NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Hurricanes vs. Kraken (October 17)

Hurricanes vs. Kraken Odds

What a bunch of jerks! The Carolina Hurricanes are up to their old antics to start the season, winning their first two games and limiting their opponents to just two goals.

Sadly, the Seattle Kraken are also back to their usual selves, dropping two of their first three games of the season, albeit one of which came in overtime. The Kraken look to stifle the Hurricanes in what could be a low-scoring affair.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes remain a possession-driven team, posting elite Corsi metrics through their first two games of the season. At five-on-five, Carolina has ratings above 62.0% in both contests, with a cumulative 66.4% on the year, and should once again control the pace of play against an underskilled Kraken squad.

It's not just one line doing all the heavy lifting for the Canes. Every one of their skaters has positive relative metrics, with their worst skater, Jaccob Slavin, still posting a 57.6% Corsi rating. That suffocating attack doesn't leave any room for their opponents to create scoring opportunities either, with the Hurricanes allowing a cumulative 35 scoring and 12 high-danger chances so far this season.

That stifling defense is having a positive effect on the Hurricanes' goals against. Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta have combined for a 95.1% save percentage at five-on-five, jumping to 96.1% across all strengths. Although that will eventually dip, we're not anticipating regression any time soon, as the Hurricanes sustain their current form with strong underlying metrics.

Seattle Kraken

Starting a franchise from scratch comes with unique challenges, circumstances the Kraken continues to work through. The Vegas Golden Knights set an unrealistic expectation for how teams should perform in their early years, and Seattle will continue to struggle as they build their roster into a competitive squad.

One of the most significant factors working against the Kraken is their lack of skilled players up front, and that's reflected in their metrics. Seattle plays with structure, posting above-average Corsi and expected goals-for ratings but ranks in the league's bottom half in actual goals-for percentage. This problem persists from last year, in which the team was ranked 13th in Corsi but 26th in actual goals-for rate, and is unlikely to change with their current roster composition.

Seattle has one elite line, with the Alex Wennberg, Jaden Schwartz, and Oliver Bjorkstrand unit posting a cumulative 61.2% possession rating. The more concerning trend is the top line of Matty Beniers, Andre Burakovsky, and Jared McCann, combining for a 45.4% Corsi grade. That's a stark contrast to the Hurricanes' roster, putting the Kraken at a substantive disadvantage on Monday night.

Hurricanes vs. Kraken Pick

No NHL teams were in action Sunday, meaning both teams are coming in fresh to this inter-conference battle. Home ice advantage isn't enough to offset the Kraken's implied shortcomings, leaving an edge in backing the Hurricanes. However, Carolina's defensive integrity and Seattle's limited skill goals will be at a premium. Plus-money on the under isn't worth passing up.

Pick: Under 6 +100, Hurricanes -175