The Seattle Kraken take on the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. This game will continue our Stanley Cup playoffs odds series with a Kraken-Stars prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
The Kraken took down the defending champions in the first round. It took them seven games to defeat the Colorado Avalanche, but they were able to win game seven 2-1 to advance. This was their first ever playoff series and they have proven themselves to be real contenders. Yanni Gourde led the team with six points, five of which were assists. 15 different players scored a goal in the series and Philipp Grubauer was outstanding in net.
The Stars defeated the Minnesota Wild in the first round. Dallas was down 2-1 in the series but won the final three games to advance to the second round. Roope Hintz was the best player of the series as he recorded 12 points. Five of those points came on goals. Tyler Seguin had four goals while eight other skaters were able to find the back of the net. Jake Oettinger was locked in all series as he gave up just 2.01 goals per game and had a .929 save percentage.
These teams know each other very well. They met three times during the regular season with Dallas taking two of the games. In that series, the away team won every game.
Here are the Kraken-Stars NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Playoffs Odds: Kraken-Stars Odds
Seattle Kraken: +1.5 (-178)
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 5.5 (+100)
Under: 5.5 (-122)
How To Watch Kraken vs. Stars
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN app
Time: 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Kraken Could Cover The Spread
The Kraken were one of the best road teams in the NHL during the regular season. That did not change once the playoffs started. Three of their four wins against the Avalanche in round one came in Colorado. They are very comfortable on the road and playing in Dallas will not be a problem for them. During the regular season, their win against the Stars was in Dallas.
Seattle struggled to score in the first round, but their goalie picked up the skaters big time. Grubauer was sixth in goals allowed per game and fifth in save percentage during the first round. The Kraken do a great job getting in front of shooting lanes and blocking shots, but Grubauer was able to save the puck when it did get through. In game seven, the Kraken goalie made 33 saves. If he can have another good game and good series, there is no reason why the Kraken should not win.
Why The Stars Could Cover The Spread
The Stars were one of the better scoring teams in the first round. They scored 3.50 goals per game and had an 11.1 shot percentage. When the Stars took their shots, they usually had an opening towards the net, or they had a guy waiting for the rebound. The Kraken allowed the second most shots in total during the first round, and 30.5 per game. If the Stars can keep control of the puck, they will be able to get a lof shots on net.
Oettinger was one of the better goaltenders during the regular season and he continued that into the playoffs. He is not someone that allows many goals and the Kraken did not score a lot in round one. Do not expect the Kraken to have four or five goals against the Stars. Holding the Kraken attack down is going to key for Dallas to win, and this is something they can easily do.
Final Kraken-Stars Prediction & Pick
This is playoff hockey. The game will be hard hitting and fast paced. Expect it to be low scoring, but the Kraken should keep this one close. They are a good road team and are coming off a solid playoff series win.
Final Kraken-Stars Prediction & Pick: Kraken +1.5 (-178), Under 5.5 (-122)
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