Tonight, the San Jose Sharks hit the road for a one-game trip against the Seattle Kraken. Welcome back to NHL Predictions! Today, like every day, Last Word on Hockey looks at the games happening and gives our predictions for each. We’ll also break down head-to-head matchups and other factors that may play a part. In the Emerald City, the Sharks are trying to make it back-to-back wins, while the Kraken are looking to snap their two-game losing streak. Finally, check out more predictions for all the NHL’s games throughout the 2024-25 season.
NHL Predictions
San Jose Sharks at Seattle Kraken
Time: 10:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time)
TV: ESPN
The First Two Matchups
Through the first two games, San Jose has beaten the Kraken by a combined score of 12-7. The Sharks’ offence was on full display in both affairs, as 17 different skaters registered a point and eight had multiple. Mikael Granlund and Jake Walman each had four points, while Walman netted two goals, both in the first matchup. Macklin Celebrini and William Smith also collected three points each. In addition, three of Klim Kostin‘s four points this season came in the two games against Seattle. For Seattle, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Chandler Stephenson and Ryker Evans had strong outings, with three points for each. Can the Sharks keep up this success and win the season series, or will Seattle rebound and get back into the win column?
Sharks Hoping to Find Momentum Heading into February
Following a six-game losing skid, the Sharks can make it back-to-back wins to close out January. To do so, the team will need to continue to lean on their top players. We mentioned the success of Celebrini and Granlund against Seattle, but Tyler Toffoli should also play a role in this game. He collected an assist on Monday. William Eklund has three points in the last five games and Fabian Zetterlund has four. San Jose will need these contributions to pick up another win.
In net, Yaroslav Askarov earned the win against the Penguins. With Vitek Vanecek in the AHL on a conditioning stint, Askarov may see the net once again to try and build some positive momentum. If Alexandar Georgiev is in the net, he’s hoping to snap a personal four-start losing streak.
Kraken Vying for Crucial Two Points
Over the last five games, Jared McCann leads Seattle with six points. He also leads the team with 39 points and is tied for second with 14 goals. Jaden Schwartz leads Seattle in that department with 17. Eeli Tolvanen has three goals in the last five for the Kraken. Seattle’s young stars, Matty Beniers and Shane Wright have 29 and 25 points, respectively. The team would like to see these two find the back of the net against the Sharks to help get a win.
Defensively, Brandon Montour had two assists against the Ducks on Tuesday. He leads all Kraken defensemen with 25 points. Vince Dunn and Evans join Montour as the only defensemen with over 20 points. In the net, Joey Daccord has been fantastic. He’s posted a .916 SV% and kept the Kraken in a lot of games. He should be between the pipes, as Philipp Grubauer started the second half of Seattle’s back-to-back earlier in the week.
Prediction
San Jose has been looking for a stretch of games to build momentum for a while, and this is their opportunity. They should come out strong and build upon their previous success against Seattle. Daccord should make some great saves to keep the Kraken in it, but we like the Sharks to close out January with a win.
Prediction: San Jose wins 3-2
Prop Bets of the Night
We also have some prop bets for you to consider as well. For San Jose, Celebrini is +200 to find the back of the net, which we like. For the Kraken, Kaapo Kakko is +280 to score, and we like him to continue his strong play.
Main photo by: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: Jan. 30 San Jose Sharks vs. Seattle Kraken appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.