The Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken are poised to take the ice Tuesday night in the Emerald City for an exciting NHL matchup. Seattle holds a 2-1 edge in the series after a commanding 7-2 win on Sunday, while Dallas needs an answer as the betting favorite on the NHL odds entering the series.
Which team will come out on top in Game Four? Find out in our Stars vs Kraken prediction.
Overall Game Info & Outlook
- Dallas Stars at Seattle Kraken Game Four
- The Stars and Kraken split the first two games of the series in Dallas, with the Kraken winning 5-4 in overtime in Game One and Dallas winning 4-2 in Game Two. The Kraken won Game Three in Seattle by a 7-2 score.
- Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
- 9:30 PM ET on ESPN
Dallas Stars at Seattle Kraken Betting Preview
Dallas Stars Preview
The Stars’ main concern is the health of top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. The blueliner took a puck to the face in Game Three and did not return. Heiskanen leads Dallas defensemen with seven points this postseason (all assists) and was fifth among all Dallas skaters in points in the regular season NHL stats (11 goals, 62 assists).
If Heiskanen is unable to go, the Stars could either go with veteran Joel Hanley (who had no goals and two assists in 26 games for Dallas this year and has 21 career playoff games played) or Nils Lundqvist (who had six goals and 10 assists in 60 games this season but has no postseason experience). Lundqvist is the likelier option given his upside, but Hanley’s experience shouldn’t be discounted.
Almost as important is how goaltender Jake Oettinger responds between the pipes. After setting a new career high in playoff goals against (five) in Game One, Oettinger tied that total in Game Three. After playing 55 games last year (48 regular season, seven playoffs), it’s possible the grind of 71 games so far this year (62 regular season, nine playoffs) is finally catching up to the 24-year-old netminder.
Dallas could also stand to get a boost from Jason Robertson, who has been held off the scoresheet so far in the second round. Robertson scored two goals and five assists against Minnesota in the first round.
Trends:
- The Stars have eerily mirrored the results of their first-round series with the Minnesota Wild (overtime loss at home in Game One, puck line win in Game Two, puck line loss in Game Three).
- Dallas has dominated the faceoff dot, winning a league-best 57.9% of draws this postseason.
- At 3.44 goals per game, Dallas ranks sixth in the league and fourth among remaining teams in that category.
- The Stars are 3-3 as a betting favorite this postseason.
Stats
Dallas is no stranger to playing from behind in the series this postseason, as they have a 3-0 record following a loss. The Stars rank in the middle of the pack with 3.11 goals against per game in these playoffs.
Prediction for winning this game
In order to win the game, the Stars need to do three things. First, they must clear traffic from the front of the net so Oettinger has a clear line of sight to the puck. Second, they must find a way to get their power play unit onto the ice. Finally, they need Robertson and Jamie Benn to keep shooting the puck. The pair has a combined three goals on 53 shots (5.6%) this postseason after accounting for a combined 79 goals in the regular season.
Seattle Kraken Preview
Seattle has been one of the playoffs’ biggest surprises. In just their second season in the league, the Kraken found a way to go from a bottom feeder in their inaugural campaign to a force to be reckoned with this time around. The emergence of franchise centerpiece (and likely Calder winner) Matty Beniers on the postseason stage has sparked a run for this scrappy Seattle squad.
After upsetting the defending champion Avalanche in the first round, Seattle has kept things rolling. Since facing a 2-1 deficit against Colorado, the Kraken have tightened things up and now have a chance to break the series open if they can take a 3-1 edge with a win on Tuesday.
Philipp Grubauer has elevated his game and solved Seattle’s biggest problem entering the postseason. During the regular season, Kraken goaltenders ranked 30th in the league in save percentage (.890) and 15th in GAA (3.07). This postseason, Grubauer is at a league-best .918 save percentage and a 2.67 GAA.
Keep an eye on Yanni Gourde in this one as well. Gourde leads the Kraken with nine points this postseason (three goals, six assists). His wealth of postseason experience with the Tampa Bay Lightning is serving well to guide the young Seattle franchise.
Trends:
- The Kraken have scored first in eight of 10 playoff games this year.
- Seattle is allowing 33.1 shots per game, third-most of any remaining playoff team.
- An impressive 19 Kraken skaters have recorded a point in the series.
- Jared McCann and Daniel Sprong are both injured and questionable to play.
Stats
Seattle’s physical play has made things difficult for their opponents this postseason, nearly doubing their hits/60 from the regular season. The Kraken lead all playoff teams with 411 hits and rank fifth in the postseason at 40.06 hits/60.
As good as Dallas’ power play has been, Seattle’s PK units have been even better. At 88.5%, the Kraken have the second-best penalty kill of the playoffs.
Prediction for winning this game
Seattle will win this game if they can continue to get traffic in front of Jake Oettinger as they’ve done throughout the series. The Kraken are one of the blocked shots/60 leaders this postseason, so keeping pucks away from Grubauer will be important too. With a raucous crowd expected, count on Seattle to feed off the energy from the stands.
Top Sportsbooks Odds
Betonline: Dallas Stars ML -131, Seattle Kraken ML +119
Bovada: Dallas Stars ML -135, Seattle Kraken ML +115
MyBookie: Dallas Stars ML -136, Seattle Kraken ML +112
BetUS: Dallas Stars ML -135, Seattle Kraken ML +115
BetNow: Dallas Stars ML -135, Seattle Kraken ML +115
Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken Prediction & Odds
Odds for this Matchup:
There you got our experts’ Stars vs Kraken predictions and tips for this exciting matchup.
Moneyline: Dallas Stars -131, Seattle Kraken +119
Puck Line: Dallas -1.5 goals +199, Seattle +1.5 goals -229
Over/Under: 5.5 goals (Over -113, Under +102)
Recommended Pick: Dallas Stars Moneyline
Check out the best betting sites to wager online at Online Betting Sports. Stay with us to keep up with the best offshore sportsbooks reviews and sports betting bonuses. Follow us on Twitter.