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The Kraken and the Flames meet in Calgary! These two teams have had trouble playing well consistently this season. The Kraken is fighting to get to .500, while the Flames have had many issues consistently. We continue our NHL odds series with a Kraken-Flames prediction and pick.
The Seattle Kraken have been inconsistent this season. They have a 30-36-5 record and have lost three of their last five games. Jared McCann, Chandler Stephenson, and Eeli Tolvanen make this team go. This is a big opportunity for the Kraken to get back on track in this game against the Flames on the road. The Kraken needs a win like this to build momentum for next year.
The Calgary Flames are playing well this season, with a 33-25-11 record, but they have still struggled with consistency. Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau are the best two players on this team, and they will make or break their playoff chances. MacKenzie Weegar is also a player to look for as an X-factor against the Kraken. This would be a big win to keep marching toward the playoffs.
Here are the Kraken-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Kraken-Flames Odds
Seattle Kraken: +1.5 (-225)
Moneyline: +116
Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+180)
Moneyline: -140
Over: 5.5 (-106)
Under: 5.5 (-114)
How To Watch Kraken vs Flames
Time: 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN+/TEGNA/Sportsnet West/Sportsnet Flames
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Kraken Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Kraken have been solid on offense this season. They score 2.99 goals per game, have a 19.4% power play percentage, and a 10.9% shooting percentage.
Stephenson and McCann are the Kraken's best all-around players. They are tied for the team lead in points with 48. Stephenson leads the team in assists with 37 on the year, but neither is the team leader in goals scored. Tolvanen is the goal-scoring leader with 21 on the season, and Jaden Schwartz is second with 20.
This offense has been solid this season, and they should have a matchup advantage against the Flames. However, the Flames have a great defense and have the talent to disrupt this offense in this game, especially with the home-ice advantage.
The Flames' offense has been awful, holding back Calgary in multiple ways this season. It is one of the worst-scoring offenses in the NHL. They score 2.59 goals per game, have a 21.2% power play percentage and a 9% shooting percentage.
The Flames' offense is based on three different players. Huberdeau leads the team in points at 55 and goals with 27 on the season. Kadri is second in goals scored with 26 and points at 52, and third in assists with 26. Weegar is also the leader in assists this year, with 34.
This offense has struggled, but the Seattle defense has struggled to find consistency this year. Calgary has playmakers who can try to take advantage of it, but it won't be easy, even with the game at home in Calgary.
Why the Flames Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Kraken defense has struggled this season compared to its offense. They allow 3.23 goals per game and have an 89.5% save percentage.
The Kraken has two decent goalies, Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubhauer, and this defense relies on them. Daccord has 23 wins, 19, and four overtime losses through 48 games. He allows 2.70 goals per game with a 90.8% save percentage. Then, Grubhauer has seven wins, 16 losses, and one overtime loss. He allows 3.59 goals per game with an 87.3% save percentage.
The Kraken have had issues maintaining consistency on defense and have taken a step back, thanks to Grubhauer's struggles. The good news is that the Flames have struggled on offense, and Seattle might have success in this game.
The Flames' defense has had a solid season and has carried them when needed. They allow 2.91 goals per game and a 90.5% save percentage.
The defense will come down to the goalie duo of Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar because they both have an even more prominent role this year after appearing in a select number of games. Wolf has 23 wins, 14 losses, and five overtime losses through 42 games. He also allows 2.63 goals per game with a 91.1% save percentage. Vladar has 10 wins, 11 losses, and six overtime losses. He also allows 2.90 goals per game with an 89.3% save percentage.
The Flames have proven they have a defense that can compete with most teams in the NHL. They have a decent matchup against the Kraken and their offense, which will be the biggest factor in this game.
Final Kraken-Flames Prediction & Pick
The Kraken and the Flames are evenly matched coming into this matchup. I think the Flames win outright, but the Kraken have enough to keep this close and cover, even on the road in Calgary.
Final Kraken-Flames Prediction & Pick: Seattle Kraken +1.5 (-225)
