. I’m guessing they’re better than they were last year.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.