NHL Predictions: January 19th, Pittsburgh Penguins vs Seattle Kraken

Welcome back to NHL Predictions here with Last Word On Hockey! Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for games around the NHL. In tonight’s matchup, Pittsburgh and Seattle battle for crucial points in tight playoff races. 

NHL Predictions: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Seattle Kraken

Head-to-Head: Kraken 1-0 Penguins

Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Penguins Story

Pittsburgh comes into this western road trip off a 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the shootout. With the loss, the Penguins are 6-2-2 in their last 10. Their total record of 22-14-11 places them in the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh comes into this game on a three-game point streak, and have recorded at least a point in seven out of nine games in the month of January. A big factor for this success has been the commitment to defence. The Penguins are in the top 10 in the league for fewest goals against since the holiday break in December. Although their power play has faltered at times recently, Pittsburgh’s system has looked markedly better over the past month. 

The return of star forward Evgeni Malkin, as well as the acquisition Egor Chinakhov, have been tremendous additions to the offence. Malkin has four points over these past three games, while Chinakhov has three goals and four points in nine games with the team. The absence of defenceman Erik Karlsson has been felt. Kris Letang, however, has made an attempt to fill in while reprising his role as the premier quarterback of the Penguins. He has points in three straight, and 25 points through 47 games this season. This is an area that Pittsburgh needs a lot more production from; however, it doesn’t seem Karlsson will be ready to return anytime soon. 

In net, expect Stuart Skinner to get the start. Skinner is 4-4-0 since joining the Penguins, pitching a .902 save percentage. After a couple of rough starts to begin his tenure, Skinner has turned into a stabilizing factor for the Penguins, with wins in four of his last five starts and a save percentage of .941 over this time. 

Kraken Story

The Seattle Kraken seem to be stuck in a perpetual loop of being bubble playoff contenders, not clearly going anywhere. Having lost two straight, Seattle is 5-3-2 in their last 10, and 21-17-9 on the season. This record places them third in the Pacific Division, with teams like the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings all tied with the Kraken at 51 points. A collapse from the team or even a continuation of this current cold streak would likely see them fall out of the playoff line against these teams. An abysmal offence is the biggest reason for these failures. Although the Kraken rank top 10 in the league for goals against, their goals for is bottom 10 in the league, ranking 27th at the time of this article. This is a key area the Penguins may be able to take advantage of in their game against the Kraken.

One of the biggest reasons the Kraken have struggled to form an identity is due to a lack of star power and direction. Seattle is led in scoring by Jordan Eberle and Matty Beniers. Both have 31 points through 45 and 47 games, respectively. This is an indictment of the overall issue, where the team’s veterans like Eberle are keeping them in playoff contention, while young stars like Beniers are failing to develop past middle-of-the-lineup players. The Kraken require more from their lineup to become a threat, as the middle of their lineup and defensive structure is solid for a playoff bubble team. 

Expect Joey Daccord to start in net following Phillip Grubauer’s loss to the Utah Mammoth. Daccord has gone 12-11-5 this season with a .902 save percentage. 

NHL Prediction

Even through the Penguins’ losses recently, the team has looked far better than they did in November and December. They’re playing a solid defensive game to the point of ranking in the top 10 for goals against in the league. Expect them to take advantage of a struggling Seattle team and get the victory here.

Prop Bet of the Night

Pittsburgh has morphed into a defence-first team, while the Kraken struggle to score as it is. Expect a lower-scoring game, in which a popular prop bet of goals under 5 with odds of +210 is a solid bet.

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