The Need to Knows:
- The Time: 7:00 pm PT
- The Place: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
- Place to Watch: KHN, KONG, FanDuel Sports Network South, ESPN+
- Place to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on KJR 93.3fm
- An Opposing Viewpoint: Canes Country
Know Your Enemy
Although they sit fourth in the Metro Division, the 4-2-0 Carolina Hurricanes are feeling good.
Thursday night Carolina earned bragging rights as the first team to beat the Calgary Flames in regulation with a 4-2 win on the road. Frederik Andersen is off to a hot start, recording a top-ten GAA (1.64) and save percentage (.939%) in three starts, a good sign for a bounce back from his injury-marred 2023-24 campaign. And Martin Nečas’ two-year, $13 million contract– inked this offseason despite reports that the Hurricanes shopped the winger– is paying off so far. In six games, Nečas leads Carolina in points (8) and trails only Shayne Gostisbehere in goals (3).
Carolina seemingly did not practice Friday. Barring any injury, it wouldn’t be a reach to expect head coach Rod Brind’Amour to deploy the same lineup he did in Calgary, with the exception of Andersen in the crease. Canes goaltenders are rotating like Seattle’s are, and Pyotr Kochetkov played last.
Game Preview
Should Carolina ‘run it back’ in Seattle, the odds of a low-scoring game decided by special teams become that much higher.
Neither team is pulling away in five-on-five goal differential– both are +2– even if the Kraken (19-17) are seeing more action in that aspect of the game than the Canes (11-9). Although Carolina is leading the league in five-on-five shot quality control (62.47%), they’re infamously a low-finishing team (6.63 SH%), and Andersen will no doubt work to counteract Seattle’s even-strength success. Over three career starts versus the Kraken, the Dane holds a .930 SV%.
Special teams numbers points to Carolina’s substantial advantage in uneven situations. Their power play is 6th (29.4%) and their penalty kill 8th (83.3%), while Seattle’s are 23rd (17.4%) and 25th (75%), respectively. About 15.4% of the Kraken’s total goals have come on the power play, compared to 26.3% for the Canes. Gostisbehere leads the Canes in power play goals (3)– keep an eye on him quarterbacking the first unit alongside Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Nečas.
Seattle’s power play is still ailed by the absence of Vince Dunn, expected to be sidelined until at least Nov. 12 with a mid-body injury. Head coach Dan Bylsma can’t commit to that date for his return. “We’ll see how the recovery goes,” he told reporters pregame on Tuesday. “We hope [he’ll be ready by then].”