Vancouver Canucks (18-25-3) vs. Seattle Kraken (27-14-5)
The 2022-23 NHL season goes on Wednesday, January 25, with the Vancouver Canucks facing off against the Seattle Kraken in the Pacific Division showdown at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Vancouver and Seattle lock horns for the third time this season and the Kraken search for their first-ever victory over the Canucks. Seattle opens as a -170 home fave with a total of 6.5 goals, so let’s take a closer look.
The Canucks play without rest
Tuesday’s games have been excluded from the analysis, and the Vancouver Canucks played the Chicago Blackhawks to wrap up their four-game homestand. The Canucks were looking to stop a three-game slide, and Vancouver has only won two of its previous 12 games overall.
Last Saturday, the Canucks suffered a 4-2 defeat against the Edmonton Oilers. They were down 3-0 midway through the second period. Andrei Kuzmenko scored late in the second to make it 3-1, and JT Miller cut the deficit after just 3:26 of play in the third period, but that was all we saw from the Canucks.
“Every practice is gold. You can’t just waste practicing. That’s what I told guys today, ‘Don’t waste a practice… make sure that you’re dialled in.'”
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 24, 2023
🗣️ Rick Tocchet following his first practice as #Canucks Head Coach pic.twitter.com/gp6x1mgaUz
Spencer Martin (11-12-1; 3.86 GAA; .877 SV%) guarded the cage against the Oilers, yielding three goals on 28 shots. Collin Delia (4-3-0; 3.18 GAA; .897 SV%) was confirmed for Tuesday’s clash against the Blackhawks, so we should see Martin between the pipes on Wednesday. Thatcher Demko (3-10-2; 3.93 GAA; .883 SV%) is still recovering from an injury.
The Canucks rank 31st in the league in goals against (3.96 per game) and 11th in goals for (3.28). They own the worst penalty-killing percentage in the NHL (65.9%) while going 37-for-157 with the man advantage (14th).
The Kraken look to bounce back from a tough shootout loss
The Seattle Kraken are coming off Saturday’s 2-1 shootout defeat against the Colorado Avalanche. It was their third loss in four games, as the Kraken started a five-game homestand with a 4-3 overtime victory to the New Jersey Devils this past Thursday.
Seattle and Colorado each took 27 shots and scored in the second period. The Kraken missed all three attempts in a shootout. Ryan Donato scored an unassisted goal in the regulation, while Philipp Grubauer turned 26 shots aside.
“Both teams were scratching and clawing and battling,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “Obviously it’s disappointing when you don’t win in the shootout and get the extra point, but in terms of our effort, our work level was good throughout the hockey game.”
With 26 saves, #SeaKraken goalie Philipp Grubauer kept the team in a tightly-contested game between two teams with playoff aspirations, but fall short in a shootout.
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) January 22, 2023
Read more in tonight’s Final Buzzer, pres. by @NewAmsterdam → https://t.co/YxdWNRmtbu pic.twitter.com/P7Yo7eZllt
The Kraken are fourth in the league in goals for (3.61 per game) and 17th in goals against (3.09). Their penalty-killing percentage of 70.5 is the second-worst in the NHL, while Seattle ranks 21st in power-play percentage (27-for-133).
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
This seems a perfect spot for the Kraken to finally get one over the Canucks. Vancouver will have to deal with fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back, while Seattle had three days to rest and prepare for Wednesday’s clash.
Furthermore, the Kraken have struggled a bit to score in their last few games, and the matchup against the Canucks’ leaky defense is a perfect opportunity for redemption. Seattle might miss Andre Burakovsky (G13, A25), but the Kraken have plenty of dangerous weapons in their arsenal, so I’m going with the hosts to win.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
We should see a proper high-scoring affair at Climate Pledge Arena. I’ve mentioned how bad these two teams have been with the man down, so every power-play opportunity would be a huge chance. Both clubs can score, while the Canucks are one of the worst defensive teams in the league.
Vancouver has allowed four or more goals in seven of its previous eight games overall. The previous two meetings between the Canucks and Kraken in 2022-23 have seen a ton of goals on the scoreboard, as Vancouver has defeated Seattle 6-5 in a shootout and 5-4 in regulation.