3 Game Basics | Kraken (0-0-0) vs. Blues (0-0-0) | 1:30 p.m

First: home cooking
This is the first time the Kraken will open a season at home. They have been competitive in all three previous away games, including two losses to Vegas and an overtime loss to Anaheim two years ago, in a game they led by multiple goals and largely dominated.

Can playing at home help? Now, it's worth noting that the Kraken have never won a home opener either. They lost to Colorado last season and to Vegas and Vancouver in previous years. Now it seems the time has come to reverse that trend after the preseason ended successfully. With three away games coming up next, taking advantage at home seems crucial to a good start. The Blues were 3-0-0 against the Kraken last season and are 3-1-1 lifetime on Climate Pledge, so it's time for the Kraken to change the dynamic.

Second, launch the Welcome Matty
Matty Beniers has a larger, stronger frame and used it frequently throughout the preseason. Now he's back at the center of the team's front row alongside familiar faces Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle. While they could have used the last warm-up game to get level, a late loss from McCann made that impossible.

However, given the trio's success in recent seasons, they should know each other's tendencies by now. This comfort level should help Beniers take the next step in his NHL development. The threesome was separated several times last season due to injuries and circumstances that likely contributed to all three players scoring fewer points. So a successful Beniers win this season should have an impact on the entire team and by default on the entire team's goalscoring abilities.

Third: take advantage of the new moment

It's not just Brandon Montour, Chandler Stephenson, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans making their opening day debuts for the Kraken. The Blues find themselves in a similar, even more crowded situation, working with a plethora of new faces to fit in with perennial favorites Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich.

Newcomers making their blues debut today include: Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Radek Faksa, Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier and Ryan Suter.

So the Blues, who were considered a playoff threat until the final days of last season, may need some time to get what they hope to be a postseason contender into high gear. The Kraken don't have that many new faces, while Wright and Evans have at least played for them sparingly before. Stephenson's early chemistry with new linemates Jaden Schwartz and Andre Burakovsky and Wright doing the same with Eeli Tolvanen and Andre Burakovsky could allow the Kraken to gain some familiarity on an unusual early afternoon of the week for both sides. to be ahead.