Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche: Avalanche Try to Tie Up Series

• The Seattle Kraken finished the season winning five of seven games.
• The Colorado Avalanche finished the season winning eight of ten games.
• The Kraken beat the Avalanche 3-1 in Game One of this series.

Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche Odds

Odds Taken from FanDuel Sportsbook

Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche Predictions and Picks

• Colorado Avalanche beat Seattle Kraken 3-2 
• Seattle Kraken cover
• Under 5.5 goals

Head-to-Head: Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche

Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche Predictions 

The Seattle Kraken will face the Colorado Avalanche in Game Two of this First Round series. The Kraken handled the Avalanche in Game One and won 3-1. None of the Kraken’s stars scored a goal, but Seattle had three second and third-line players score one goal each.

The Kraken failed to make the Playoffs in their inaugural season but turned things around in their second season and finished the year in the first Wild Card spot. On the other side, the Avalanche are attempting to defend their title. Colorado finished the season in first place in the Central Division with 109 points. They were not dominant all season long but hit the gas in the second half of the season.

The Kraken had no players with more than 70 points this year but still managed to score 3.52 goals per game this year. No Kraken player stood out too much above the rest, but Seattle had four players with 20 or more goals. Not many teams have this many reliable scorers, and Seattle’s success this season is largely due to this consistent scoring attack. On the defensive end, the Kraken are not as good. Seattle allowed 3.07 goals per game this season, which is only a little better than the league average. Their defense will need to step up in this series. The Kraken are facing an experienced team in the Avalanche and will need to play to their potential.

The Kraken are led by Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, Jordan Eberle, Matty Beniers, and Yanni Gourde. McCann is the premier goal-scorer of this group, but Dunn, Eberle, Beniers, and Gourde all have the necessary skills that will help Seattle.

Philipp Grubauer will likely get the start for the Kraken. The 31-year-old had an incredible Game One but had his struggles during the season. He will need to continue to be a brick in net throughout this series.

The Avalanche looked a little disoriented in the first half of the season. They were in the Playoff race but in a Wild Card spot. However, Colorado turned it up in the second half and put on a show. Their offense began performing to expectation, and their defense played to their potential. Colorado’s offense is a little slower than the Kraken’s but still plays above league average. Their defense is what really makes them stand out. The Avalanche defense allowed 2.72 goals per game this season and often limited their opponents to two goals or less. This defense will be largely responsible for Colorado’s success or failure in the Playoffs.

The Avalanche are led by Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. MacKinnon led the team in assists, Rantanen led the team in goals, and Makar leads the defense.

Alexander Georgiev will get the start in net for the Avalanche. The 27-year-old did not put on a great showing in Game One, but has had past Playoff success. He has the necessary experience to lead the Avalanche to another Stanley Cup.

The Kraken may have won Game One, but the Avalanche will win Game Two. Colorado is playing at home, has a better defense, and is a more experienced team. Bet on Colorado.

Why Might the Seattle Kraken Win?

The Kraken are the underdogs but can win if they score first and pass to Jared McCann.

The Kraken scored an early goal to start Game One, which played a huge role in their victory. They do not need to score a goal within the first five minutes today, but they must score first once again.

Jared McCann may not have scored in Game One but will be looking for the puck in this matchup. The 26-year-old is a talented scorer and will score if his teammates set him up with scoring opportunities.

Why Might the Colorado Avalanche Win?

The Avalanche are the favorites and will win if they draw penalties and win faceoffs.

The Avalanche did not draw many penalties in Game One and must do a better job this time around. Colorado converted nearly ¼ of their opportunities during the season, so they must draw four penalties in this game.

The Avalanche need to increase their shot output and decrease the Kraken’s shot output. The best way to do that is by winning faceoffs. Colorado can change the whole game if they win ⅔ of their faceoffs.

Kraken Key Players: (C) Jared McCann

Jared McCann finished the season with 40 goals. The winger is a highly efficient shooter and scores on nearly 20% of his shots. However, he failed to score in Game One. McCann must put a puck in the back of the net this game and provide his team with more offense.

Avalanche Key Player: (RW) Mikko Rantanen

Mikko Rantanen scored a goal in Game One and must replicate his success in this game. He is Colorado’s top goal-scorer and will be an x-factor for the Avalanche every game of this Playoffs.

How to Watch Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche

• What - Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche
• Where - Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
• When - Thursday, April 20, 9:30 PM EST
• How to Watch - ESPN