NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Kraken vs. Hurricanes (December 15)
Pictured: Pyotr Kochetkov #52 of the Carolina Hurricanes. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)
- The Seattle Kraken head to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes.
- Seattle is coming off a tough loss, while Carolina has won back-to-back contests.
- Greg Liodice looks at the odds and offers up a pick and prediction below.
Kraken vs. Hurricanes Odds
| Kraken Odds | +162 |
| Hurricanes Odds | -196 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-120/-102) |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | BSSO |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Seattle Kraken hit the road to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. Seattle’s coming off a tough 6-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The month of December hasn’t been kind to the Kraken, as they’ve gone 2-4 after a wonderful start to the season.
Riding a two-game win (and shutout) streak, the Hurricanes are soaring. They’ve gone 6-1-3 in their past 10 games and have found a gem in rookie netminder Pyotr Kochetkov. They’ll look to sweep the season series against the Kraken tonight.
Let's look at the odds and make a pick and prediction.
Seattle Kraken
Offseason signing Andre Burakovsky has proven to be a good addition, Jordan Eberle has provided consistent production and Matty Beniers seems to be the favorite to win the Calder. The Kraken definitely have a deep squad, but they need to keep up this production.
Offense was not a bright spot for Seattle last year, but it has turned things around this season. Seattle ranks eighth with a 52.91 xGF% (expected goals), doesn’t generate as many high-danger chances (close to eight and a half per game). An additional bright spot has been the Kraken’s power play, which converts 23.1% of the time.
Coach Dave Hakstol was always considered a defensive coach and that's showing in the charts. The Kraken rank sixth with a 2.41 xGA/60, yet their penalty kill is abysmal and only succeeds 69.6% of the time.
Philipp Grubauer has been an incredible disappointment for Seattle fans. When the former Vezina nominee signed, he was viewed as the goalie of the future in the Pacific Northwest. Needless to say, it seems as if Martin Jones (yes, that Martin Jones) has taken over the reins. While Jones’ numbers aren’t exactly eye popping at a -1.8 goals saved above expected (GSAx) and an .888 SV%, he’s been winning games when it matters. I expect him to take the net tonight.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is second in the Metro, which shouldn't surprise anyone. It’s consistently been one of the better teams in the NHL and the Hurricanes have built themselves a legitimate franchise. Martin Necas, however, has been a surprise, leading the team in scoring and averaging a point per game along with usual suspects Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov.
Ever since taking the helm behind the bench, coach Rod Brind’Amour has turned the Hurricanes into an offensive juggernaut. This year is no different as they’re second in expected goals with a 59.54 xGF% and create nearly 11 high-danger chances per game. What’s fairly surprising is that their power play has been far from elite, generating a sixth-worst 17.6% success rate.
On the defensive side, there’s no one better as Carolina has a league best 2.13 xGA/60 and a legitimate penalty kill at 80%.
Has Carolina found its goalie of the future? Ever since getting called up, Kochetkov has been a savior for the Canes. In 11 starts, Kochetkov is playing to a wonderful +9.5 GSAx and a .926 SV%. Since both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta have either performed sub-par or have been injured, Kochetkov has placed himself as the No. 1 goalie. Not only that, but he’s currently riding a two-game shutout streak, and I’d have to think Brind’Amour wants him to get another shot at extending it.
Kraken vs. Hurricanes Pick
Targeting the total is the way to go here. Both the Kraken and Hurricanes can find their ways into low-scoring games and with a pair of elite defenses, I can see a finish under six goals. Additionally, neither team takes a ton of penalties, so Seattle’s lowly penalty kill might not factor into this game.
Kochetkov will most likely be taking the crease and he’ll be looking to go for a third straight shutout, and I can see his teammates wanting that for him. Meanwhile, the Kraken just took a pounding against the Lightning and will be looking to clean up their game.
Pick: Under 6 |
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