After an uplifting win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Seattle Kraken wrap up their road trip with their toughest test yet—a showdown against the first-place Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg boasts a high-powered offense centered around Kyle Connor, who leads the team with 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists), and a top-tier goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, the Vezina front-runner with a sparkling 26-6-2 record, a 2.00 GAA, and a .929 save percentage.
For the Kraken, the key will be to put together a complete 60-minute effort. Too often this season, Seattle has fallen into early deficits, only to rally in the third period. While those late surges can be thrilling—like the overtime loss to the Jets earlier this year—they haven’t always resulted in wins. If the Kraken want to hang with Winnipeg, they’ll need strong starts, tight defense, and continued production from emerging contributors like Kaapo Kakko, who’s been heating up offensively.
Hellebuyck poses a formidable challenge in net, but that doesn’t mean the Jets are unbeatable. As Seattle proved in their prior meeting, they can find ways to generate quality scoring chances and push the game beyond regulation. A sustained, disciplined attack—plus solid goaltending at the other end—could tilt the ice in the Kraken’s favor. And while the playoffs may be a long shot for Seattle at this point, every game is another chance to evaluate young talent and build momentum for the future.
Puck drops at 7:00 PM CST at Canada Life Centre. Keep an eye on whether the Kraken can avoid another slow start and if Kakko and the rest of Seattle’s offensive core can make Hellebuyck’s night difficult. A win against the Jets would certainly help Seattle head home with confidence—and maybe even put a dent in Winnipeg’s domination this season.