In this article, we will formulate a Seattle Kraken vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction for this NHL game on Thursday, January 2nd at the Climate Pledge Arena. Let’s take a look at a Kraken vs Cnaucks Pick.
Kraken Look for Third Straight Win
The Kraken have all kinds of confidence right now and they have two games in a row. Two games ago against this Canucks team it took overtime but they were able to secure the 5-4 victory. In the last game against Utah, the Kraken scored five goals and they ended up winning by three goals. Jaden Schwartz had quite the game putting up one goal and adding two assists. Phillip Grubauer was in goal and he saved 28 of the 30 shots that he faced. In this game, the Kraken are going to need the offense to be good, but the defense needs to be better early to put the pressure on.
The Kraken on the season is averaging 2.89 goals while their defense is giving up 3.1 goals per game. The offense is ranked 21st in the league while the defense is ranked 18th. One issue for this team is they are only averaging 26.9 shots per game which is 27th in the league. Phillip Grubauer is expected to get the start in this game for the Kraken and he sits with a 5-10 record and is giving up 3.55 goals per game.
Why the Kraken Will Beat the Canucks
- The Canucks have lost each of their last four road games against Western Conference opponents.
- The home team has won four of the Kraken’s last five games.
- The Canucks have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last five games.
- The home team has covered the puck line in four of the Kraken’s last five games.
- The Kraken have won the third period in four of their last five games as home favorites.
Kraken Player Prop Facts
- Jaden Schwartz has scored at least one goal in three of the Kraken’s last four games.
- Jared McCann has recorded at least one point in each of his last six appearances with his team as a favorite against the Canucks.
- Oliver Bjorkstrand has recorded an assist in six of the Kraken’s last seven games against Pacific Division opponents.
Canucks Are Struggling
The Canucks record is good but they are really struggling heading into this game and they lost two games in a row. In the last game against the Calgary Flames, the Canucks scored only goal total while the defense gave up goals. Brock Boeser scored the only goal for Vancouver. Kevin Lankin was in goal and he saved 26 of the 28 shots that he faced, but the lack of scoring wasn’t enough. The Canucks are averaging 3.11 goals while their defense is giving up 3.17 goals per game. The offense is ranked 13th in the league while the defense is ranked 21st. They are averaging 25.7 shots per game which is 29th in the league. They ended up finding a way to get more shots on goal to really try to put the pressure on. Thatcher Demko is expected to start in goal for the Canucks he sits with a 2-1-3 record and he is averaging 3.43 goals per game.
Why the Canucks Will Beat the Kraken
- The Kraken have lost each of their last four games as favorites against Western Conference opponents.
- The road team has won four of the last five games between the Canucks and Kraken.
- The Kraken have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last six games as favorites against Pacific Division opponents.
- The Canucks have covered the puck line in 20 of their last 23 games as underdogs against opponents on a win
Seattle Kraken vs Vancouver Canucks Prediction
I am not really sold on either of these offenses, but more concerning to me is the goaltending in this game. Demko is giving up 3.43 goals per game, and he’s going to struggle here. The Kraken’s offense will get out to a fast start here. Grubauer hasn’t been any better and he’s going to struggle against the Canucks defense. Look for both teams to run up the score and this game will end up being a shootout. Back the over.