The Seattle Kraken (20-24-3) welcome the Buffalo Sabres (17-23-5) to Climate Pledge Arena this afternoon, looking to replicate their recent success in Western New York. In their last meeting just over a week ago, Seattle fell into an early 2-0 hole before exploding for six unanswered goals, ultimately skating away with a 6-2 victory. Since then, the Kraken have played four times—twice as many as the Sabres—and will try to maintain the momentum of a suddenly surging offense.
Much of that offensive charge has come from the top line of Jaden Schwartz, Matty Beniers, and Kaapo Kakko. Schwartz is riding high after netting a hat trick in Seattle’s win over the Los Angeles Kings, while Beniers looks more like the dynamic scorer who captured the Calder Trophy two seasons ago. Meanwhile, Kakko has been a playmaking catalyst, consistently setting up scoring chances and igniting his linemates with timely passes. Buffalo’s defense will need to keep a close watch on this trio if they hope to slow down the Kraken attack.
The Sabres, for their part, haven’t forgotten the sting of surrendering six straight goals in that previous matchup. With fewer games under their belts since that loss, they should be well-rested—and eager to even the score. Seattle’s defense, led by Adam Larsson and Vince Dunn, will have to be on guard early to avoid falling behind, while goaltender Joey Daccord has proven more than capable of bailing out the Kraken when needed.
Puck drops at 1:00 PM PT, marking the second of a four-game homestand for Seattle. After tasting victory in their last clash, the Kraken will try to make it two in a row against Buffalo—and continue climbing in the standings. Keep an eye on whether the top line can sustain its recent offensive fireworks and whether Buffalo can strike back before Seattle’s momentum becomes overwhelming.