Surging Kraken: Seattle in thick of playoff race

SEATTLE — When Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis strolls into the locker room or goes on the road with the team these days, he sees something that was rare during the franchise's inaugural season: smiles stemming from success on the ice. The All-Star Break has arrived with the Seattle Kraken sitting atop the Pacific Division and looking toward a possible playoff berth. "It’s not an easy grind, an 82-game schedule, like we went through last year,” Francis said. “So watching