Free NHL Picks Today: Seattle Kraken vs Vancouver Canucks 10/27/22

The Seattle Kraken (3-3-2) welcome the Vancouver Canucks (0-5-2), who continue their pursuit of their first win, at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday. Vancouver is coming off a 3-2 loss against the Hurricanes on Monday, their seventh defeat in a row. The Canucks took advantage of their limited power play opportunities, scoring once on two shots, while also conceding a power play goal.

J.T. Miller scored the lone goals, finding the net twice for the Canucks. Thatcher Demko had 36 saves in the loss. Seattle beat the Sabres 5-1 on Tuesday. Five players found the net for the Kraken. Daniel Sprong scored and provided two assists to lead the team in scoring. Martin Jones was impressive in the win, making 15 saves (.937%).

HEAD TO HEAD

The Canucks won all four games between the teams last season, including a 5-2 victory in their final meeting in April, their fourth straight win against Seattle. Quinn Hughes (1G 2A) and Conor Garland (0G 3A) each had three points to lead Vancouver. Morgan Geekie and Jordan Eberle were on the scoresheet for Seattle. Spencer Martin got the win, saving 30 of 32 shots (.937%).

FACING OFF

Vancouver is averaging 2.57 goals per game so far this season, 28th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Kraken team that is allowing 3.50 goals a game (26th). Meanwhile, Seattle has found the net 3.25 times a game on average, 16th in the league, and the Canucks are allowing opponents to score 4.29 goals per game (29th).

The Kraken’s 29.03% power play percentage ranks seventh in the league, while the Canucks are 21st with a conversion rate of 16.00%. Penalty killing, however, has been a struggle for both teams, as Vancouver has the league’s lowest PK% at 57.14% and Seattle is fourth-worst at 68.97%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With seven points this season, Elias Pettersson is the top skater for the Canucks. He has three goals and four assists in seven games. In the net, Demko (0-5-1) is Vancouver’s top goaltender. He has a 4.06 GAA and a .872% save percentage.

Jared McCann and Andre Burakovsky lead the Kraken in scoring with seven points apiece. McCann has four goals and three assists, while Burakovsky has three goals and four assists in eight games. Jones (3-2-1) has the best goals against average for Seattle at 3.31. He has a save percentage of .870%.