Kraken Gameday Preview: Kicking Off the Road Trip in Carolina vs. Hurricanes

On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Seattle Kraken are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. This game marks the first of five on the road for Seattle, including three on the East Coast. The Kraken just lost to the Minnesota Wild, 3-2 in overtime on Thursday, Jan. 8. This last game at home didn’t start off the way they might have wanted, but now is their chance to start the road trip on the right foot. 

Related: Are Maple Leafs Better Off Keeping William Nylander – or Cashing Him In?

This game marks the last of three at home for Carolina. The Hurricanes won their last two, including their latest, which resulted in a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Hurricanes will pull out all the stops to make sure they close out the three-game homestand with a full three-win sweep. 

Kraken Storylines 

Kraken forward Jordan Eberle did not play in Seattle on Thursday due to an upper-body injury. He currently leads the Kraken in points with 28 points via 15 goals and 13 assists. There has been no update on the extent of his injury thus far. 

Ahead of this game, Eberle is questionable for the Kraken, meaning there is a chance he could play. It is a good sign that he traveled with the team, so he shouldn’t be out for too long. If the Kraken need to keep him out to make sure that he is healthy for the rest of the season, then so be it. As long as the team prioritizes Eberle’s health, because that is the most important thing at the end of the day. 

The player to watch in this game is Vince Dunn. He recorded two assists on the two goals against the Wild on Thursday. He has been a great defensive threat for opposing teams, as well as an offensive threat. In his last three games, he has scored one goal and recorded four assists. Let’s hope he can keep this streak alive tonight. 

Team Stats

Seattle Kraken
Season Record: 20-14-8

Top Scorers:

1. Jordan Eberle – 15 goals (G), 13 assists (A), 28 points (P)
2. Chandler Stephenson – 11 G, 16 A, 27 P
3. Matty Beniers – 8 G, 19 A, 27 P
4. Eeli Tolvanen – 7 G, 18 A, 25 P
5. Vince Dunn – 6 G, 19 A, 25 P

Goalie Stats:

1. Joey Daccord – 12-9-5, 2.82 goals-against average (GAA), .903 save percentage (SV%)
2. Philipp Grubauer – 8-3-2, 2.27 GAA, .925 SV%
3. Matt Murray – 0-2-1, 2.21 GAA, .922 SV%

Carolina Hurricanes
Season Record: 27-14-3

Top Scorers:

1. Sebastian Aho – 17 G, 26 A, 43 P
2. Andrei Svechnikov – 12 G, 23 A, 35 P
3. Nikolaj Ehlers – 11 G, 23 A, 34 P
4. Seth Jarvis – 20 G, 11 A, 31 P
5. Shayne Gostisbehere – 5 G, 26 A, 31 P

Goalie Stats:

1. Brandon Bussi –15-2-1, 2.29 GAA, .906 SV%
2. Frederik Andersen – 6-10-2, 3.35 GAA, .866 SV%
3. Pyotr Kochetkov – 6-2-0, 2.33 GAA, .899 SV%
4. Cayden Primeau – 2-1-0, 4.30 GAA, .838 SV%

Projected Lineups 

(Subject to change before puck drop)
As per The Hockey Writers’ projected lineup article.

Seattle Kraken

Jared McCann — Matt Beniers — Kaapo Kakko
Eeli Tolvanen — Chandler Stephenson — Frederick Gaudreau
Berkly Catton — Shane Wright — Ryan Winterton
Tye Kartye — Ben Meyers — Jacob Melanson

Scratched: Jordan Eberle, Josh Mahura, Oskar Fisker Molgaard

Injured: Jaden Schwartz, Brandon Montour, Matt Murray, Max McCormick

Carolina Hurricanes

Andrei Svechnikov — Sebastian Aho — Nikolaj Ehlers
Taylor Hall — Logan Stankoven — Jackson Blake
Jordan Martinook — Jordan Staal — Seth Jarvis
William Carrier — Mark Jankowski — Eric Robinson

Jaccob Slavin — Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller — Sean Walker
Alexander Nikishin — Shayne Gostisbehere

Brandon Bussi
Frederik Andersen

Scratched: Mike Reilly, Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Injured: Charles-Alexis Legault, Pyotr Kochetkov

Next Up for the Kraken

Seattle will continue their East Coast road trip and take on the New York Rangers on Monday, Jan. 12.