On Wednesday night TNT will present a hot new expansion team that sells a lot of merchandise. The expansion Seattle Kraken is a hit at the box office and the online gear store. But they aren’t reminding anyone of the 2017-18 Vegas Golden Knights on the ice. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks are one of the big surprises in the NHL. The Ducks are showing impressive balance and the look of a 200-foot team. Anaheim has stuck with coach Dallas Eakins and is being rewarded for their patience. Anaheim is in solid playoff position, which nobody predicted on Opening Night.
The Anaheim Ducks will host the Seattle Kraken at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. This game will take place on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at 10 p.m. ET, with television coverage on TNT.
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Odds Analysis
Anaheim will get the benefit of the doubt from gamblers as the most established team. Sharps are hesitant to take the Kraken based on their terrible defensive metrics. Offensively, Seattle is below average and can’t compensate for all of the goals allowed. Of course, the Anaheim price won’t be cheap. Yet the Ducks aren’t going to be excessively expensive as a club that has failed to make the playoffs for several years.
Seattle Kraken
Seattle enters this game struggling with four losses in their previous five games. Five of the last six games for the Kraken went over the total. Seattle brings a record of 9-15-3 to this matchup. NHL metrics show the Kraken ranked 19th for goal scoring, 26th for power play efficiency, 29th for goals against, and 17th for penalty killing.
Right wing Jordan Eberle has a team-best 12 goals with six assists and a -13. Center Jared McCann has added 11 goals with five assists and a -6. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer is 7-11-3 with a 3.25 goals against average and .884 save percentage.
Seattle has the misfortune of being compared to Vegas as a first-year expansion team. Vegas was masterful at exploiting the rules and unsuspecting teams in its first year. Now, NHL clubs are much more aware of the expansion threat and far less generous.
Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim is in decent form entering this game with four wins in their previous seven games. The Ducks bring a record of 15-9-5 to this matchup. Anaheim is 15-14 over the total. NHL metrics show Anaheim ranked 10th for goal scoring, 5th for power play efficiency, 12th for goals against, and 3rd for penalty killing.
As the old NHL adage goes, show me a good goaltender, and I’ll show you a good coach. Anaheim’s John Gibson has a record of 11-7-4 with a 2.57 goals against average and .918 save percentage. Backup Anthony Stolarz is 4-2-1 with a 2.32 goals against average and .931 save percentage. Upfront, center Troy Terry has a team-best 15 goals with 11 assists and a +3.
Seattle vs. Anaheim Prediction
Seattle is 3-7-2 and 6-2-1 over/under the total in away games. Anaheim is 8-3 and 4-6 over/under the total in home games. The Ducks beat the Kraken 7-4 in Seattle in the only previous meeting between these two teams. The game easily went over the total of 5.5.
Seattle has been a terrible play on the road in its first two months of action. The Kraken back end and goaltending have been far below par. And from the day of the expansion draft, it was obvious that Seattle would lack reliable goal scoring.
Anaheim has been rebuilding for the past several years. To their credit, the Ducks have stuck with the plan and their coach. Now they are starting to show dividends for this blueprint. Anaheim is not cheap in this game, but they are certainly the best choice.
BookMaker Pick: Anaheim Ducks
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