Kraken Express Pain, Optimism After Elimination

The Seattle Kraken's season ended Monday night in Dallas, a 2-1 Game 7 loss to the Stars. In postgame player interviews, one message was repeated: yes, the pain is fresh, but so is hope for even better results in the 2023-24 season.

The Kraken surpassed expectations with a 100-point regular season and a playoff berth. They went on to dethrone the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in 7 games, and took the Stars to 7 games as well in the second round.

In the process, the team found its "winning by committee" identity, bolstered by veterans having career seasons, and youngsters showing they belonged.

Here are comments from key members of the Kraken, in their own words.

Yanni Gourde, Center

What happened in Game 7: "I don't think our transition was to our liking. Felt a little bit slow. We were at our best in the playoff when the puck was on and off or stick (quickly). Just felt like we were out of our spot in few sequences there, kind of made us look slow."

Everyone stepped up this season: "We battled super hard all year long. We built something here this year. Obviously, that's not the end result. The end result is a little bit further. But super proud of these guys. Every time, we stepped up, we never quit. Young guys stepped up, older guys stepped up. Everyone did. And it's been a lot of fun playing with these guys."

Takeaways for next year: "I think we grew as a team, as an organization, as a group. The culture, playing for every inch of the ice, for pucks, doing the right things night in, night out, never cheating. I think we showed a lot of that in the postseason. We grew tremendously as a group. That's what we got to take away from this year."

Jordan Eberle, Right Wing

Exceeding expectations: "No one expected us to make the playoffs. No one expect us to be Colorado, and no one had us to get to (game) seven here. As a group, this is the first time we've been through this. You've got to obviously learn how to lose first, and find a way to win.

"You get a taste of the postseason here as a group, and you win a series and almost won another one. I think you just grow. Obviously, you remember how this feels. It's a tough league to win in. It's a tough trophy to win. But I think we have the foundation and the group here, and you just want to keep building.

"We have a lot of guys who won, and I'm sure they've gone through their heartaches, too. It's never fun, but at the end, hopefully, you get one (championship) and makes it feel better."

Young linemates Matty Beniers (20) and Tye Kartye (22): "The first year for them, they get an experience to get to the second round. I mean, it took me seven years to get to the postseason, and you don't want to take it for granted. These games are so much fun. This is why you play in the NHL. You play to win a Stanley Cup.

"Obviously it hurts when you lose, but we're proud of the effort we gave, and you remember this. You get the experience of doing it, and just continue to build and work towards it."

Playing in Seattle: "They were behind us all, even last year, through a tough year. They're a big reason why we're here. It's a fun place to play. I think Seattle is going to be a hotspot for players who are going to want to play there.

"It's a great city, great facilities, great management, great organization, and obviously we got a great team. It was awesome to give them some playoff hockey and get the chance for them to see that."

Philipp Grubauer, Goalie

Losing a Game 7: "Tough pill to swallow, for sure. Unfortunately, we didn't win that game today. But you need to go through those moments in order to get strong as a team, to feel the pain in the summer, and get back at it for next season."

Team Bonding: "I'm really proud of this group and how we played the whole season and the playoffs. 

"That's the first time this group has been to the playoffs, and I think the group got tighter and tighter together. I think Matty (Beniers) said it, we played like a real team. Everybody's playing for each other, and that's what made it fun, and we enjoyed those moments."

Making several sparkling saves Monday: "That's my job. If there's a breakdown, I gotta make a stop for the guys. "I think I settled in there. When you play a little bit more, it's easier to get into the flow versus, like, taking a couple of days off and then playing one game and taking a couple days off. I found my rhythm. But there's always stuff to improve, right. You can always be a better teammate, better player on the ice, and grow as a person."

Tomorrow: Reflections from coach Dave Hakstol.