Seattle Kraken @ 
New Jersey DevilsThe Unstoppable Force Meets the Immovable Object
Here's the tale of two teams heading in completely opposite directions. Seattle has been absolutely scorching - 9-1-2 over their last 12 games - and has quietly emerged as one of the NHL's hottest teams heading into mid-January. The Kraken are playing their best hockey of the season, and it's not even close. Meanwhile, New Jersey has been stumbling through a 1-4 skid over their last five games, looking nothing like the team that contended for the playoffs last year.
But here's the catch - and it's a significant one. The Kraken are 0-5 all-time at Prudential Center. Not 1-4. Not 2-3. Zero wins in five attempts. For a franchise that's only existed since 2021, that's their entire history in Newark, and it's been nothing but pain. The Devils have dominated this series, going 6-1-1 against Seattle in franchise history. Whatever Seattle does well, New Jersey has figured out how to neutralize it - at least in New Jersey.
The market is respecting that history, pricing the Devils as -162 home favorites despite their awful recent form. Vegas is essentially saying: "We don't care that New Jersey has been bad lately. They own Seattle in this building." It's a fascinating spot where current momentum clashes with historical dominance. Which narrative wins tonight?
All-Time Record in Newark: 0-5 (0 wins in 5 attempts)
Season Series Overall: Devils lead 6-1-1 all-time vs Kraken
Last 5 vs Devils: Seattle is 0-5 SU regardless of venue
The Problem: Whatever the Kraken do well, the Devils have consistently countered. Jack Hughes has owned this matchup.
Seattle's Incredible 9-1-2 Heater
Seattle Kraken (21-15-8)New Jersey Devils (23-21-2)Let me tell you about Seattle's turnaround, because it's been remarkable. In early December, the Kraken were a middling team with playoff hopes but no real momentum. Then something clicked. Jared McCann started producing consistently, Joey Daccord found his groove in net, and suddenly Seattle is 9-1-2 in their last 12. That's a .833 points percentage - playoff team territory by any measure.
McCann has been particularly impressive. He's on a 5-game point streak and has emerged as the undisputed leader of this team's offense. With 15 points in 19 games, he's not putting up superstar numbers, but he's been clutch when it matters. The Kraken don't need him to score 40 goals; they need him to set the tone and create opportunities. He's doing exactly that.
But then there's the Devils problem. New Jersey has owned Seattle like few teams own anyone. The 6-1-1 all-time record is absurd. The 0-5 mark at Prudential Center is even more absurd. Whatever the Kraken try to do against this specific opponent, it fails. Jack Hughes has been a monster in these matchups, and even with the Devils struggling right now, that historical pattern is impossible to ignore.
Record: 9 wins, 1 regulation loss, 2 OT losses in last 12 games
Key Stat: Joey Daccord has allowed 2 or fewer goals in 7 of those 12 games
Road Wins: 4 straight road victories heading into Newark
What's Working: Disciplined team defense, opportunistic scoring, clutch goaltending
The Goaltending Battle: Daccord vs Markstrom
This is where the game could be decided. Joey Daccord has been rock solid for Seattle, posting a .902 save percentage and 2.77 GAA this season. Those numbers are solid, not spectacular, but what matters is how he's performed during the hot streak. Daccord has been the backbone of Seattle's surge, making the saves when they need them and keeping games close.
Jacob Markstrom, on the other hand, is having a rough year. His .878 save percentage and 3.48 GAA are the worst numbers of his career. When Vancouver traded him to New Jersey, the expectation was that he'd stabilize the goaltending position. Instead, he's been part of the problem. The Devils are allowing too many goals, and Markstrom hasn't been stealing games like an elite goalie should.
If this were a neutral-site game, I'd give the goaltending edge to Seattle without hesitation. Daccord is playing better, plain and simple. But at Prudential Center, where Markstrom has been solid historically and where Seattle has never won, the calculation changes. Sometimes home ice advantage matters more than raw numbers, and for the Devils-Kraken matchup, it clearly does.
Advanced Stats Deep Dive
Let's dig into what the numbers tell us beyond the basic standings. Seattle's recent form suggests a team that's playing above its season averages. Their Corsi-For percentage during the 9-1-2 stretch has been excellent - they're controlling possession and generating quality chances. The Kraken aren't a high-event team; they win through structure and discipline.
New Jersey's advanced metrics paint a different picture. Despite the talent on the roster, the Devils have been inconsistent in shot suppression. They allow too many high-danger chances, which puts immense pressure on Markstrom. When your goalie is struggling and you're not protecting him with strong team defense, you get what the Devils have: a 23-21-2 record that screams underachievement.
The expected goals (xG) model for this matchup is intriguing. Seattle generates about 2.7 xG per game during their hot streak. New Jersey allows about 2.9 xG per game during their cold stretch. On paper, that favors the Kraken. But models don't account for the psychological factor of a team that's 0-5 in a building. Sometimes sports defy analytics.
Seattle's Corsi-For % (Last 12): 52.3% - controlling play
New Jersey's Corsi-Against % (Last 5): 48.7% - getting outplayed
Daccord's High-Danger SV%: .835 - solid in clutch moments
Markstrom's High-Danger SV%: .791 - struggling to stop quality chances
Why the Total is Set at 5.5
The 5.5 total is interesting because it accounts for two opposing factors. Seattle has been playing low-scoring, tight games during their hot stretch - they win 3-2 or 2-1, not 6-4. Joey Daccord keeps games close, and the Kraken don't have the offensive firepower to blow teams out. That suggests Under.
But New Jersey's games have been high-scoring lately, largely because Markstrom has been leaky. When you're allowing 3+ goals regularly and your offense is capable of scoring (Jack Hughes can put up points against anyone), games tend to go Over. The Devils' 1-4 stretch has featured plenty of goals - just more against them than for them.
My read: this game stays close and low-scoring. Seattle is built to play tight games, and even though New Jersey has been allowing goals, this matchup historically favors the Devils' structure. Expect something like 3-2 or 4-2 rather than a wild 6-5 shootout.
Keys To Victory
For the Kraken to finally win in Newark: Joey Daccord must be elite - not just good, elite. Seattle needs their goalie to steal this one because the historical demons are real. Jared McCann has to extend his point streak and give the offense a spark. Stay disciplined and out of the penalty box - New Jersey's power play can still hurt you. And mentally, this team needs to believe they can win here. Five losses in five tries creates psychological baggage. Breaking through that barrier might matter more than any X's and O's.
For the Devils to continue their dominance: Jack Hughes needs to show up the way he always does against Seattle. He's been the Kraken killer in this series, and if he's engaged from the opening faceoff, New Jersey controls the narrative. Jacob Markstrom has to be better than he's been - period. This is a winnable game for the Devils if their goalie gives them a solid performance. Avoid lazy penalties that put Seattle's improving power play on the ice. And use the home crowd - Prudential Center has been a house of horrors for Seattle, so lean into that energy.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those games where the narrative pulls you in two directions. On one hand, Seattle is undeniably the hotter team. They're 9-1-2 in their last 12, they have better goaltending right now, and they're playing with the kind of confidence that wins hockey games. The Kraken look like a team that believes in itself.
On the other hand, history is brutal. The 0-5 record at Prudential Center is hard to ignore. The 6-1-1 all-time mark against the Devils is hard to ignore. At some point, Seattle has to break through against New Jersey, but "at some point" and "tonight" aren't the same thing. The Devils own this matchup, and even a slumping team can rise to the occasion against a team they've dominated.
The -162 line on New Jersey feels steep given their recent form, but it reflects the market's respect for the historical pattern. Seattle at +136 is intriguing value for a team playing this well, but you're betting against four years of evidence that says the Kraken can't beat the Devils in Newark.
Whether you trust the hot hand or the historical pattern, this game has compelling storylines either way. Tuesday night hockey doesn't get much more interesting than an unstoppable force meeting what has been, for Seattle, an immovable object.
