2024-25 Regular Season, Game 7 Preview: Hurricanes at Seattle Kraken

The Carolina Hurricanes are back state side for one night only after completing an Alberta sweep for the first time since 2021-22 on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. The Canes started on time, getting goals from Seth Jarvis, Jack Roslovic, and Martin Necas to take a 3-0 lead 22 minutes into the game. However, the Flames started to weasel their way back into the game, beginning with Jake Bean's first goal as a Flame late in the second period. Jonathan Huberdeau put a rebound into the net to make it a one-goal game late in the third, but Eric Robinson's first as a Hurricane into the empty net helped the Canes seal the deal. Necas finished the night with two points, including his 100th goal, while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots to earn his second win of the season. With two games left on the State Fair trip, they're in Seattle to do battle with the Kraken tonight.

The Opponent: Seattle Kraken (4-3-1, 9 Points This Season)
After surprising the entire league during their second season with a 100-point campaign, a playoff berth, and a first-round victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Kraken took a step back in Year 3. While finishing fifth in the division, Seattle was below .500 because of an anemic offense, ranking 29th in goals scored. This setback made the Kraken get a little aggressive during the offseason, adding Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, a duo with Stanley Cup pedigree. Both additions have proven beneficial, helping the Kraken's offense find a little more scoring. Jordan Eberle is tied for sixth in the league with six goals, while Jared McCann's 11 points are tied for tenth. Things have been a little tougher for the Kraken lately, dropping back-to-back one-goal decisions to the Avalanche and the Jets. Their goaltending hasn't allowed more than four goals in their eight games, and Joey Daccord is yet to lose a start in regulation. His numbers haven't jumped off the page like last season, but he has been reliable when he takes the net. 

Last Season's Meetings- The Hurricanes and the Kraken met twice one week apart last October, with the home team emerging victorious. The Kraken beat the Hurricanes 7-4 in Seattle to earn their first win of the season during the Canes' State Fair trip. Seattle led 4-1 after two periods, but early third-period tallies from Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi brough the Canes within a goal. Jared McCann and Tye Kartye scored 21 seconds apart late in the period to extend the lead and while Jarvis added his second of the night, the Kraken scored into the empty net to ensure their win. Jarvis finished with three points for the Canes, while McCann and Vince Dunn did the same for Seattle. One week later, the Kraken, again, took early control. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Devin Shore had the Kraken out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Martin Necas cut the deficit in half with a late tally. Kotkaniemi scored with 4:24 left in regulation to tie the game, sending it to overtime for Necas to complete the comeback with less than ten seconds left in the extra frame.

Stories of the Night
1. Avoiding the Alberta Hangover
The Hurricanes earned a pair of impressive victories on Tuesday and Thursday, sweeping their Alberta trip for the season. They also improved to 3-1-0 during their State Fair trip, which is now two-thirds complete. With two stops left, now is not the time to get complacent. The trip has been a success thus far, but it would be disappointing to finish with just six points. The Canes have gotten off to several good starts on the trip. We'll see early how prepared they are for this game.

2. Special Teams Will Be Critical
This is less about the current state of the Hurricanes' special teams than it is Seattle's. The Kraken have struggled to begin the season on both the power play and the penalty kill, ranking 23rd and 25th in the league, respectively. Over their last four games, the Kraken are 3-for-14 with the man advantage and have allowed a power-play goal in three of those four. Against a group playing out of their mind on special teams like the Hurricanes, this could be the difference between winning and losing for both teams.

3. Can the Fourth Line Get Going?
The bulk of the team's offense during the road trip has come from the Top 6, while the Staal line has done a great job at keeping their opponents in check. The fourth line scored the early goal in Pittsburgh but hasn't produced much since then. Their chances have been plentiful. However, nothing has gone in since Jackson Blake's tying goal. I'm looking for them to contribute more to the final product tonight, scoring at least one goal.

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