Tip: Form-strong Seattle Kraken are visited by Ottawa Senators

An interesting match between two teams that were expected to challenge for playoff spots this season. While Seattle has hit a form peak and is chasing the teams above in the Western Conference, Ottawa has instead been stuck at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Senators have won a few games lately, but is it enough to dare believe that things are turning around?

Not Living Up to Expectations

Before the season, expectations were relatively high for both teams. Seattle, which last season had their breakthrough when they reached the playoffs and even knocked out the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, in the first round, has had a shaky start to this season. However, it seems to have turned around for the USA's fishing city on the west coast. The Kraken have earned points in seven straight games and won their last five bouts. In the outdoor game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle shut out the reigning Stanley Cup champions and with a better injury situation than in a long time, there's definitely hope to make the playoffs again. The situation in Ottawa is not quite as optimistic, currently, the Canadians are last in the Eastern Conference, though with six fewer games played than the second-last Columbus Blue Jackets.

We should not judge the Ottawa Senators based on the unfortunate league position, as their form has been improving and teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Buffalo Sabres have recently been defeated. Despite this, expectations were high after a few years of rebuilding and with additions like Vladimir Tarasenko, Dominik Kubalik, and Claude Giroux, especially when Josh Norris was back from his long-term injury. However, things haven't really clicked for the Senators, who after a disastrous start to the season have an almost impossible gap to catch up. Weak goaltending and inconsistent defense that seems to struggle with consistency throughout a full game have been issues. Even five-on-five play has been below par, and the underlying numbers speak volumes: xG 62.88 - xGA 70.57. Despite this, the team has scored 78 goals in five-on-five play, thus outperforming expectations, which might not be what one wants to read when already at the bottom of the league.

On the other hand, Seattle Kraken has looked stable in their five-on-five play, and unlike Ottawa, they have underperformed with only 69 goals despite an xG of 76. Underlying numbers are far from everything, but they at least provide an indication, though one needs to be highly aware of factors like injuries that can affect a team's numbers.

Injury Situation Has Improved

Not only is Seattle Kraken on a good streak, but several players have also returned to play. Notably, Andre Burakovsky is back on the ice after a long injury period. He's had limited ice time, but we can expect him to take on a bigger role as he gets going properly. Given his performance last season, it's a big plus for the Kraken to have him back on the field. According to coach Hakstol, Jaden Schwartz is also “very close” to returning after training normally yesterday. It remains to be seen if he can play tonight. With Philipp Grubauer out, Joey Daccord has taken over the first goalie spot and done really well with impressive numbers and renewed confidence. In Ottawa Senators, the injury situation also looks good with Thomas Chabot back after a long injury period.

Betting Tips and Conclusion

It's a match with many dimensions to consider. I don't like the narrative of playing against the Ottawa Senators just because they are last, if anyone thinks that. However, I think the weak goaltending and lacking defense, combined with poor underlying numbers, indicate real problems to address. The coaching change has had an effect and the performance has been better, but a very tough away match against a Seattle Kraken that tends to be very hard to stop when they have momentum awaits. Add home field advantage and an Ottawa that has struggled on the road, and that's enough to convince me to bet on Seattle Kraken.

Seattle Kraken FT @ +130 to be played at bet365!