Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey reviews the scheduled games and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will win in head-to-head matchups. Today, we examine the game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Seattle Kraken. Check out more NHL Predictions as the 2024-25 season continues.
NHL Predictions
Anaheim Ducks vs Seattle Kraken
Time: 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: KHN; Victory+; KONG; KCOP-13; ESPN+
The Ducks (20-23-6) will travel up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Kraken Predators (22-26-3) at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA on January 28, 2025. This is the last of three meetings between two division rivals. This will also be the rubber match as the season series is currently 1-1. Back in November, the Kraken took the first game of the season 3-2 and the Ducks won the second 5-2. The Ducks have not faired well against the two recent expansion franchises in Vegas and Seattle. Seattle holds a 9-3-1 all-time record against Anaheim. Coming off a solid 5-2 win against Nashville, the Ducks will look to carry some momentum into this one.
Joey Daccord Shines as Kraken’s Bright Spot in Net
The Kraken are hovering at .500 over their last 10 games, having lost to the Edmonton Oilers last night 4 – 2. Jared McCann leads the Kraken with 5 points in their last 5 games and 38 points on the season. In today’s NHL it is a bad sign when your leading scorer is under a point-per-game, which is the case for McCann and the Kraken. The Kraken are only one standing point ahead of the Ducks with one more game played than Anaheim as well. The brightest spot for the Kraken this season is goaltender Joey Daccord. The 28-year-old goalie has won five of his past seven starts after losing four straight and many consider a snub for Team Canada’s Four Nations team. Expect Daccord to get the start in a top-notch goaltending battle. Daccord has a 2.43 goals against average this season and a .917 save percentage.
Back-to-Back Scoring Outbursts Bring Optimism for the Ducks
Who are these Anaheim Ducks and where have they been all season? The Ducks scored 5 goals in back-to-back games for the first time this season, sending fans home with free Chick-fil-A. Like the game before, Mason McTavish was inches away from netting his first career hat trick. McTavish scored two goals in back-to-back games, has five goals in his last three games, and was named the NHL’s second star of the week for it.
David Pastrnak (@NHLBruins), Mason McTavish (@AnaheimDucks) and Barrett Hayton (@utahhockeyclub) have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO for the week ending Jan. 26.#NHLStats: https://t.co/O6PL2iperw pic.twitter.com/gp9VmR0Ycr
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 27, 2025
Whether “misquoted” or not, Head Coach Greg Cronin calling McTavish a third-line center seems to have lit a fire under the 2021 third overall draft pick. Not only did he score twice against Nashville on Saturday, but the goals were beautiful one-timers.
Our “obviously” stat tracker now has the Ducks at 19-0-2 this season when they score three or more goals. With John Gibson‘s injury uncertainty and in the spirit of protecting him as a trade asset, expect Lukas Dostal to get the start. Dostal came in for relief of Gibson against Nashville and has a 2.93 goals against average and a .910 save percentage this season.
Prediction
The Ducks and Kraken seem set for a closely contested matchup. The Ducks’ ability to generate chances despite their struggles on the power play could make the difference, especially if Lukas Dostal provides a standout performance in net. Meanwhile, the Kraken will rely on their stronger faceoff game and balanced scoring to gain an edge. Expect a tight game that goes to OT with Leo Carlsson scoring the game-winner.
Prediction: Ducks win 4 – 3
Prop Bets of the Night
We close out our NHL Predictions for the Anaheim Ducks vs Seattle Kraken with some of our preferred prop bets of the night. Keep an eye on Ducks money line (+112). Also, Shane Wright usually plays well against Anaheim so take a look at his anytime goal (+410). Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Note: Always check the latest team news and player statuses before placing any bets, as injuries and other factors can influence game outcomes.
Main photo by: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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The post NHL Predictions: January 28 Anaheim Ducks vs Seattle Kraken appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.