Tip: Top-ranked Carolina Hurricanes, with the stars back in the squad, take on the Seattle Kraken!

Carolina Hurricanes have hardly been recognizable in the recent rounds. Last time, they suffered a 3-0 loss against Tampa Bay Lightning, marking their third consecutive defeat after earlier falling to the Colorado Avalanche and indeed Seattle Kraken. The Canes are ready for revenge with Sebastian Aho back in the squad, and with Andrei Svechnikov back in training, things are looking up.

Tough Period for the Top-Ranked Team

The last time these teams met was just a few rounds ago, that time in Seattle, and Carolina faced a hefty 7-4 defeat, followed by conceding 6 goals to the Colorado Avalanche in the next match. It's not often we see the Hurricanes collapse so significantly. In recent seasons, the Hurricanes have been synonymous with structured play and being tough to score against. But injuries to Sebastian Aho, Brett Pesce, and Andrei Svechnikov, combined with a slightly injured Frederik Andersen in goal, seem to have thrown them off balance. Aho, who returned to play against Tampa Bay, couldn’t turn the tide in that match, but as the team's top forward, it's crucial for them to have him back. Andrei Svechnikov also appears to be making a comeback. The 23-year-old forward practiced yesterday in the fourth line. If he's back, we’ll likely see him in the top six again, and he will also be an asset for the team in power play. Starting goalie Frederik Andersen also seems ready to return.

Despite the losses, Carolina's performance hasn't been as bad as the results indicate. Looking at the underlying figures, things still seem fairly okay. I expect it will only look better and better. They are likely also eager for revenge against the Kraken who thoroughly whipped them last time, especially now with the support of their fans.

Seattle Also Struggling with Injuries

The Kraken haven't had a great start to the season either. Their win against Carolina is their only victory during regular time. However, they managed an overtime win against the Detroit Red Wings in their last game, which was a back-to-back match. After seven rounds, the feeling remains as I described before the season. Kraken is still a capable team, but a regression after last season's success seemed natural.

The squad is largely intact, but there are a couple of exceptions. André Burakovsky and Brandon Tanev will be missing for several weeks. Tanev has only managed to play one game, but Burakovsky was hit by Jacob Trouba last Saturday and is not expected to return for 6-8 weeks. He hasn't been very influential this season but played a vital role last season, scoring 39 points in 49 regular season games.

Conclusion and prediction

Carolina looks set to have Andrei Svechnikov back for tonight's game. Important player Sebastian Aho has had a game to recover from his minor injury, and with Frederik Andersen ready to play again, things are starting to look good for the home team. Even though losing Brett Pesce is a significant setback, in my opinion, the Hurricanes have the league's very best backup options, so they are well-covered for the loss. Seattle has been staggering without impressing, and against a revenge-hungry Carolina at home, I believe they’ll have a tough time.

The bet is Carolina Hurricanes to win in regulation @ -111 with bet365