Two: Set the tone

After holding a clean sheet in the first period against the Flames, both Seattle and Calgary conceded three penalties in the middle period, and the Kraken were sent to the penalty box five times in the final 20 minutes of play. Bylsma wasn’t surprised the game got heated, and while he was proud of how his team responded to adversity, it wasn’t the way he wanted to play the game. “I don’t want us to be reactionary… I want us to be aggressive in the way we play and the physicality.”

Entering a Visitor’s building may require even more deliberate control of energy and pace of play, so be sure to watch for the Kraken to be more focused on playing within its systems and channeling emotions.

Three: Know your opponent

Tuesday is the first preseason game for the Canucks and the first of two games these teams will play before the puck truly drops on the 2024-25 season. Vancouver is coming off a successful season in which they finished first in the Pacific League with 109 points and were one game away from reaching the Western Conference finals.

This year, the team is looking to at least repeat – if not extend – that success, and has added key players in the offseason, including forwards Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and former Kraken Daniel Sprong. The Canucks’ most notable addition, however, may be their most recent: On Sept. 21, the Canucks signed goaltender Kevin Lankinen. Vancouver already has Thatcher Demko, who played most of the Canucks’ regular season, as well as young Arturs Silovs, who excelled in the playoffs. However, Demko has also battled injuries, including one that knocked him out of the playoffs and now lingers – calling into question his ability to be ready for the start of the season. So how the goaltending duo looks in the short and long term is something to keep an eye on.