Seattle Kraken vs Winnipeg Jets Picks and Predictions October 24th 2024

The Seattle Kraken have their sights set on halting the red-hot Winnipeg Jets when the two teams clash Thursday night in Seattle. The Kraken are coming off a tough 3-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, where Jared McCann hit a personal milestone, scoring his 100th career goal. But despite that highlight, McCann wasn’t satisfied, admitting it would’ve felt sweeter with a win. The Kraken are hungry to get back on track, especially after a rough few games.

Seattle’s setback was compounded by the loss of star defenseman Vince Dunn, who was placed on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Dunn’s absence leaves a big hole in Seattle’s lineup, but McCann emphasized the team’s need to step up in his place. Ryker Evans, a younger defenseman, showed flashes of promise with a late power-play goal in Tuesday’s game, signaling that the next man up is ready to contribute.

Coach Dan Bylsma echoed McCann’s sentiments, urging his team to get more aggressive offensively. “Without Vince, we need to find that extra gear in attack mode,” Bylsma said, highlighting how crucial it is for the Kraken to generate more scoring chances.

Jets Riding High with Perfect Record

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets are riding an all-time franchise best start, coming into Thursday’s matchup with a pristine 6-0-0 record. Their latest victory was a hard-fought 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, marking the start of a three-game road trip. Key to the Jets’ success has been the electric play of Kyle Connor, who has now scored in four straight games, and Cole Perfetti, who notched three assists against St. Louis. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been a brick wall, making 27 saves and maintaining his stellar form in net.

Winnipeg’s power play has also been a major factor in their winning streak. Nino Niederreiter found the back of the net on the man advantage against the Blues, and the Jets will need their special teams to keep clicking as they face a Kraken team looking to bounce back.

Key Matchups to Watch

• Kraken’s Offense vs. Jets’ Defense: With Dunn out, Seattle needs to figure out how to ignite their attack. It’s going to take a team effort to solve Winnipeg’s stingy defense and beat Hellebuyck, who’s been lights out so far.
• Jets’ Power Play: Winnipeg’s power play has been deadly, and Seattle’s penalty kill will need to be on high alert to prevent another night of capitalizing on their mistakes.
• Connor vs. McCann: With Kyle Connor on a four-game goal streak and Jared McCann fresh off his milestone 100th goal, this game could come down to which offensive star shines the brightest.

Game Outlook

Seattle is in desperate need of a bounce-back win, especially with their playoff hopes tied to solid performances on home ice. Missing a key defensive piece in Vince Dunn, they’ll have to dig deep and find more ways to generate scoring opportunities if they hope to end Winnipeg’s perfect start. Meanwhile, the Jets have all the momentum in their favor, and with Hellebuyck standing tall in net and their offense firing on all cylinders, they are poised to keep their streak alive.

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Prediction

The Kraken are desperate, but the Jets are too balanced and in too good of form to bet against. Expect Winnipeg to keep their undefeated streak going with another solid performance.

Jets 4, Kraken 2