On Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings return to action following a tight 6–5 shootout loss to Columbus on Thursday. Despite a lengthy skid earlier this month, Detroit has built some momentum with points in three straight games and will look to extend that streak to four as they continue their six-game road trip.
Standing in their way is a Seattle Kraken squad that has struggled to generate offense, ranking second-worst in the NHL in goals scored this season. This will be the tenth all-time meeting between the teams, with Detroit holding a slight edge in the series at five wins. The Red Wings aim to keep their point streak alive while the Kraken hope to halt their own slump with five losses in their last seven outings, including a four-game slide heading into Saturday.
Lineup Storylines
Detroit’s offense has finally come alive, producing 25 goals over the last seven games, which is tied for the fifth-most in the league during that stretch alongside the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche. The downside is that their defensive issues have grown more severe.
The Red Wings have surrendered 35 goals in their last eight games, the most in the NHL over that span, and have allowed at least three goals in seven straight contests. That shaky defense may offer a much-needed spark for Seattle’s struggling attack. Not many lineup changes are expected for Detroit except for scratching seventh defenseman Travis Hamonic, who has had a difficult season holding the Red Wings to a 7-8-1 record with him in the lineup.
Otherwise, the lines are expected to remain the same, with Andrew Copp staying on the second line alongside Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. The third line will feature Elmer Soderblom and Marco Kasper, both looking to break out after going pointless since late October, centered by rookie Nate Danielson, who had his career breakout game versus Seattle with a goal and an assist. The fourth line has been one of Detroit’s bright spots, as James van Riemsdyk and Michael Rasmussen have combined for six goals over their last five games.
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Seattle is typically one of the more defensively sturdy teams in the league and features a strong top four on the blue line with Brandon Montour, Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson and Ryan Lindgren. However, their defensive play has slipped lately with 16 goals allowed over their last three games. Combined with their cold offense, the Kraken have dropped seven of their past 11 matchups. Even so, against a Red Wings defense that has been just as shaky, this matchup has the potential to be more competitive than recent trends suggest.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (-125) | SEA ML (+105)
DET -1.5 (+185) | SEA +1.5 (-227)
O/U 6.0 Goals
The Red Wings have won four straight against the Kraken, and the matchup has consistently delivered offense, with all ten of their all-time meetings featuring six or more goals. Detroit will look to keep its attack rolling behind captain Dylan Larkin, who remains red-hot with points in all nine career games against Seattle, totaling four goals and nine assists for 13 points. Larkin also enters the matchup on a five-game point streak, producing three goals and four assists over that span.
Seattle, meanwhile, still lacks a true point-per-game scorer, but their hottest player has been defenseman Brandon Montour. He has posted five points in his last six games and historically performs well against Detroit. The Brantford, Ontario native has collected two goals and ten assists for 12 points in his past 18 meetings with the Red Wings.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 5-7-1 record, 3.62 GAA, .868 SV% | VS SEA: 3-4-0 record, 4.03 GAA, .882 SV% in seven games)
Seattle: Joey Daccord (Season: 7-6-4 record, 2.92 GAA, .894 SV% | VS DET: 1-1-2 record, 3.57 GAA, .875 SV% in five games)
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