Carolina Hurricanes vs Seattle Kraken Picks and Predictions for Thursday, November 12, 2026

The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken are in Helsinki this week for the NHL Global Series that consists of two games. The opening game will be at Veikkaus Arena with the opening faceoff at noon ET, televised on the NHL Network. Carolina (14-3-2, 30 points) leads the Metropolitan Division and routed Chicago last time out, 9-2. Seattle (9-6-1, 19 points) is in fourth place in the Pacific. The Kraken lost to the Rangers 4-3 last Saturday. Carolina has taken four of its last five games. The Kraken have lost three of five. Browse our free NHL picks for more hockey predictions.

Carolina Making Life Miserable for Goalies

Nine against Chicago on Saturday, seven against Winnipeg a week earlier. Carolina hasn't needed many second chances lately. The Hurricanes also beat the Islanders 5-3, although Nashville caught them on an off night and won 4-1. Carolina sends 33.3 shots toward the net per game, and those chances come from several players rather than one line carrying the offense. The Hurricanes average 4.11 goals, tied for the NHL lead.

Sebastian Aho has 26 points in 19 games, with 16 assists to go with his 10 goals. Logan Stankoven has scored 11 times, and Jackson Blake has 19 points. Carolina has also made it difficult for opponents to get anything started. Teams manage only 22.4 shots per game against the Hurricanes. Pyotr Kochetkov is 11-1-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average and .920 save percentage, including two shutouts. He has not had to rescue Carolina every night, but he's been there when needed. The penalty kill sits at 85.0%.

Injuries: William Carrier is day-to-day. Jordan Staal is on injured reserve.

Seattle Has Work to Do Defensively

The Kraken were close against the Rangers on Saturday, but close wasn't enough in a 4-3 loss. Earlier in the week, Seattle needed overtime to beat Calgary 2-1. That result looked better than the previous meeting with the Flames, a 6-2 defeat. Seattle has also beaten Toronto 5-4 and lost 5-1 to Minnesota during its last five games. There's no obvious pattern to the offense. Seattle allows 30.2 shots and 3.56 goals per game.

Frederick Gaudreau has seven goals, while Berkly Catton leads the Kraken with 14 points. Chandler Stephenson has 11 assists, and Kaapo Kakko has 13 points. Seattle scores 3.44 goals per game from just 25.6 shots, but its goalies haven't provided much margin for error. Philipp Grubauer has a .890 save percentage and 3.08 goals-against average. Joey Daccord is at .881 and 3.83. Seattle's power play is clicking at 22.6%; its penalty kill, at 65.1%, is a much bigger concern.

Injuries: Nikke Kokko is on non-roster injured reserve. Curtis Douglas, Jared McCann, Jacob Melanson and Ryan Lindgren are on injured reserve.

Key To The Game

Seattle has to stay out of the penalty box. Carolina has scored 14 power-play goals, and the Kraken have already conceded 15 while shorthanded. Even when both clubs have five skaters out, Carolina's shot volume puts a lot of strain on a defense. Seattle needs fewer long shifts in its own end.

Carolina vs Seattle Game Pick

• Carolina Hurricanes

Seattle can score, but I don't trust its defense against this opponent. The Kraken allow more than 3.5 goals a game, and Carolina has scored nine and seven in two recent wins. Kochetkov also gives the Hurricanes an edge in goal. Playing in Finland takes away any normal home-ice benefit, yet Carolina's ability to control shots should still show up. I expect Aho and company to spend more time attacking than defending, with the Hurricanes taking the first game.

Carolina vs Seattle Over/Under Pick

• Over

Seattle has conceded four or more goals in four of its last five games. Carolina, meanwhile, has scored 25 goals across its last five. The Kraken can contribute to the scoring; Gaudreau and Catton have helped them average 3.44 goals. But a lot depends on how often Seattle gives Carolina an extra skater. With the Kraken killing only 65.1% of penalties, there should be opportunities for the Hurricanes to add to their recent totals. I'm taking the over.