Seattle's 3-2-0 start is harder to read. The Kraken scored 6 goals in each of their 3 wins, including both games against Calgary. In the 2 losses, to Edmonton and Vegas, they scored 3 goals and allowed 9. Detroit was the first team outside Calgary they beat this season, and it took a 4-goal 2nd period after a 1-1 1st. Frederick Gaudreau scored twice, Ben Meyers had 3 points and Berkly Catton had 2, so the scoring came from more than 1 line. The open question is what happens when the opponent can actually defend.
The Kraken are also thinner on the blue line than they were a week ago. Ryan Lindgren went on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks. Jacob Melanson and Jake O'Brien are on IR as well. Losing Lindgren on the back end of an Eastern road swing means more minutes for Seattle's other defensemen, right when they face a Washington top line that has been scoring.
The matchup comes down to a simple question. Is Seattle's scoring as real as it looked in Detroit, or was it mostly a product of Calgary twice and a Red Wings team that came apart in the 2nd period? Washington has spent 2 home games showing it can come from behind and lock things down late. If the Kraken get a lead, they'll need to protect it with a defense corps that just lost one of its most physical players. If the Capitals score first, this could become another night of Ovechkin farewell celebrations.