Just two seasons after expansion, the Seattle Kraken officially clinched a spot in the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. Seattle defeated the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-2 in front of their rowdy home crowd at Climate Pledge Arena to clinch. It was one of those moments that the fans up in the Pacific Northwest will never forget.

Prior to the Kraken joining the NHL, the last expansion team was the Vegas Golden Knights who raised the bar extremely high for any to follow. Vegas went on a magical run to the Stanley Cup Finals in just their first ever season and while Seattle didn’t follow that blueprint, they created their own. And now will be rewarded with a shot at winning it all.

The Kraken relied upon smart use of cap space by General Manager Ron Francis. He used that cap space to sign quality veteran pieces that could really help this young team compete. The biggest reason for their success this season was the jump in offensive production. During their inaugural year, the Seattle offense ranked towards the bottom of the league and this year, it ranks towards the top.

Entering the year, many believed that the Kraken would be more competitive but not many people around the league expected the success of Seattle. But they proved everyone wrong and more. The Kraken will likely end with a wild card spot in the Western Conference but this team will be a tough out.

They play together as a team and can make life tough on opponents with their offense. The defense is the biggest weakness for Seattle and will be the biggest question mark as the playoffs get underway here soon. If they can get that settled even a little bit, it could really help their chances come playoff time.

Despite this team being young, they do have some playoff experience on the roster. Plus they have good enough goaltending that can really make a difference when the games get tighter in the postseason.

Seattle has been one of the best stories throughout the season and for them to finalize that story and reach the postseason means everything. It shows that even brand new teams can find success around the league and it springs hope for any new teams that will come into play down the line.

Playoff hockey is coming to Seattle and it’s going to be an electric atmosphere.